On a solo journey of spiritual self-discovery in Mexico, Danielle Dorsey decided NOT to visit the famously witchy Sonora Market. She explains why …
Mexico City’s Sonora Market was up there as I had compiled a list of the city’s witchiest landmarks to visit during my two-week stay. The sprawling bazaar is famous for being the largest market dedicated to witchcraft in the country, offering patrons everything from tarot readings to limpias (or spiritual cleansing), banishments, love potions, and more. Earlier in my spiritual journey, I likely would have sated my curiosity and went, but the more I learned about the market’s offerings—which range from healing arts to the darkest magic imaginable—the less inclined I felt to go.
One obvious reason to take precaution before visiting the Sonora Market is its location. Nestled in the historic La Merced neighborhood, the market and its surrounding areas suffer from higher crime rates and poverty. Although generally safe during the day, those who stand out as tourists are more likely to be targeted for theft and scams.
Along with candles, herbs, and other trinkets for your spells, you’ll also find vendors selling animals in various states—taxidermied, encapsulated in liquids, or even alive (and often malnourished). Each vendor is its own business, so supporting a tarot reader who happens to be working there does not necessarily equate to endorsing animal abuse, but still I felt cautious about the volatile energies that might be encountered in such a space.
For all intents and purposes, the Sonora Market is an energetic vortex, where one can cleanse themselves of suffering at one booth and then curse someone at the next. For anybody not familiar with how to protect themselves with such conflicting energies at play, it could be easy to fall victim of a psychic attack.
I spoke with Shannon O’Neill-Loyola of Radical Reiki, who currently lives near Mexico City and has familial ties to the region that trace back for centuries. She told me that, “Aside from the fact that there’s dark magic, I won’t go because of the polarization of forces that occurs there. It attracts so many lower entities and earthbound souls who will do anything to latch onto anyone who has an opening in their auric field. People go there out of novelty, and with a superficial view of magic, and don’t realize how impactful these rituals and ceremonies are. Ultimately, this shows a lack of respect, and people who visit as ‘spiritual tourists’ don’t realize that they may leave with attachments.”
Another reason I decided to pass on the Sonora Market is my wariness of casual tourism through others’ sacred belief systems. One of the best things about social media and the internet are their ability to connect us to cultures and people all over the world, but it’s also easy to trick ourselves into believing that we are more familiar with these practices than we actually are. We might mistake watching a video of a sacred ceremony with being qualified to host our own, even though we have no ties to that culture or deeper understanding of what it represents. Not only is this appropriative and intrusive, it belittles the spirituality of those that we are borrowing from.
When you take into account the different intersections of privilege and the historical oppression of certain cultures whose rituals are now being profiled by Vogue et al., it becomes even more vital that—if and when we participate—we make an effort to do so with intention and respect. That might mean sacrificing an Insta-worthy picture of creepy Santa Muerte statues and respecting the merchant’s request to keep your phone in your pocket. It might also mean that if your Spanish isn’t advanced enough to have a genuine conversation about someone’s offerings and what they can do for you, it might not be the right time to visit.
A good rule of thumb for distinguishing cultural appreciation from appropriation, is that appreciation typically includes an invitation to participate. If you’re truly interested in learning from Mexican brujas or brujos, you’ll have to foster a genuine relationship and prove that your interest stems from more than simply colonizing their beliefs. This might be difficult to achieve if you’re only visiting for a week or two. There’s also a chance you could approach somebody in a completely respectful manner, and they still won’t be interested in mentoring you. Remember that no one owes you their labor, spiritual or otherwise.
However, this doesn’t mean that spiritual enlightenment isn’t awaiting you in Mexico. If you’re looking for spellcraft items, you’re likely to find a few botanicas in just about any neighborhood market or tiangui, which are weekly pop-up markets that occur all over Mexico City. I also recommend a visit to White Willow Cafe in the Roma Norte neighborhood, which hosts weekly tarot and other mystical workshops.
Mexico is a country with a rich history and the same wisdom you are seeking from a bruja or brujo can also be found by simply tuning into the energy of the land. I was surprised at the downloads that came through during a few minutes of meditation at the ancient ruins of Teotihuacan, located just an hour outside of Mexico City. I had a similar experience in Frida Kahlo’s house and was struck with visions as I toured her bedrooms and kitchen, leading me to spend some time journaling in her garden. Even during long bus rides, I found myself bulldozed by spiritual insights while my eyes drunk in the gorgeous countryside.
If you do decide to visit Mexico City’s Sonora Market, take appropriate measures to protect your energy. As with anything else, do research so that you can be sure of what services you’re asking for and don’t get taken advantage of. Meditate and ground yourself before embarking on that trip. Slip a black tourmaline or obsidian crystal into your pocket to ward off negativity and envision yourself in an impenetrable bubble that one must be invited inside.
If, like me, you’d rather be safe than sorry, there are plenty of other ways to find spiritual healing in Mexico without putting yourself at the mercy of such potent energetic forces and engaging in spiritual appropriation.
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Danielle Dorsey is a content creator, publicist, copy editor, social media coordinator, and event planner. Read more from her at Danielledorky.com and follow her on Instagram.
Leo // Leo Rising Throwing a frisbee. Backyard games. What do you do that’s purely for enjoyment? This is a chance to be creative about how you have fun. So much from the past is getting dredged up, and there are many distractions. Fill your mind with games instead of details. Connect to body and breath. Playfulness can bring perspective.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising A swan floats on the river. Tell yourself it’s easy. That’s how you’ll float gracefully. Pushing doesn’t work. Letting yourself be intuitively guided is the key. So much of this is about how you anticipate. Do you anticipate things to be easy or a lot of work? Chill out more and you’ll float through it all.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising An airplane flies just above the clouds. You have gathered tools that help you rise above. Are you using them? Some level of foresight and mental organization is necessary so that you don’t get caught in the storm. Envision how you want to feel. Visualize your future. Dedicate yourself to this practice.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising Flipping pancakes. The idea is that you have a bunch of chances. Each decision turns out a little differently, but that doesn’t mean they’re inedible. You have to try. So much is changing in how you see yourself in the world. Your growth is monumental. So try out different approaches. This is how you’ll find your stride.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising Plucking daisy petals. Don’t get caught in the binary, “He loves me, he loves me not.” Whatever your question is, there are more shades of gray to the answer than you can imagine. Connect to your ethics, principles, and goals, and these will help you find your answers. What do you value? What do you care about? What’s the big picture?
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising A solitary tree in a meadow. It can feel so much easier to take care of yourself when you’re alone. You can keep things simple and you can focus on the work. It’s less messy. But the mess is where the learning happens. The mess can be magic. People should still love you, even when you’re a mess. So trust. Say what you need. Try to connect with others. You don’t need to feel alone.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising A heartbeat. Bum-bump, bum-bump. Center yourself in your heart. Connect to your feelings and to your love. Love needs to be shared. You need to vouch for the importance of love in your life. There is a need for humans to love more fully, generously and unconditionally. Lead with your heart.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising A slinky. Find your momentum. It’s more effective to clear obstacles and let things flow than it is to force things that aren’t working. Take a nice walk to clear your mind, then do the busy work afterwards. Meditate before you have the tough conversation. Evaluate your workflows and notice where you can make things more holistic.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising A piece of a pie. You are owed your share of enjoyment. Hold out for it. Fight for it. Look for it. Life is too short for scarcity. There is abundance and pleasure available everywhere. A life of more enjoyment is available to you at every turn. You may have to adjust your mindset so that you can see what’s already working.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising Playing maracas. Find your rhythm and find your footing. There’s always a feeling of belonging when you’re playing in time with the music. When we are synced up with the rhythm, it feels so good. You are being presented with more chances to march to the beat of your own drummer. If you start by being comfortable with who you are, you’ll feel comfortable everywhere you go.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising The Enneagram. Get to know your own psychology and personality. This is a highly educational time for you. Your new perspectives will help you save energy and make things work. There are many different methods you can use to study yourself. If you know yourself, you can see your opportunities and challenges more clearly. Pay attention to your mindset.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising Sturdy leather shoes. What is keeping you grounded? What helps you believe that you are secure? So much is unknown. Your mental comfort resides in your ability to trust your own resilience. There’s no need to know the future. Knowledge and understanding come exactly when you’re ready for them. So don’t play the “what if” game. Just settle in and find strength in what you already know.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
The 2018 Leo New Moon marks the grand finale of Eclipse Season, and asks us to reignite the passionate fire that has never left us, says Sandy Sitron …
New Moon Solar Eclipse // August 11 2018 // 5:59 am ET // 18 degrees Leo
Orange light streams through a narrow opening in a cave wall. If you’re a brave spelunker, you can squeeze through and retreat into deeper chambers. You reach the core. The temperature rises. Here in the recesses of your subconscious mind, a central hearth fire burns.
It’s a magical fire that burns continuously without emission.
A cleansing fire. The fire of spirit. At this New Moon, you must connect with your spirit fire.
Leo is the sign that encourages you to share your true self with the world. Now is the time to set intentions about creativity, spontaneity, recognition, playfulness, sovereignty, and generosity. All of these themes have something to do with your fire offering. Your connection with your fire will help you make better decisions. It will help you supersede ego and be playful instead.
Before you can share your fire, you have to locate it in the recesses of your inner world. You have to journey deep within and simply trust that it’s there. Believe wholeheartedly in your uniqueness.
Because the 2018 Leo New Moon Eclipse is a time to begin anew, this is a powerful opportunity to reboot. Leo rules the sun. At the eclipse, the light of the sun is partially extinguished.
This is why the fire must be reignited.
Fan the flames of your hidden spirit fire by reconnecting with what makes you feel alive. Reignite your pleasure, passion, and self-expression. Without these themes as priorities, the season loses its glitter and sparkle. Boredom sets in.
Save yourself from monotony. Cure your apathy with creativity. Share your enduring sense of personal worth through creative expression. Kids are connected to the hearth fire within them. It’s what pushes them to continuously look for the next fun thing. They make and play, they’re impulsive and wild.
Journeying through the caves is like wandering through your memory to re-groove a path that already exists. How would your inner child like to express itself? Make changes in your environment and schedule so that there’s room for fun and play.
Burning bright is an ongoing practice. Do it because it’s fun to have fun! And because sharing your fire light with the world is the most generous thing you can do.
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New Moon conjunct Mercury Popcorn flies out of the pan. There’s a flurry of mental activity. Some of the popcorn kernels are memories, some are ideas, some are worries, and some just moving thoughts. Which ones will you eat? Putting a lid on the pan and containing some of these thoughts might feel nice. If the heat and pressure are unchecked, you might mentally burn out—which would also cause an emotional flare. So turn down the heat when it’s time. Be gentle with yourself about what comes up. Remember, you are the chef. You’re in control of the whole process.
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New Moon square Jupiter Eating watermelon. Juice running down your face. Revel in the sweetness. There’s more where that came from. This aspect can help you expand. If you are going to exaggerate anything this weekend, let it be your perception of sweetness and connection.
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Sun and Moon are the focal planets of a yod with Neptune and Pluto The starship dematerializes to travel at warp speed through time and space. The intention is to reach your destination with your enthusiasm intact. A real transformation is available. Transcendence of some kind is beckoning. Imagine that you’re in that dematerialized spaceship. The only way you can guarantee that you’ll re-materialize is by holding a steady intention to live a full and creative light. The pressure is on. Show up and shine.
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Use the below journal prompts to help you journey deeper at the 2018 Leo New Moon Eclipse, and use what you write to inform your New Moon intentions. Look for the house containing 18 degrees Leo in your chart for the most accurate insights. Don’t know your chart? You can enter your birth details HERE to calculate it for free.
Aries // Aries Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 5th house Write about yourself as if you were a character in a movie.
Taurus // Taurus Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 4th house Describe all the things that make you feel safe and warm.
Gemini // Gemini Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 3rd house Write down 10 things you are curious about and the people you could ask about them.
Cancer // Cancer Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 2nd house List the reasons you undersell yourself and why they are not true.
Leo // Leo Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 1st house “I feel like I am living my soul purpose when I …”
Virgo // Virgo Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 12th house Ask your subconscious a question before you go to sleep, and journal about your dream in the morning.
Libra // Libra Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 11th house Create a vision board for the next six months.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 10th house Write about the most recent time you felt a sense of achievement.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 9th house Travel to somewhere exotic in your mind and describe what you see.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 8th house List all the qualities that make you a “good investment”—financially, sexually, energetically.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 7th house Write down 5 ways you can have more fun in your closest relationships.
Pisces // Pisces Rising // New Moon Eclipse in the 6th house “A healthy routine for me means …”
Eradicating systemic racism is THE healing issue of our times. For anybody confused about your role in this, make Radical Dharma your must-read this summer …
Around this time of year, book stores and magazines are filled with suggested summer reads, the books the publishing industry has decided will best satisfy our yearning to escape into a good read. But you likely won’t find the book I am going to recommend as your “must-read” for summer 2018 among them. Because this year I am more interested in the notion of escape as it pertains to liberation.
Radical Dharma is a seminal work by Rev. angel Kyodo williams, a queer Black (her capitalization) Buddhist author and activist. The subtitle is “Race, Love and Liberation” and in it, Rev. angel, along with co-authors Lama Rod Owens and Jasmine Syedullah, PhD, (also both Black and queer) explain how genuine liberation means not needing to escape, because there is no longer anything to escape from. Means living free of the chains which seek to bind us, free to be unapologetically ourselves, unbeholden to any systems of oppression.
Published in 2016 in a rush ahead of the last U.S. election, in the intro Rev. angel writes: “We foresee an increasing collective anxiety about transitioning from the first Black U.S. president.” And in the 18 months since, this prediction has played out in every area of life. This time has been a period of awakening in which the notions of liberation and oppression have taken on extra weight for me—as they will have for anybody with so much as a toe in the healing, wellness, and self-help communities.
As a socially conscious person in a post-Trump era, I know I have not been alone in attempting to integrate the implications of my white privilege. A term that was barely on my radar two summers ago, and which, thanks to everything from Black Lives Matter to the voices of women like Layla Saad (among many others) has since become the lens through which I see the world. Meaning, through which I can no longer not see the world.
To be more specific, in my case this also extends to my educated, mixed-class, hetero, married, cis-gender, thin, white privilege. Sort of like the opposite of rose-tinted-spectacles, through this lens I have been able to see how the circumstances of my birth and my upbringing have placed me within a system of oppression—in which my whiteness makes me the oppressor. Not that the ravages wrought on marginalized and indigenous people by “the system” is exactly news. What’s new is that my eyes are now open to exactly how insidious our acceptance of this has become.
During this time, I have struggled against my own conditioning (“but I’m not racist!”) to accept that alarming terms like “white supremacy” and “systemic racism” absolutely apply to me. As they apply to each and every one of us. I have felt my throat constrict as I have tried to swallow this jagged little pill, while simultaneously being made aware that taking time in silence to absorb and process this information is another function of my privilege.
I have also been slow to speak up on this issue because I am ashamed I didn’t get here sooner. Embarrassed. But I am also not surprised. After all, I was raised to consider the term “racist” to be on a par with “pedophile,” the knee-jerk reaction on hearing it applied to me to deny it, vehemently. And yet, on closer inspection, this does not reflect the world that I grew up in. A world where I can count the number of black and brown people in my school classrooms on two hands. Where I had not one teacher with darker skin than me. Where in 16 years working as a journalist in London, I encountered only one black colleague—who was subjected to subtle racial bullying.
Where every TV show, awards ceremony (besides those attached to sporting events), industry bash, and beach holiday has been predominantly white. A world, after moving to NYC, where nine out of 10 of the service jobs (as far as I can see) are performed by people of color. Where these discrepancies are routinely normalized to the point of invisibility.
Of course, as a white person, my life has been a procession of predominantly white spaces. We are a pack-oriented species, we move in groups, and we gravitate towards our own. Thing is, what makes a space “white” is not just the ethnicity of those occupying it—it is the entitlement, the education, the opportunities, and the affluence that are available. Confronting my own racist conditioning (the unconscious belief that I am somehow entitled to the privileges of my whiteness) has been like discovering I have been host carrier for a highly infectious disease, without displaying any symptoms. Having received my diagnosis, the work now is to eradicate it from my system.
Which has meant reading a lot of articles and watching a lot of TED talks (find a comprehensive list here). It has meant keeping following Instagram accounts which can trigger week-long bouts of internal gaslighting (“I am not racist … and yet my whiteness makes me racist”). Showing up for pot-luck discussions on the topic of “Race and Wellness” with others in my community committed to doing this work. It means that, behind the scenes, I have been engaged in a thorough inventory of my work on this platform, working with a diversity and inclusion coach to identify my blind spots and craft a content mission going forward that takes into account the implications of all of the above. Not to mention help me make sense of all that has been arising in me.
Rev. angel Kyodo williams
You may well be further along this path than me, and I acknowledge all those who have been the torch-bearers in this movement. For this is the literal raising of consciousness in real time. The whole point of all the healing and the personal development and the “self-love” practices. Rather than disavow or shrink from it, it’s thanks to the spiritual resilience I’ve been able to develop over the years building this platform, that I am now able to lean in to the shadow of shame and guilt and fear that has accompanied this part of my awakening. To not take each and every post and op-ed on white privilege personally and to accept responsibility for my part in our collective healing around race.
The reason I am recommending Radical Dharma as your summer must-read is that it’s the egg that has helped everything come together.
Presented as a series of essays and conversations dissecting systemic racism from a Buddhist perspective, the wisdom contained within its pages has helped me to feel fully seen and understood within the problem of my whiteness. Has helped me understand that racism (particularly as it relates to hyper-capitalism) is, literally, the physical manifestation of our modern “disconnection epidemic.” The pain of our separation from each other, from self, and from Source. That I am as deeply implicated in this suffering as any person of any ethnic background. Above all, as a person invested in helping others heal, it has shown me that we will never escape our suffering, as individuals and collectively, will never be truly free, until we heal THIS.
In short, in a year where the conversation about race has had me questioning my sanity at times, this book has helped me feel more whole. And I am suggesting that you read it because I know you want to feel this way too. Below, I have shared a few of my favorite teachings from its pages—and before you go ahead and finish this post, you can order your copy HERE.
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ON THE CONSTRUCT OF RACE “Race is the ultimate delusion in that it both does and does not exist in reality. Somebody went on around and decided to come up with something so that they could sell folks that they could be ‘better’ than other people, and yet, because of the paradigm, because of the system and the structures, the impact of that creation, that projection, this is felt and experienced as suffering—not only by the people who are on the shit end of the stick but also by the people who are, often unbeknownst to them, continuing to carry that stick.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON DECONSTRUCTING WHITE PRIVILEGE “The lens of awareness must be placed outside of the construct. As a direct result of privilege, white practitioners (and teachers) have mistakenly entitled themselves to place the lens of awareness inside of whiteness, hence they are unable to see it’s machinations.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON GETTING MESSY “The tiptoeing around race and other forms of difference as if in fear of waking a sleeping lion is one of the most subtly toxic attributes of whiteness in our culture right now. Everyone fears making mistakes. For white folks, though, the coexistence of being historically lauded as the creators of what is right, making mistakes must be hard. We are all waking up. It is going to get messy.” – Jasmine Syedullah, PhD
ON ALLOWING FOR IGNORANCE “We also have to demystify this notion that somehow people of color have all the information and know it all and white folks don’t, and that it’s just like Black and White. Because it just isn’t. We have to really allow ourselves to create some space for people now knowing, not understanding, and just saying stupid things. I mean stupid as in ignorant … we have to figure out how to create room for that, rather than policing each other, so that people can actually get into the conversation.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON THE LINK BETWEEN RACISM AND HYPER CAPITALISM “I have this theory that racism is required in order to keep capitalism in place … I’m not mad at trade and exchange and barter and all of that … but cancerous capitalism, hyper-capitalism, parasitic capitalism … requires a division of people so that we have people that consume, people that are producing what is consumed, and frankly, people that are consumed.” – Rev. angel Kyodo williams.
ON DISRUPTING COMFORT “We have to disrupt spaces that are not seeking truth, that are not upholding our potential for liberation, because they are invested in their comfort. Usually that comfort means they are invested in perpetuating white supremacy … And not disrupt them by trying to figure out how to be on their boards and their diversity communities; we have to disrupt them by saying ‘I am out.’ I am not going to participate in this and letting them know why.” – Rev. angel Kydodo williams.
ON DISCOMFORT AS THE PATH TO LIBERATION “If you’re going to any place of spiritual enrichment in which you are not meaningfully experiencing discomfort, not all the time, but meaningfully uncomfortable frequently, you are not doing your work, and you are not walking the path of liberation.” – Rev. angel Kydodo williams.
ON HEALING BEGINNING ON THE INSIDE “I’m working to end racism, but at the same time I want to be liberated. I want to thrive. I want to be happy … I think it’s an immature view that believes ‘I have to do all the external conditions and have them change before I can be happy.’ I’m not willing to have my happiness wait for what might happen out there.” – Lama Rod.
ON BEING THE CHANGE “If you are a really well-positioned member of a sangha (spiritual community), make sure you’re reaching out. If you’re a person of color in a sangha, make sure you’re reaching out to other new people of color coming through the door. Be the one who extends your hand and welcomes them and just talks openly. Model that kind of inclusivity for people.” – Lama Rod
Get your copy of Radical Dharma HERE and visit Angelkyodowilliams.com for more on Rev. angel and to find her upcoming speaking dates. You can also follow @lamarodowens on Instagram
As we power up for the close of Eclipse Season, the 4 of Wands invites us to celebrate our rites of passage with pure joy, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Lindsay Mack …
Lindsay’s Soul Tarot School is now open for enrollment too. An 8-week deep-dive into a lifetime’s Tarot wisdom, learn to read the cards for your own soul’s evolution an take your practice to the next level. Class begins October 4—check out all the details and reserve your space HERE!
As the heat of Leo Season urges us to sparkle and shine, the myth of the Goddess Diana shows how to stoke the flames of our wildness, says Rebecca Farrar …
Photo: Kyle Loftus
As one of the few virgin goddesses, Diana represents being whole unto oneself, and her myth honors this wild and free part of our nature.
According to legend, she begs her father, Jupiter, to liberate her from marriage and motherhood so that she can roam free with her friends, the Nymphs and hunting dogs.
Diana’s name comes from the Proto-Indo-European meaning “to shine,” and derives from the same Latin root meaning ”daylight.” In Ancient Rome, she was celebrated with August’s festival Nemoralia, or Festival of the Torches. During the weeklong tradition, hunting was forbidden and dogs were instead decorated with flowers. Her followers carried torches to Lake Nemi, outside of Rome, and left offerings of fruit in the forest.
While she is often thought of as a Moon goddess, she is also an active, protective force of the forest, known as the Goddess of the Hunt. Diana’s independence and caring instincts create a beautiful balance between lunar and solar energies—something we can all model as we seek to integrate the masculine and feminine energies within ourselves, creating a more equitable world.
Diana links us to sisterly love, feminism, and action heroines. Her archetype is reflected in our own psyches as WILDNESS in its purest form, and our connection to creatures and nature alike …
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The asteroid Diana, discovered in 1863 by a German astronomer, currently sits at 20 degrees Aries, near Eris, the sister outsider. Together, these two asteroids in such a strong fire sign uplift and empower feminine energies.
Diana’s placement in our birth chart points to where we crave freedom and yearn to be barefoot running through the forest with our animal companions. It may also reveal where we are constantly on the “hunt” for something.
**To find Diana in your chart, go to astro.com, enter your birth information, choose “Extended Chart Selection,” scroll down to “Additional Objects,” and type in 78.
Use the suggestions below to come more into contact with the many facets of Diana and her wild nature:
1st house // This placement suggests an identity empowered by the Diana’s protector and warrior. Try archery or another form of outdoor solo sport to awaken this natural protector energy.
2nd house// Diana had a deep love for nature and the Earth. Foraging for food or forest bathing would be fun hobbies to build a relationship with this archetype.
3rd house// Athena was known for her intellect, but Diana was in constant communication with her companions. Study bird communication, bird watching, or read about animal behavior.
4th house// Diana was well-known for being a protector of women and children. In this placement she is deeply intimate with the lunar and menstrual cycles. Pay attention to the Moon’s cycles and spend time at night outside, soaking up its light. (**Side-note: Ruby has her Diana here, so makes total sense she set up Moon Club!)
5th house// During Diana’s weeklong celebration, creating fire and more sources of light was an important element. Talents such as starting a fire or wood splitting are necessary wild skills to explore with a 5th house Diana.
6thhouse// Running around in the forest, it was important for Diana to know which plants did what. This location in the chart implies botany and plant identification as a way to honor the goddess.
7th house// Diana had lovers, both male and female, though wasn’t in a committed partnership, as her energy was instead more focused on appreciating nature. Experiment with art using sticks, pine needles, or tree bark for a woodsy aesthetic.
8th house// Spending most of her time outside, Diana was also deeply attuned to nature’s death and life cycles. With fall on the horizon, learn more about how different trees stay alive in winter and make it a point to notice the change in seasons. You may also want to study more about the many esoteric traditions that honor the Tree of Life.
9th house// The exploratory and adventurous side of Diana meant she was constantly on the move. Stray from the familiar forest trail and discover new ground, whether it be a new hiking area, tree climbing, or a forest on another side of the world.
10th house// With this placement, Diana strives to be sensible and to own her authority. She craves solitude and self-reliance. Take classes on wilderness survival or utilize the forest’s gifts for your quiet contemplation.
11th house// An 11th house Diana exemplifies her need for freedom and liberation from traditional roles. Focus on cultivating community with other wild souls who crave time in nature, such as communal hiking or camping.
12th house// Nature may evoke a mystical or flow state experience in this house. Imagination, such as photography or film, may be a gift, or even taking time to meditate under a tree.
Photo: Ben Waardenburg
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And no matter where the asteroid is in your chart, harness your own wild and free spirit with the suggestions below … especially potent during her festival from August 13-17th!
// Food // Easily foraged foods such as mushrooms or berries, or seasonal fruits and vegetables.
// Workout // A run or walk through the forest, perhaps spending some time bird watching. If you are extra adventurous, an archery lesson would certainly make Diana shine.
// Watch // Hunger Games or Wild (Katniss and Cheryl Strayed both connect well with Diana’s spirit). Or try the documentaries American Revolution: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggsor, and Maya Angelou’s And Still I Rise.
// Read // Rachel Carson (or other eco-feminist authors), Audre Lorde, Malala Yousafzai, and Gloria Steinem (because Diana loves activism and empowered women). Or try the classic, Women Who Run With the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
// Home // Diana’s home is nature, so bring more of it indoors by decorating with pine cones and leaves, or wood art. She is also linked to forest creatures such as deer or rabbits. Adding touches, such as deer antlers or a papier-mâché deer head, will also do the trick.
Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron’s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …
Photo: Meiying Ng
Leo // Leo Rising A golden orb of light. Imagine a golden orb of light getting bigger and bigger. This is your self-worth. You are quietly finding your inner strength. Have patience. Internal growth before external growth. Believe in yourself. There’s no point in looking for external proof, because it’s never enough. Nothing outside can convince you of your self-worth. It’s an inside job.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising Kittens in baskets. Nestle into a cozy little nook. Your keyword is softness. How can you be more soft, more gentle, more tender? If you find yourself rushing, take deep breaths. Soften. Leave notes around your home reminding you to soften this week. Pushing will get you nowhere. Retreat and receive.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising A parrot on a shoulder. Lots to say. You can communicate and share ideas effectively now. Make sure that you are staying connected to your ideal vision as well. Don’t lose sight of the big picture. Remember to fly up above the situation. And be careful not to mimic others, make sure your actions are self-directed.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising Following breadcrumbs. You are on an adventure into the woods. The woods are a symbol of the unknown. The breadcrumbs symbolize a path that has been laid out for you. Who left the breadcrumbs— you or someone else? Make sure you are following the path that aligns with what you want. Look toward the unknown future. It can be exhilarating and fun.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising Chain links. You are connected. Your connections bring you luck. Your network is much more vast than you can conceptually imagine. You’re linked to people in the past, in the future, and all over the world. Maybe these links even expand into other dimensions. Feeling alone is a mirage. By understanding the strength of your team, you can take more risks. Tune into what could be possible. Stay positive.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising Coffee beans. Something stimulating. What kind of boost do you need? It’s time to take more control over your energy sources. Unresolved emotions can be a big energy drain. And it’s easy to get used to feeling tired. If you want to move emotions that are unresolved, there are many ways to begin. Meditation, breath work, and hypnosis are a few good options. Get in the habit of noticing your feelings as they arise and letting them flow.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising Sheep jumping in a field. Docility might take you places. Being gentle might feel like fun. In an important relationship can you be more like the lamb and less like the lion? If the relationship is a safe one, then truly let your guard down. See what happens when you trust.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising Panning for gold. Imagine this mundane and arduous task— you sift through water and earth, driven by the wild hope that you might find your fortune. What do you need to sift through? What boring task do you need to apply yourself to? If you turn over every stone in your life, your odds of finding gold are high.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising A flowering tree. Highlight whatever it is in your life that is alive and flowering. Connect to your roots. Check in with the practices that help you feel grounded. And put energy into your creativity and fertility. What form of creativity is playful? You don’t have to meet anyone’s expectations. Just have fun.
Taurus // Taurus Rising Eating spaghetti. Homemade comfort food. Food symbols are always about nurturance. Who needs to be nurtured? Who needs to be loved? Is it you? There are so many ways to tend to yourself. Slow down and take good care. Eating spaghetti can be a little bit messy. Revel in your own messiness. Eschew perfection. It’s time to feel at home with yourself.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising The blade of an ice skate. Cutting though. If you can cut straight to the point, you’ll speed things up. What really matters? Where do you really need to focus your thoughts? There are a lot of distractions and you are curious about everything. The sharper your mind, the more quickly you’ll achieve your desires. Find your focus.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising A bunch of four leaf clovers. Jackpot. Luck is all around you. The way to connect with luck is by cultivating an abundance mindset. A four leaf clover comes from the Earth. Your luck comes from the Earth. So start by feeling grounded. Start by feeling as secure as a rock or a tree. Practice feeling the feelings of security and satiation. When you can imagine feeling secure, luck will blossom.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
With the eclipse season crazies in full force, the 2018 Taurus Waning Moon offers a sweet opportunity to pave the road to the future with pure pleasure, says Jennifer Racioppi …
Photo: Caique Silva
Waning Quarter Moon / August 4 2018 / 2:17pm EST / 12 degrees Taurus
With the crazy summer vibes in full swing, the Taurus Waning Quarter Moon in Taurus asks us to embrace a little luxury. Ruled by Venus, this Moon encourages a deep connection to embodied pleasure.
As we find ourselves at the halfway point between the last Total Lunar Blood Moon Eclipse, and the upcoming Solar Eclipse in Leo, the intense cosmic dance invites a moment of grounded respite. Take it.
Now’s the time to sink your feet into the earth, and get good and grounded, so you can make sense of the changes at play …
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// The Cycle // This ain’t no average Waning Quarter Moon. Given its eclipse season status, this waning moon cycle asks us to release that which we no longer need, and requires us to look back on our lives to really understand what that may be.
While this Taurus Waning Quarter Moon concludes a chapter that connects to May 2016’s Taurus New Moon, it also comes on the heels of an eclipse that closed a 19 year cycle. Pay attention to lessons, omens, and big changes happening in your life.
The upcoming New Moon Solar Eclipse in Leo happens on the North Node of destiny and fate, inviting a new beginning, and initiating a brand new cycle. Let this waning moon cycle support you to surrender, so you can reach out for something new.
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// The Transits // Coming off the recent square between retrograde Mars and Uranus, the transits surrounding this Taurus Waning Quarter Moon bring intensity. With five planets retrograde, six including Chiron, and Uranus about to station retrograde, the cosmic slow down is real. And with Venus (the ruler of this particular Moon) in an applying square to Saturn, things likely feel hard.
Yet, there are many gifts this Taurus Waning Quarter Moon brings too. Jupiter and Neptune find themselves both in water signs, making a beautiful connection to magic. Neptune sextiles the Moon, while Jupiter opposes it, creating an auspicious opportunity. Meanwhile, Saturn and Uranus make a trine also, adding extra support to this fixed earth Waning Quarter Moon.
As the moon travels through feminine Taurus, focus on what feels good. Use this time to care for yourself and ready yourself for the upcoming solar eclipse (it’s a game-changer!)
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// The Square // With the Sun in Leo, a fixed fire sign, making a square to the Moon in Taurus, a fixed earth sign, this transit highlights the need for grounded joy. Leo encourages playfulness, and Taurus encourages embodied pleasure. With the luminaries creating a a closing square in two of the most pleasure driven signs, use it to your advantage. Remember that your body is your vehicle for fun!
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// The Opportunity // Get out of your own way. The past is over. There’s no going back. Instead, set your sights on where you wish to head from here. What do you need to let go of, release, or surrender? How can you get present with what is?
Given that this Waning Quarter Moon occurs in pleasure-driven Taurus, in the middle of Leo season, lead with fun and embodied pleasure. Doing so will open up new potential and support you to feel grounded (this is especially potent amidst all of the recent cosmic change).
Eat delicious food with mindful attention. Get outside and play. Spend time with those you love, and if you can, walk barefoot on the earth. Bonus points for hugging a tree.
Let Mother Earth nurture and soothe. Then get ready for the upcoming Solar Eclipse to blow open new doors of potential …
For more Moon wisdom, or to book a coaching session with Jennifer, visit Jenniferracioppi.com.
The Star invites us to treat ourselves with the deepest kindness, and connect to the cooling touch of replenishment and renewal, says this month’s reader-in-residence, Lindsay Mack …
Lindsay’s Soul Tarot School is now open for enrollment too. An 8-week deep-dive into a lifetime’s Tarot wisdom, learn to read the cards for your own soul’s evolution an take your practice to the next level. Class begins October 4—check out all the details and reserve your space HERE!
Happy Solar Return, Leo! Now, I realize that if you’re familiar with the most popular image of this card (three swords piercing a red heart against a background of gray rainclouds) you are side eyeing me really hard right now. Stay with me. Three is the number of collaboration. Swords are the suit of Air, intellect and communication. Collboration in thinking and communicating is not an inherently bad thing. In fact, it’s generally quite positive. Bringing together different and even differing points of view can lead to some amazing breakthroughs for us as individuals and for our communities. The main things to remember are try not to take things personally and to check your ego – deeply related pursuits! With Mercury retrograde for the first part of the month, it could be easy to fall into patterns of feeling slighted or misunderstood.
This month, I want to invite you to invite some new conversation partners into your sphere. Big bonus points for folks with inherently different points of view – people who come from different backgrounds, have different levels of work experience and education, prioritize their lives differently than you do. As you branch out, you’ll find that your internal thoughts and communications start to shift around a bit as well. The collaboration that began externally makes its way inward and you have new patterns of thought to play with and to hold your beliefs up against. Your greatest birthday gift just might end up being a brand new view of your place in the world.
Leo stone for August: Selenite.Selenite purifies the energy of all that surrounds it by flooding it with bright Divine light and Universal wisdom. It never requires cleansing and clears other stones.
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VIRGO // VIRGO RISING Seven of Wands
My dear Virgo, August is beckoning you to put that gorgeous Strength you integrated last month to work! And following the eclipse at the end of last month, you should have a much clearer idea of what projects and pursuits are worth the energy and which aren’t. If there was any emotional fallout from the revelations of that eclipse, spend the first part of the month running damage repair. Use the Fire energy of the Wands to intuit the most productive route back to your healthy self, then set your sights on creating. Communication with co-creators will need extra care until Mercury stations direct on the 18th. Allow more time that you think you need for all aspects of life outside of staying home and eating takeout in pajamas.
By the end of the month, you should really feel the Fire to fight for your place in the world. What is it that you’ve been longing to stake a claim on? Where do you feel you’ve not yet been recognized like you should be? What part of your life are you ready to push to the next level? Get ready to leave behind any doubt you’ve felt in the past about what you deserve, how your work is received, or the level of your abilities – especially your ability to lead. You had a great lesson last month in embodying Strength. Now you have the opportunity to prove to yourself how powerful you are when you choose to show it.
Virgo stone for August: Bloodstone.Bloodstone is a powerful ally for purification and health of the physical body and infusing all levels of being with grounded vitality and strength.
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LIBRA // LIBRA RISING The Emperor
Well, Libra, your reign of awesome continues this month! Your string of powerful manifesting energies is so enviable that I keep re-checking my chart for more planets in your sign (still rocking only Pluto and the North Node). You are moving through the greatest hits of power brokers of the Tarot and this one is the all time master of executing a precise vision. I hope the last couple months got you VERY in touch with your inherent connection to the Earth and the Heavens and to the awesome power of Love to move mountains. You’re going to need that altruism to balance the laser focus and drive The Emperor brings to your door in August. The insensity of this energy burns so hot that I’m not even worried about any potential retrograde hazards. You’ll see them coming a mile away and adjust accordingly.
So, what’s it gonna be, Libra? Which hot topic gets your attention this month? Choose wisely. The Emperor brings a ferocious appetite for construction, but his focus is narrow. Pick one big thing and let the rest sit on the back burner for a minute. If you have trouble knowing what this is or which one you should choose, think back over the past few months and try to remember what you were dreaming about the most, what themes came in, which areas of your life they dealt with. The Emperor is great for work, but the energy is just as useful for other areas of your life.
Libra stone for August: Orange Calcite. Orange Calcite opens our inner fountain of playful creativity, allowing joyful productivity and problem solving to burst forth without judgment.
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SCORPIO // SCORPIO RISING Seven of Cups
Oh, Scorpio, I’m so excited to see what you bring to this energy this month. The Seven of Cups asks us to clear away our doubts about what our heart truly wants, and with your incredible capacity for inward reflection, this could be a chance to open up to desires you never dreamed were hiding out inside you. Pay special attention to any messages that come through at the Solar Eclipse on the 11th. You may have gotten clues during the eclipses last month. Mercury in retrograde until the 18th is actually a huge boon to you – the planet of communication will be combing over the past 3 months for anything or anyone that requires your attention. Make sure you know whether it’s for reconnection or for closure.
Try to spend more time than usual this month in solitary self-reflection. Take inventory of situations, places, and people that bring you joy and contentment. Consider what they have in common and how they differ. This should feel good. If you start getting into a zone of judging yourself or falling into obsessing over what DOESN’T make you happy, gently pull your attention back to the project at hand and float gently on those sweet waves of love remembrance, peeling back the what and when and who to discover the why and the how. Keep an eye out for something shiny sparking way down deep beneath the surface. You’ll know when to take the dive and what to bring back up for keeps.
Scorpio stone for August: Peacock Ore.Peacock Ore balances all of the chakras, pulling them into alignment to provide a stable place for pure happiness and joy for life to grow and thrive.
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SAGITTARIUS //SAGITTARIUS RISING Page of Cups
Your work in July really paid off, Sagittarius! You shook off the shackles of doubt and are now ready to step forward into a month-long exercise in opening to new emotional experiences – both within and with others. The Pages invite us to forget everything we think we know about their element and to assess our surroundings and experiences with fresh perception. In the realm of Water, this often means letting go of the walls we’ve built up in reaction to past woundings so we can take people and situations for what they are, not for what we fear they might be. This doesn’t mean that we leave ourselves open to injury. Open hearts demand open eyes, unclouded by the past or the pressures of the present and future.
Find the power in vulnerability this month. Practice the art of radical self-acceptance and see how it changes your perspective of others and the power they hold. With Mercury retrograde until the 18th, I bet you’ll have plenty of opportunities to test out your new superpower with familiar faces from your past, back to hold up a newly polished energetic mirror to you. Let it be a game. Not in the sense of manipulation – I’d never suggest you “play games” with people in the colloquial sense – but in the sense of keeping it lighthearted. This work is about re-dedicating your heart to the service of bringing you joy and love. Self-judgment, dwelling in the past, and cold calculation have no place here.
Sagittarius stone for August: Rose Quartz. Rose Quartz opens and cleanses the heart to ease fear and blockages around both giving and receiving love from ourselves, others, and the Divine.
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CAPRICORN // CAPRICORN RISING Six of Swords
August has you feeling good enough about your patterns of thought and communication to settle in to some fine tuning, Capricorn, and it’s looking to be a great time for it. Between all the revelations that came to you last month with The Sun as your card, two eclipses bringing messages from the ether, and now Mercury dusting off your personal files from the past few months for review, there is a LOT to work with. Has it all been comfortable? Likely not. You don’t traditionally take well to change; eclipse season has been a bit nerve-wracking for most of us already and we’re not even finished. Start the month off with low-hanging fruit, tweaking patterns that are in obvious need of a slight adjustment, then move into more nuanced territory starting after the eclipse of the 11th and full on after Mercury stations direct on the 18th.
I’m using delicate language purposefully, Capricorn. The Sixes mark a moment of achievement, and with this achievement comes the opportunity to reflect and adjust. This is not the time for major overhauls. What you have been doing is serving you well. The project is to make it serve you a little better. Are there any statements you make to yourself or others on a regular basis that could be polished up to be just a little more open and supportive? Any mental frameworks that are just slightly obscuring your view of your full potential? Now is your time to polish them up and make them shine.
Capricorn stone for August: Moss Agate.Moss Agate is the stone of new beginnings. It inspires the strength needed to move forward with a clean slate, firmly grounded in the present, untethered from the past.
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AQUARIUS // AQUARIUS RISING Ten of Wands
No retrograde or eclipse is gonna hold you back this month, Aquarius! The flame of Elemental Fire is here to ignite your passion and push you to the limits of what you thought it was possible to accomplish. If you’ve been avoiding doing some heavy lifting, this is the time. With your newly found stability in this realm, you’ve got a ground to stand on to move forward with things you’ve put off for some time. In this sense, the astrology this month is absolutely perfect for you. See if you can put this blast of productivity behind something that’s been neglected that comes back up at the start of the month, rather than putting it toward a brand new endeavor. Make a list of tasks and get to work.
These need not be conventional “work” tasks. Remember, Fire brings us the Divine gift of intuition as well as action. It is deeply related to magic, conjuring, and purifying. Mastery of this element at this level is more flexible in its use than it may seem at first. Take care to tune in to where you need it most. If the Lunar Eclipse at the end of last month didn’t make it perfectly clear, the solar one at the top of this month should. The Universe urges us to go where we can best be of service, where our actions can be most beneficial to ourselves and the collective. Don’t be afraid to let your idealism shine. Keep your eyes and your heart open and heed the call.
Aquarius stone for August: Citrine. Citrine lights up the Sun Center for a burst of confidence, feelings of well-being, and creative impulses, illuminating the way forward on the path of manifestation.
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PISCES // PISCES RISING Ace of Cups
You are being rewarded greatly this month, Pisces! You’ve had about a six month cycle of lessons around independence, loss, trust, and partnership here in the Tarotscopes, and your report card comes in the form of a big juicy A for Ace of Cups, the Divine gift of universal love. Take a deep breath, exhale the past, and step forward into a new relationship with your individual and the collective emotional body. This month, I want you to try to check in every day with how you are feeling. See if you can get underneath the judgment and analysis that so often permeate our experience of our emotions, and simply revel in the glorious human experience of the heart. It may not always be pleasant, but it is always sacred.
The Aces all have an element of luck built in. It’s considered “good fortune” to get them in a reading. What will you do with this emotional luck? How will you use it? What risks will you take that you’d normally shy away from? This is an excellent opportunity not only to freely express your love and devotion to yourself and others, but to open your heart up to some darker places within that you’ve stayed away from out of fear. You’re safe, Pisces. Go ahead and dive in. This celestial flood of elemental Water will keep any murky pools from clouding your vision for long. Know you are buoyant and take plenty of breaks to come up for air.
Pisces stone for August: Amethyst.
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ARIES // ARIES RISING King of Wands
Oh, Aries, I am truly so thrilled for you. To come out of the chaos of the Five and into the mastery of the King? Pure bliss. And in your native element of Fire! No matter where you live, August is cooking up to be a hot one and you’d do well to get all your ingredients prepped and your techniques sharpened early on so you’re ready to impress. With your natural leadership, having a team in place and knowing exactly how they can best support your visions is not a bad idea either. This is big time manifesting energy. And my guess is that there is something you were DYING to accomplish last month that was blocked by misfires at every attempt to move forward.
If all this has you a bit stressed about where exactly to put all this energy, take a deep breath and remember that Fire is the element of intuition as well as action. Clear your mind, listen to your gut instincts, and let the knowledge come to you. Intuiting your next moves may be your greatest achievement this month. If that’s the case, be sure to take some concrete steps toward making your goals reality, no matter how small. If you’re executing on a detailed project, pad your timelines and budgets to allow for any retrograde shenanigans. The cosmos has delivered an incredibly useful energy that is exceptionally well-suited to your natural inclinations right to your doorstep. Accept this gift graciously and show your gratitude by embodying it to your fullest potential.
Aries stone for August: Malachite. Malachite brings luck and good fortune, creating a general vibe of positivity and an awareness of and gratitude for the abundance existing in our lives.
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TAURUS // TAURUS RISING Ace of Crystals
It’s a new era, Taurus! Like I said last month, your entire year has been spent in the Major Arcana and your native element of Earth, and now we’ve come to the root of it all. Whenever I see so much work done in one area followed by an Ace, I get this wonderful expansive feeling like I’m looking out over a wide open landscape and can see for a thousand miles. This is your new base level. This is where you build from now. All of the work you’ve done has gotten you to a new level of understanding of your material world. The Aces come to us as gifts from the Universe. It’s our job to accept them with grace and use them to build a new path forward.
Where will your path take you, Taurus? What clues have come to you throughout the year so far? How have your teachers, family, and friends guided you? What have you already started building towards that you can now fully dedicate yourself to nurturing? Think big and think long-term. The stones you lay this month can lead to beauty you never dreamed possible if you ensure that the path you are building has the power to continue to light you up well into the future. The more care you put into it along the way, the more it will return to you by keeping the ground steady beneath your feet. Your future is stretched out before you and it all connects to now.
Taurus stone for August: Quartz Crystal.Quartz Crystal is the master crystal, working to amplify spiritual connection and the energies of all other stones. It is at once grounding and uplifting.
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GEMINI // GEMINI RISING Nine of Swords
This month has a treasure of hard-won wisdom waiting for you, Gemini, and it’s all in your cozy zone of elemental Air! I am a big fan of the number nine. As the product of 3 x 3, it has major Divne lineage. I see the nines of the Tarot pips as symbolizing the highest level of wisdom of the suit (tens get to carry the mastery), one that only comes through lived experience. In the realm of Air, we get an earned wisdom around how we think and communicate, how we frame the world and conjure or banish possibilities from our lives with our thoughts and words. It’s powerful stuff! And with the planet of communication taking a little backwards stroll for the first part of the month, you’ll have the opportunity to do a nice deep review of how you’ve been operating.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and again and again) – ALL WORDS ARE MAGIC WORDS. What do you tell yourself that is limiting your experience of your life? How could you switch it up to use your words to expand your world? Who are you taking advice from and what are the intentions and motivations behind it and behind your willingness to accept it? When is enough enough? This is “zero f#cks” territory, Gemini. All August, you are taking your power back through shifts that will be nearly imperceptible from the outside, but make a profound difference in the quality of your life. Start early and keep it steady.
Gemini stone for August: Black Obsidian. Black Obsidian assists in clearing energetic sludge and heaviness, particularly emotional heaviness and opens pathways of communication with the spirit realm.
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CANCER // CANCER RISING Page of Crystals
Time to rebuild, dear Cancer! What, you didn’t know there was anything missing? Not surprising. You have a tendency to hyper-focus on your immediate surroundings, preferring the security of shoring up your personal boundaries to that of building out a fortress, but the time has come. Fortunately, you’re going to get to do it a little differently than everyone else. Forget everything you’ve been told about how to build grounded stability, a home. Forget common wisdom and colloquialisms and folk sayings. There are no rules. This is purely about you exploring ALL of the options to find what is exactly right for you right here and right now. And you can’t explore every option if you’re cutting out everything that someone older or wiser or richer or more successful has told you won’t work.
Sometimes it takes an outsider to move the needle forward in a significant way, in fact it usually does. Major shifts hardly ever come from an established expert. This month, you are that outsider. You have the gift of clear, wide open vision to see how you can stabalize your material world in a way that will serve you now and into the future. This can be through creating new streams of revenue, refurbishing or even completely changing your living situation, revamping your budget, or simply determining what makes you feel at home and making sure you get enough of it to feel secure. Feet on the ground and eyes to the sky, Cancer! This can be a very fruitful month if you put in the work.
Cancer stone for August: Chlorite Phantom Quartz. Chlorite Phantom Quartz provides a profound connection with the heart of the Earth, awakening our innate animal insticts and connection to our home planet.
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The Moonchild Tarot by Danielle Noel will be published September 2018. Pre-order your copy HERE.
Get this week’s astro symbol for your sign with Sandy Sitron’s Numinous Weekly Horoscopes …
Photo: Casey Horner
Leo // Leo Rising The wings of a dragonfly sparkle in the sunlight. You’re ready for iridescence. What is standing in the way of your shimmer? What is blocking you from the light of the sun? You can fly forward at full speed. Get in the mood by working on your confidence. There are many different ways to enhance self-confidence. Affirmations, exercise, journaling about your achievements, hypnosis, and meditation are good places to start. Do a little research and pick a few techniques to enhance your sparkle.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Virgo // Virgo Rising The river constantly flows. Let the feelings flow. You can’t control every part of your day. Release the urge to decide if a thought, event, or relationship is good or bad, wrong or right. Just be. Let the feelings swirl around and don’t qualify them. We’re all just doing the best with what we’ve got.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Libra // Libra Rising Mesmerized by the spinning pinwheel. Uplifted by your own thoughts. A positive mental framework can take you far into the world of possibility. Where do you want to journey? What do you want to dream up? Hypnotize yourself to belief that anything is possible. And zero in on what you want to manifest the most.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising Putting your foot down. One day soon you’ll feel incredibly grounded in your stance. You are understanding your boundaries and getting more clear about how you want things to go. Learning what you want to say “yes” to and what you want to say “no” to is an ongoing process. Right now you’re making great strides in understanding your desires. That clarity is helping you trust in the future that you’re building.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising Unfurling a banner. You’re ready to announce your presence. Let the world know who you are. Present yourself. Don’t deny the world of your gifts. To do so, you might need a little motivation and you might need to augment your education. Choose a topic or area focus upon which to expand. This is an area that you will develop. You need to share your gifts with the world, so spring into action.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising A giraffe. The giraffe has adapted well. You need to let go of one reality so that you can adapt to a new one. Something might need to change and for a while it could feel like you’re sticking your neck out. You’ve probably been getting this message from many sources: “Change is on the way.” Instead of trying to push it, just let it happen. See how it feels to let go.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising Walking in a ravine. You’ve got a journey underway. Keep your destination in sight. It’s not that the terrain is impassable, it’s just a little unusual. Stay focused on how you want to show up, especially with an important relationship. A disagreement or complicated situation shouldn’t stop you from being the kind of person you want to be.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Pisces // Pisces Rising A welcome basket. Start fresh. Look at your schedule or routine and decide where you need to turn over a new leaf. This is a great time to get organized. Gather your thoughts about what you want to change or implement in your daily routine. Put together the systems that will help you achieve it.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Aries // Aries Rising Holding court. You are activating your leadership skills. There are times to be quiet and introspective and there are times to be out in the world making things happen. This is a time for output. Create, lead, play, take risks, be spontaneous, shine. Take action. It might now always go perfectly, but at least you’ll be putting yourself out there.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Taurus // Taurus Rising A wisp of cotton candy. Sweetness. Be sweet to yourself and to others. Be gentle, tender, and kind. This is important now because there are a lot of feelings coming up and you need a better buffer. Additionally, you’re doing some deep healing right now. So be tender, gentle and nurturing to yourself. Soft and sweet.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Gemini // Gemini Rising Brain waves dance on the screen. You’re activating your mind. Things that you couldn’t focus on before are becoming more interesting. It’s time to make fresh mental connections. Welcome new knowledge. Get ready for important downloads. You might be awed by the information and clarity coming through.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Cancer // Cancer Rising A large round stone. There’s a sense of resilience available to you now that isn’t always there. Take advantage of it. Memorize a feeing of security. Evoke this powerful feeling of security, even if it’s not logical to do so. You are secure. In your imagination connect to your future self— your image of yourself 6 or 12 months from now—and ask them to remind you that everything is alright.
Want more wisdom? Book a reading with Sandyhere or follow her on Instagram.
Use the energy and the tension of the 2018 Aquarius Full Moon Eclipse to walk the tightrope towards a whole new paradigm, says Sandy Sitron …
Photo: Karen Kayser
Full Moon Lunar Eclipse // July 27 2018 // 4:22 pm ET // 4 degrees Aquarius
Walking on a tightrope.
The voices of the audience echo from far below and the air is still. Every muscle quivers in anticipation of your next step. Will you fall? Will your training pay off? What is your goal? How can you remain level-headed in the midst of all this pressure?
Just like a tightrope, the current energy is highly strung. You might find yourself on edge, emotionally, mentally, physically, and spiritually. But if you practice logical detachment and stay focused on your goal, you could actually enjoy the view from above.
On Friday, July 27 there is a Full Moon Eclipse at 4 degrees Aquarius. The Sun in Leo and the Moon in Aquarius align for a total eclipse of the Moon, visible in large parts of Australia, Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America.
A Full Moon is always a point of tension, as the Sun and the Moon settle in opposite signs. An eclipse raises the bar even higher. As the light of the moon is extinguished, we experience an emotional reset. Change is in the air. What are you ready to transform? What new vision would you like to make space for? This is an opportunity to envision a new future.
And yet there’s also a strong pull to the past. With Mars retrograde conjunct the Full Moon and South Node, plus Mercury retrograde, you may find yourself reenacting old behaviors. As you try to find your balance on the tightrope, you may need to step back and forth. Minor adjustments are necessary, but if you move too far backward, you’ll have to start again.
You may rediscover old talents, resolve past issues or remember why you started. On the other hand, you might notice yourself or others regressing in surprising ways. Be gentle with yourself. And remember that Aquarius energy is about hope for the future. The past is important, but what do you have your sights set on now? If you can dream of it, it is possible.
Aquarius rules envisioning and manifesting. Use the high energy portal of this full moon to dream up a new vision for the future. Harness the playful and celebratory energy of Leo season to raise your vibration so that you can manifest more quickly.
As you walk nervously across the tightrope of this Lunar phase, gather your most objective friends around you. The support of your community can help you keep moving forward. Discussion and reframing will help you navigate gracefully. Aquarius is a social and communicative air sign that networks with many people to understand the whole situation. The breathtaking joy of being on the tightrope of this eclipse is that you have a new vantage point—the aerial view.
This Aquarius Full Moon Eclipse offers you the potential to light up your vision and move toward the future. You’ll have to confront the past in the process. Take good care of yourself so that you can navigate any tension gracefully. This is a highly emotional time and change is in the air. Embrace the exhilaration of making it to the other side of the tightrope with a sense of accomplishment and a fresh perspective.
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Full Moon conjunct Mars Reaching the top of the roller coaster. The rollercoaster tears through highs and lows. It’s exciting. Energizing. Your momentum has pushed you up to a zenith. This energy is fanning the fire of your feelings. Emotions are high and it would be hard not to act on those feelings. Action and emotion are linked at this Full Moon. Enjoy the ride taking care to buckle up and not do anything destructive.
Mars, Moon and Sun in a T-square with Uranus A red eject button. Something needs to change. This T-square offers the opportunity of an eject button. Your hand hovers over it, waiting … waiting. When you finally push the button it might feel impulsive. Proceed with caution: is this a great idea or an erratic impulse to escape? Innovative new ideas could emerge right now, as well as a whole new direction. Eject yourself into a brilliant future.
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The Full Moon is a time to gather with your community and share where you are at with your internal process. Use the below conversation-starters for each sign, and look up which house holds 4 degrees of Aquarius in your birth chart for the most accurate way in. Don’t know your chart? You can enter your birth details and do it for free HERE.
Aries // Aries Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 11th House “The feedback I’m getting from my community is that …”
Taurus // Taurus Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 10th House “I am ready to take more responsibility for …”
Gemini // Gemini Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 9th House “What I am learning about the world is …”
Cancer // Cancer Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 8th House “I am leaning into the discomfort of …”
Leo // Leo Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 7th House “I am focussing on close relationships that …”
Virgo // Virgo Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 6th House “I am devoting my daily work to …”
Libra // Libra Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 5th House “What feels the most fun to me right now is …”
Scorpio // Scorpio Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 4th House “I am honoring my roots as I move forward by …”
Sagittarius // Sagittarius Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 3rd House “The conversation I am ready to start having is …”
Capricorn // Capricorn Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 2nd House “I value myself most when I …”
Aquarius // Aquarius Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 1st House “My highest vision for my future self is …”
Pisces // Pisces Rising // Full Moon Eclipse in the 12th House “What I am learning on my own healing journey is …”
As a powerful pair of eclipses sets the disco ball of radical release in motion during Leo Season 2018, Mercury retrograde is beckoning us back-to-the-future as we reckon with past patterns might have thought were long gone. And with Mars also retro, and Venus poised to enter the pastel sunsets of an aspirational love affair with Libra, we’re being asked to negotiate time and forgiveness in an entirely new way.
Navigating these energies means opening ourselves more and more fully to the belief that what is truly ours will always come back for more of us. That the more tender we become, the more the world softens to catch our hopeful leaps of faith. Leo season 2018 reminds us that on the strobelit spiral of life, all endings are new beginnings …
Listen to the full LeoSeason2018 report from Numi resident astrologers Bess + Sandy HERE and use Bess’ cosmic crib sheet to get the quick and dirty on the season’s 4 key astro events …
The Sun’s journey through Leo reminds us to harness the sheer thrill of being alive, right here, right now. Let HBO’s Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling reignite your faith in the juicy exuberance of fighting for your right to attend the party, even in moments of seemingly perilous battle. Get inspo from the full range of bodies bouncing and flying through the ring, clad in over-the-top looks fit for a Leonine queen.
Tell it to your heart, tell it you’re the only one … book a private karaoke booth and sing it straight from your soul to your solo self, or a small group of friends. Mercury Retrograde in Leo wants us to talk as tenderly as possible to the most hopeful and romantic parts of our inner selves. Personal love letters set to a bubblegum pop beat are the perfect way to start the internal conversation.
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Eclipse Season Summer 2018 (Full Moon Total Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius 7.27; New Moon Partial Solar Eclipse in Leo 8.11) // Eclipse Season Playlist
This pair of eclipses offers up the potential for sloughing off old snake skins that have kept us from shining our fullest, megawatt luminescence. But rather than burning it down to the ground to break with the past, LeoSeason 2018 reminds us that our greatest gifts lie in our present passions. Trust fall into the sense that what’s yours will boomerang straight into your arms with a playlist built for dancing back to the future.
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Venus in Libra (8.6-9.9) // First Kisses
Pure pleasure seeker Venus is right at home alongside Libra’s aspirational idealism, and her transit through this cardinal air sign reminds us that we’re made to dream this dream together. Revisit your fairytale visions of romance, at the same time as you open yourself to the reality of the beautiful humans standing right here in front of you.
Listen to Numinous resident astrologers Bess Matassa and Sandy Sitron discuss the cosmic landscape of Leo Season 2018 in our latest Astrocast podcast …
Rolling in the deep end of cosmic emotion? Eunice Lucero helps us navigate the high tides, with adaptogen-infused beauty for Cancer Season …
Nope, it’s not your imagination: things are getting way, way deep. Not only are we smack-dab in the middle of Cancer season, i.e. the feelings HQ of the zodiac belt, this month’s lunations also herald the start of a series of eclipses along the Cancer-Capricorn axis—which means emotional and structural change is afoot, and in a massive way.
To ensure smooth sailing on the potentially torrential seas ahead however, we’ve enlisted the help of some adaptogen-infused beauty heroes. Officially defined as non-toxic plant extracts that help increase the body’s ability to resist the damaging effects of stress, adaptogens are nature’s very own stress-busters put here to help us navigate these emotional rollercoasters with grace!
**We’ve listed our selections for each Cancer placement, but these products truly are for everyone. Curious about what Cancer rules in your chart? You can do you birth chart HERE for free.
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1// Sun in Cancer: Moon Juice Beauty ShroomTM Plumping Jelly Serum, $58 for 30ml. Getting all up in your feelings is literally on-brand for you sensitive crabs, and nowhere are you more at home and comfier than in the watery, sometimes tear-stained depths of emotional exchange. But you’d be damned to let all this release wreak havoc on your famously glowing, youthful skin though. This adaptogenic serum infused with reishi mushroom—a.k.a. the “mushroom of immortality,” plumps skin, reduces fine lines and wrinkles and locks in hydration, enhancing that supple, juicy, lit-from-within countenance that is your birthright.
Moon Juice “Beauty Shroom” Plumping Jelly Serum
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2//Moon in Cancer: 8 Faces Boundless Solid Oil, $88 for 50ml. Named for the eight phases of the moon and the eight faces of the goddess (and perhaps also the number of your ever-changing moods in, well, an hour), this multipurpose balm melts upon contact—and rescues you from a myriad of skin problems, all in one go. The secret: amla berry, which is at the heart of this uplifting grapefruit-scented oil, is a Vitamin C wunderkind (it’s the second-highest source of Vitamin C on the planet) that not only boosts collagen; it also fights free radicals and gives you that moonlit glow that can only be credited to a chic, intuitive knowledge of both self and self-care.
8 Faces Boundless Solid Oil
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3// Ascendant in Cancer: Linné Botanicals Refresh Face Mist, $36 for 120ml. In Wiccan practice, yarrow root corresponds to the sign of Cancer and is considered an herb for healing, power, and protection. One of the oldest medicinal herbs, it was used to help soothe you and aid digestion—albeit perfect for the Cancer Rising, who enter the world gut-first, and whose feelings show on their faces clear as day, for better or worse! As one of the top ingredients in this delightfully chill face mist, it helps reduce inflammation, balances circulation, and acts as an antiseptic agent for a calmed-down complexion, while promoting overall elasticity and oxygenation.
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4// Mercury in Cancer: Snow Fox Skin Care Day & Night Defense Cream, $55 for 50ml. Discussing the wide, colorful spectrum of human emotion with your fave people might be your version of the perfect day, but all that verbal energy can get exhausting—even for deft wordsmiths like you. A lightweight, day-to-night organic cream keeps up with your nimble, agile lifestyle, while Siberian ginseng, known to combat fatigue, reduce lethargy and increase resilience gives your skin that literal snap-back every time your day gets just a tad too stretched out. Bonus: It’s infused with peppermint oil extract, which not only has natural antiseptic and antimicrobial benefits, but also acts as a zingy pick-me-up.
Snow Fox Skin Care Day & Night Defense Cream
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5// Venus in Cancer: Pangea Organics Facial Mask – Japanese Matcha Tea with Acai Goji Berry, $50 for 4oz. Venus in Cancer placements have the science of cozy down pat; they’re masters of simple yet luxurious rituals, and find no shame in their self-care game. They’ve elevated nurturing to an art form, and know what they need to feel beautiful, inside and out. A facial mask chock-full of antioxidants like organic goji berries, which is touted as the Chinese “longevity fruit,” together with well-known anti-agers and skin detoxifiers and nourishers like matcha tea and seaweed, basically make this a reverse time machine for your face, and absolutely perfect for that Sunday night in.
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6// Mars in Cancer: Farmaesthetics Cool Aloe Mist, $26. Passionate, hot-hearted Mars in Cancer folks can benefit from an aloe vera cool down, once in a blue moon. Not just made for that nasty après-sun tingle, aloe vera increases the diffusion of oxygen in the blood, which relieves stress, balances circulation and alleviates symptoms of cardiovascular disease. This aloe-infused mist, trendy amongst the fitness set as well as those undergoing hormonal changes like hot flashes, has ingredients purported to activate the body’s immune system and fight free radicals too. Bonus: it also has lavender to calm you down, because feelings!
Farmaesthetics Cool Aloe Mist
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7// Jupiter in Cancer: Eminence Organics Bright Skin Licorice Root Exfoliating Peel, $79 for 50ml. A refined approach to abundance is your trademark; you get what you give, which is great, since you’re generous to a fault. A product that’s virtually an organic spa-on-the-go (complete with a cotton pad–dispensed formula for TSA-friendly traveling), it has super ingredients like the adaptogenic licorice root, which is a potent anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and anti-oxidant. Most notably, it boasts of a natural hydroquinone alternative, for those jubilant expectant mamas who still want to maintain a bright, even complexion, without the risks associated with facial bleaching while with bun in oven.
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8// Saturn in Cancer: Moon Juice Sex Dust, $38, and Luna Nectar Moon Boost Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum, $75. All the emotional intensity in the air might can have you coming to terms with some deep-seated anxieties concerning safety and security. Feeling like you’re on your lonesome ownsome in the midst of a crowded room can also come over you like a crashing wave. Don’t fret: A quality cocktail of adaptogens meant for a passion, energy, libido and antioxidant boost, courtesy of shilajit, shatavari, maca root and schisandra berry, helps awaken that inner sex-positive goddess and gets those juices flowing, creatively and otherwise. And because you’re always low-key #extra, add this to that overnighter: an all-natural lash-lengthening serum, named after the seductive, unpredictable ruler of the season, meant to give you all-out flutter appeal.
Luna Nectar Moon Boost Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum
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9// Uranus in Cancer: Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil, $80 for 35ml. Although in touch with your emotional center, you’re not one to succumb to unnecessary drama; in fact, you have a knack for alchemizing all you encounter into a philosophical lesson for the better, and are gifted in finding solutions beneficial for all parties. Targeted towards oily skin, this buzzworthy oil contains the super-detoxifier milk thistle, which as an adaptogen, pulls no punches in removing bullshit from our livers. On the face, this has the benefit of nourishing and smoothing skin, and together with a tempered-down salicylic acid (courtesy of cucumber seed oil) and licorice, you’re left with a brighter appearance, minimized scars with no greasy afterfeel—all in all offering a clean break, shall we say, which is just how you like it.
Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil
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10// Neptune in Cancer: Red Flower Lymphatic Phytopower Sea Cleanser & Masque, $42. Highly empathic and tied to family or to those who you’ve established a heart connection with, you cherish emotional discourse and “heal through feel”—so much so that having the wool pulled over your eyes can indeed manifest like a searing betrayal. A healthy habit of setting boundaries is crucial to your mental well-being. Picking up a cleanser packed with immunity-boosting mushrooms, like chaga, reishi and maitake, helps deflect those negative energies, which can insidiously begin skin deep. These fun fungi also reduce puffiness and detox from harmful and excess fluid, leaving you with nothing but the good stuff: skin health, bouncy moisture and a sexy, profound, newly optimistic radiance.
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11// Pluto in Cancer: Cocovit Charcoal Face Mask, $38. Feeling a bit more possessive than usual? ’Tis the season that those triggers get activated, especially when it involves your nearest and dearest … and woe to those that dare poach around your territory. Fiercely protective and caring towards family and loved ones, the challenge lies in developing a healthy sense of balance and learning to love and protect yourself first, so that confidence radiates outward at a steadier pace. A mask bursting with goodies like skin-shielding neem powder, anti-inflammatory (and liver-protective) turmeric and balancing and anti-aging ginseng, helps you see the benefits of evening out the highs and lows.
Cocovit Charcoal Face Mask
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12// Chiron in Cancer: Bioelements Crucial Moisture Emollient Crème Moisturizer, $36.50, 2.5oz. Cancer season can amplify any abandonment or intimacy issues lurking beneath the surface, as well as making you refuse to let people in and even affect a general defensiveness. Embrace those fears and insecurities without judgment, and be your own mother by giving yourself the nurturing you deserve before anyone else—you can’t draw from an empty well! A rich, emollient, indulgent, pro-grade cream is an everyday treat you so deserve. Best yet? The stress-fighting effects of its powerhouse ingredients, which include panax ginseng (stress reduction, relaxation), gotu kola (connection, wound healing) and dong quai (hormonal balance), even at skin level, are all completely on your side.
The Queen of Cups returns to the Numiverse for the first time since the New Year, and invites us to dive deep into our emotional landscapes before birthing our beauty in the world, says Melinda Lee Holm …
