Seem like everybody is deep in Burning Man prep? I’m getting ready for next week’s super intense Virgo New Moon Eclipse… Club SÖDA NYCimages: Katrin Albert
:: MONDAY :: A reiki session with Jessica Brodkin—an energy healer I met recently who used to work for the CIA, and does stand-up comedy on the side. My kinda Material / Mystical gal! And as well laying like a TON of crystals on me (including a perfectly clear quartz Ganesh on my second chakra), what I loved about the way Jessica works is that she also provided a running commentary about what was going on. I really love the concept of reiki—a mystical healing energy that we can all learn how to channel? Yes please!—but since the effects are so subtle I can often leave a session wondering, did anything just happen?!
But as Jessica got my chakras spinning (fave takeaway: “I’m not sure how to describe this except to say your sacral chakra is now looking on fleek”), she also spoke highly intuitively about issues I’m currently facing, gave a cool book recommendation, suggested some crystals for me to work with, and helped me say a forgiveness prayer. Overall, I left feeling like I’d had a total energetic tune-up. Find out more about Jessica and book a session at Loveandlightservices.com
:: TUESDAY ::
Club SÖDA NYC! Biet Simkin and I had an amazing turn-out for our second big Soda event, which (of course) we had timed specifically to coincide with the Sun’s move into Virgo—sign of health, wellbeing, and service. This is the month to really connect to the concept of how a healthy body and mind allows us to most efficiently show up and do our dharma. And, as we head towards next Thursday’s Virgo New Moon, now is the perfect time to let any and all unhealthy habits (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual!) just fall way.
The 9/1 New Moon is also a solar eclipse AND Mercury will have just gone retrograde. Add in a formidable T-square (the Moon, Sun, Mercury and North Node in Virgo will square Mars and Saturn in Sag, and oppose Neptune in Pisces) we are talking some intensely karmic and unpredictable REBIRTH energy out there. I for one intend to be clean and clear and fully on my A-game!
More Club SÖDA NYC vibes: a.k.a. how it feels to get high on your own supply
:: WEDNESDAY :: Some of my most mystical moments are found in the experience of deep, soul connection with my fellow humans. Doesn’t it feel like MAGIC when that chemistry happens? In love, at work, and in our most precious friendships. I took two hours out for lunch today with a friend who makes me feel that way—and time stopped, the cosmos aligned, and it fed me more than a thousand hours of reiki. Heaven on earth.
:: THURSDAY :: OMG. Got news that Cara Delevigne and her sister Poppy have ordered two of our Vinyasa sweatshirts to take to Burning Man. That is all.
:: FRIDAY :: In fact, for all you Burners out there, may I point you in the direction of some Numinous reading for your journey to the Playa. See you there next year!
Is second best enough when it comes to modern dating? Alexandra Roxo breaks her six-month self-love and celibacy regime to find out…
Over sushi last Friday with my friend Kristina, she suggested that perhaps it was time for me to dip a toe back in the dating game. I’d taken a six month break from sex and dating in the name of self-love and self growth, and, Jesus, that felt like long enough. But as Kristina recounted her latest dating exploits, I wanted to run for the hills—a.k.a. bury myself back in Doreen Virtue videos in my muumuu, with nothing but some Coconut Bliss in bed with me!
Okay, so maybe dating isn’t all that bad. I have a handful of friends that have found their “life partners” in the past year. Hopelessly in love. Soul mate status. One couple met on Tinder. One at Burning Man. Two other friends who just passed a decade met their loves out with friends, and just felt instantly “at home.” And these couples keep me full of hope.
But the rest of us perhaps fall into two categories:
-Those of us in a string of casual romances, engaging with people that seem exciting but just aren’t available or right.
-Or those of us sitting it out and waiting/minding our own business (a.k.a. dancing and having fun and meditating and sometimes feeling bored and starved of love).
So what’s best while searching for true love? Keeping on dating people who don’t seem “in it to win to it” (i.e. are always busy, “wanna keep it chill” and “low pressure with no commitment” blah blah) Or waiting it out? I feel like the easiest thing when it comes to modern day dating and sex is to accept what’s there: perhaps someone hot and fun who meets some of our needs, but not all. Especially since: “You can’t have it all.” Right?
Last week in our first Holy F*ck salon I heard a lot of this. Women accepting half loves. Or a morsel of connection. Or a lot of drunk sex with regretful mornings but fun nights. I’ve talked to friends too who are torn about this. We ponder “Should I go on casual dates? Spend that time on dating apps? Is it worth it if you know your heart’s not in it and neither is theirs?”
I’d been a serial monogamist for ten whole years, and last year upon being single and freshly in Los Angeles I found myself busy but not really satisfied. There was the hot writer who was in a failing open relationship (a.k.a. still in love with someone) but who would stare into my eyes with such passion when we had sex and orgasmed in tandem, and put cinnamon in my coffee.
Then there was the high school teacher who wanted to be called “Daddy” in bed and didn’t tell me he was engaged until date four. The friend of six years who professed his love and then confessed he had a new girlfriend. The Hollywood director who wined and dined me and wrote a part based on my life in his T.V. show, and then mentioned casually on date three he was in an open relationship of two years after ordering me an Uber town car home.
Not forgetting the famous musician who told me he wanted to meet my mom and refused to wear condoms, and who my friend saw on a dating app the next day. All. Unavailable. (And three out of five of these men meditate daily and do plant medicine or Buddhist retreats btw!)
There were women too. And at least they were more forthcoming and told me on date two they were just in it for fun casual vibes or what not. But overall it was a lot of kiiiiinda fun things that didn’t add up to one great thing.
So when I met someone earlier this year mid dating cleanse, who seemed amazing and into me, but who was also in an open relationship, I was like “Nope! I wanna be someone’s number 1!” I’ve had plentya number 2 status in the last year, and I honestly don’t know how I got demoted. So I also said: “Let’s be friends.”
But yes, I’m currently back to dating. And there I am, naked in a bed in a state of post orgasmic bliss, that cool Los Angeles breeze sweeping through the room, after a day having my feet massaged by the very same previously mentioned person. Because after six months of celibacy, I’ve somehow I’ve managed to I convince myself I can adjust my needs and be more progressive—a.k.a. share my lover with his two to three other lovers.
And then he stepped away to take a call. The primary partner of five years. Oh yeah…right. The magic spell lifted and I was reminded of the bigger picture. I was not Queen Bee.
This Rumi quote has echoed in my ears for over a decade: “A thousand half-loves must be forsaken to take one whole heart home.”
And I’ve decided this is true, for me. And that it applies to EVERYTHING. Not just love, but work. Friendships. Sometimes something is so close, but just not 100% right. And if you say yes to it anyway, you’re telling your self that you will always settle for less. Worse, in lowering your standards, you could also miss that the thing you really want because now you’re vibrating at a half mast frequency.
As my new friend Andi reminded me on the beach last week: “If it’s not a hell YES it’s a NO!”
When you’re hungry for something, sometimes it’s hard to resist whatever comes along that’s almost what you want. It’s like you know that it’s not quite going to satisfy you, but you eat it anyway—then wish you’d waited for what you really want. And yes, sometimes healthy compromise is key—and only YOU can decipher where the line in the sand gets drawn.
Since my recent experience of making a commitment to loving my SELF, I’ve also found myself inspired and in love with art, nature, friends, my work, all of it. As I was up late the other night, deep in celebration of this, I found this quote by Bjork, whom I’ve loved since I was 18:
“I never really understood the word ‘loneliness’. As far as I was concerned, I was in an orgy with the sky and the ocean, and with nature.”
I hope whether single or attached you can commit to finding your own inner orgy—and I believe that from this place it’s impossible to accept half loves, or half jobs, or half friends. You just smile and wink and mosey along if it doesn’t feel right. And by holding space for the most magnificent YOU, all the other stuff will just begin to filter in.
Alexandra offers one on one mentorship and coaching and her Holy F*ck group salon, which was just featured in Amuse/i-d Magazine. The next session of the Holy F*ck salon will begin September 6th for 6 weeks of chatting/deconstructing/and tuning in around love, sex and spirituality. Sign up here!
“Everything, even fashion, is a transference of energy.” Janelle Corpuz Hethcoat, the designer behind KE7H3R, talks fashion as self-love with Ruby Warrington…
It’s not often I come across a fashion brand that aligns as perfectly with our philosophy at The Numinous as KE7H3R by L.A. based Janelle Corpuz Hethcoat, which is chic, modern, and has a sustainable as well as a spiritual and social mission. So when Janelle approached us about helping support her launch for Fall ’16 it was a no-brainer. When I actually got to hear the full story behind the brand, it made me feel even more proud about helping Janelle realize her vision. Read on to get the full scoop on a label to love for ALL the right reasons…
RUBY WARRINGTON: What’s your background and what brought you to fashion? JANELLE CORPUZ HETHCOAT: I’m a Filipino American, female born and raised in Los Angeles. As for fashion, I went through about 12 years of catholic school where we had to wear uniforms and I think that really fed my need to be visually creative when it came to the way I dress as an adult. In my college years I was a biology major (my very strict Filipino parents wanted me to be a doctor), but I had a lot of older friends who worked as designers. After seeing what they did I was just dead set on being creative for a living. So after many semesters of deliberation I finally said, “Fuck it, I don’t care what my parents think!”—and I changed my major to fashion.
RW: Was there a defining moment for you deciding to launch your own line? JCH: Last year was crazy. I went through so many hard and character-defining things; a hellish breakup, I got sober, my dad passing away from cancer, losing my job, and finally, finding and marrying my soul mate. One defining moment of many, was going out into my backyard, after maybe weeks of not getting out of bed from depression. I sat there and the sun hit my face and I kind of said to myself, “Well… what now Janelle? After all this what are you gonna do?”
And I guess the voice of my higher self, or maybe my father, told me to just make something with my hands. To stay in the sun and make something. So I started making patterns, cutting fabric, and then sewing up styles in my backyard. I would put the clothes on and post them up on Instagram. People would respond in the comments or text me like “I want one of those! Can you make me one?” and that’s how KE7H3R was born.
RW: The name KE7H3R comes from your study of hermetic qabbalah – can you explain what it means? JCH: I’ll definitely try! In quabbalah, the Tree of Life is a symbolic description of how the universe came into existence. At the top of the Tree is something called the Kether, which is described as the source of all divine creation. An easier way to visualize this, is to place it on top of your own body—envision Kether as a ball of white light that sits right above our heads, like it’s that divine power that gives us our best ideas, leads us to do our highest good, and guides us to our purpose.
Kether is also associated with the Fool card in the tarot, which I associate with any project where you really have to follow your heart and take risks. I actually pulled the fool card in a reading with myself in my backyard. So when I named this line KE7H3R, I was just honoring the message. I replaced the 7 for T and 3 for E because 7 and 3 are my magic numbers.
RW: And how about the brand’s motto: “- IS +”? JCH: It means “Less is More”—a motto that means a lot to me. As a brand we stand for both minimalist design and the idea of a capsule wardrobe. We feel that it’s more important to have a few finely made pieces that you can wear forever, than a million poorly made pieces that you’ll throw away at the end of a season.
This is important for a lot of reasons. The first one is the damage that fast fashion is doing to our environment. The second is the harmful and inhumane work environments that this type of large scale fashion subjects people in overseas factories to. And finally, the harm that fast fashion or consumerist fashion is doing to our self esteems…especially for women.
Keeping up with “trends” is exhausting and unhealthy, and suggests that your external purchases are what lead to happiness. A minimalist approach meanwhile, means less time thinking about what you can or should buy, and more time thinking and being grateful for what you already have—including the people around you and the experiences you can be enjoying.
RW: How do you shop for fashion personally? JCH: For the last two years I have literally only bought my clothes second hand. Or I make them! I will buy the occasional something new, when it comes to stuff you really can’t buy second hand like swim suits, yoga wear, underwear etc. In this case, I will buy locally made stuff when I travel, or special hand crafted things on etsy.
RW: How can your fashion choices become a self-love practice? JCH: I think fashion is like food. You don’t want the mystery, pumped full of hormones, genetically modified thing inside your body, right? Think about the energy that is put behind creating what you are placing on your body, as your expression and reflection of yourself.
Everything, even fashion, is a transference of energy. When you choose products that are made ethically, you are showing loving concern for the world, which in turn is an act of self-love—because in saying that the rest of the humans on this planet deserve better you are also saying you deserve better.
There’s also what I call “status buying”—when you buy that thing that’s totally impractical and uberly expensive, just to “look” a certain way to everyone around you. I would do this a lot when I was younger, because I thought buying super expensive stuff made me look more successful, more professional, or more advanced in life. I shelled out $800 for 6-inch high YSL pumps that I couldn’t even walk in. And after I would feel like shit.
And so I think your fashion choices can become a self-love practice when you are able to honestly answer: Am I comfortable in this? Does wearing it make me feel like I can be myself?
Discover more and shop the collection at Ke7h3r.com
Virgo season brings an invitation to revel in the details, say Cara George & Bess Matassa of Mojave Rising…
Virgo season asks us to sharpen our tools, clarify our intentions, and get back down to the sweet labors of love that just feel good in our bodies. The zodiac’s so-called “virgin” is actually a fiercely self-contained sensualist who’s married to her own internal code, trusts deeply in her distinctiveness, and finds delicious divinity in daily detail.
It’s a month for relaxing into the subtlest material pieces of our lives—from savored flavors and ephemeral scents to watching the way the light hits the pavement just so—and for relishing in the feeling of processual work that moves with the rhythm of what is without having to prove anything at all.
The astrological Queen of the intricate and the refined reminds us that we are a part of every last thing that surrounds us and that every last thing absolutely matters because heaven is most definitely a place of earth.
The keyword is Alignment
The song lyrics are: “I’m every woman/It’s all in me/Anything you want done baby/I’ll do it naturally”—Whitney Houston, “I’m Every Woman.” Check out our Virgo season playlist, complete with considered lyricism, wild women, and pop gravitas.
The color palette: soft metallics and shifting sands: salmon pinks, rose golds, light caramels, and pure silver.
The style: 1930s Greta Garbo meets Southwestern naturalism: refined yet rustic glamor, caftans paired with high-heeled boots, intricate art deco jewelry, nude lips, loose braids and buns, copper lockets, and just enough coverage to spark the sensuous imagination.
The scents and flavors: simple trusted tastes, herbaceous blends, and medicinal elixirs. Think rosemary, camphor, fresh bread, bergamot, tisanes, and hot cobbler carefully concocted with seasonal fruits.
The healing: considered, refined, and earthily aligned. Try tasting menus, perfume making, Marie Kondo-style closet cleansing, or even the slowly revelatory art of burlesque dancing.
Sensuous Invitation of the Month: Interior Design (by sign below)
With Mercury stationing retrograde in Virgo, Venus and Jupiter entering Libra, and the final Saturn-Neptune square, it’s a month for getting our houses in order, making use of the materials on hand, and bowing at the altar of aesthetics. For letting the material world refine our values and bring us all the way back home to what we truly love. From Barbie dreamhouse jacuzzis to Southern country kitchens, it’s time to realign our environment with our interior selves, and to move majestically and naturally through the spaces that surround us.
ARIES Virgo season invites you to infuse some of your full-throttle thrill seeking with a careful consideration that strategizes before leaping and allows the world to sometimes have the first move. Design Inspiration: Release into the dazzling sensation of the world infusing the interior by clearing the area around your windows and treating them as pieces of art à la Julius Shulman’s iconic 1960 photograph of the Stahl house.
TAURUS Virgo season invites you to trust that you already have more than enough of what you need and to tap into your ability to repurpose what you already have into something gorgeously useful. Design Inspiration: Channel the restored farmhouses of Taschen’s Country Interiorsas you dig into your soul dirt by repurposing objects, reupholstering prized furniture pieces, and reveling in local rummage sales.
GEMINI Virgo season invites you to return to the sensations of your body as you learn to read and value environmental cues as much as you do intellectual ones. Design Inspiration: Relax into treehouse dreams with Joel Allen’s British Columbia masterpiece sourced entirely from craigslist materials, and experiment with small seasonal shifts in your own space by mixing indoor with outdoor- even if it’s just tricking out your fire escape with sparkling lights or placing found stones in your sink basin.
CANCER Virgo season invites you to celebrate distinguished solitude as much as you do emotional relationship. Design Inspiration: Channel the DIY solitude of converted sheds by creating a space of your own—whether it’s affixing glow-in-the-dark stars on your ceiling for private night dreaming, or cordoning off a corner of shared space entirely for yourself.
LEO Virgo season invites you to step away from the proscenium as you relax into behind the scenes labors without always having to show yourself. Design Inspiration: Conjure the inward-facing glitter and sparkle of the Madonna Inn’s bombastic Barbie bathroom by decking out your boudoir with jewel-encrusted toiletry boxes, and writing yourself impassioned lipstick messages on your mirror.
VIRGO Virgo season invites you to rediscover the wild sensualism of your inner witchy woman who follows her own credo. Design Inspiration: Evoke the high-quality, woodsy wildness of the fur, fire, and open air bathtubs of Palm Springs’ Sparrows Lodge with a singular, luxe design piece made from natural materials like a marble slab, bamboo soap dish, or wool rug.
LIBRA Virgo season invites you to discover the “beautility” in your world by blending your idealized aesthetic sensibilities with down-to-earth usefulness. Design Inspiration: Channel the majestically utilitarian Library of Congress with organizational pieces that are also decadent and gorgeous.
SCORPIO Virgo season invites you to marry your emotional intensity to material complexity as you investigate the intricate detail of the world that surrounds you. Design Inspiration: Explore the elaborate Art Nouveau design of the Parisian metro system by experimenting with patterned wallpaper or trompe l’oeil at home.
SAGITTARIUS Virgo season invites you to take your passion and make it happen as you delight in the earthy sensation of grounding your most far-flung visions in the material world. Design Inspiration: Motor west with inspiration from Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and invite the open road into your space with 50s Americana kitsch design elements.
CAPRICORN Virgo season invites you to celebrate the process of refinement without this having to match internally or externally imposed standards. Design Inspiration: Move towards the sensations of slow cooking and process-based work by conjuring warm Mediterranean-style kitchens through decoratively usable rotating spice racks, hanging fruit baskets, and dishes affixed to the wall.
AQUARIUS Virgo season invites you to trade in some of your panoramic thinking for delicious attention to detail. Design Inspiration: Delight in the futuristic efficiency of the tiny house movement and play with proportion in your own space with terrariums or dollhouses.
PISCES Virgo season invites you to step out of the endless seas of possibility to practice the art of discernment. Design Inspiration: Strip down with spiritually-aligned Japanese minimalism and infuse this practice in your own space by cleansing one room, or building your design around a singular object or color.
A symbolic reading of this week’s cosmic climate for your sign, direct from the third eye of Sandra Sitron—a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology…
Virgo :: Virgo Rising At the bottom of a well. The well is deep and symbolizes your emotions, your connections with your family, your mother, your sense of security, your home. If, over the last few months, you have felt murky in regards to home, family, mother, ancestors, or emotions, then the lessons can now resolve and action will become more possible. You must spend time in the watery well. Practice allowing. Practice acceptance. Practice being your own best mother as you sit still with your emotions. Simultaneously this week, your mental faculties are keen and your sense of abundance is reinvigorated. Use these gifts to help yourself process and then act. Going down into the well of your emotions helps you come out stronger and more clear. Tend to your sense of emotional security.
Libra :: Libra Rising Beaded necklaces. Baubles and gemstones lined up in a row, connected by string, talking to each other through their jingles and jangles. If you have felt as if you cannot speak, as if you cannot be heard, as if you are not seen, as if you don’t fit in— now is your time to feel connected. On certain levels, it may have been hard over the previous levels to communicate with others. This may have manifested in different ways, or a resistance to putting something important on your website, a feeling of being rejected for something about yourself, a shyness, an isolation. Find ways now to clear your throat chakra and speak out. Ask others to reflect back to you what they hear. Communicate. Write the letter or essay you’ve been putting off. This week will bring you an ability to connect better with your community. But you have to take it. The action will depend upon you. And there is a lesson here. The lesson is that you are worthy of being heard and seen. So, mingle and jangle and feel connected.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising A canoe on wavy waters. Your big evolution of the last two plus years is coming to an end. You can finally let go. You can put yourself out to sea in the storm in a little canoe and trust that you will wash up on the right shore. There is finally a sense of resolve this week and its sweetness will move you all the way through to your core. How much richer life is now. How much more of the human experience you understand. If you have not allowed yourself full grief processing over the last couple of years, you may not be ready to land safely on shore. So use this time, while you are still in the canoe of your emotions, to allow yourself to let go. Ask yourself how you feel and let the waves take you where they will. Then you can land! After the storm, you will be on new ground, with a new perspective, and there you will be able to build a strong house. This new perspective will be sustainable and long lasting.
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising A feast cooked over a fire. This is your celebratory moment. You are able to finally take action. There has been murkiness and drudgery and lack of clarity. And now you can pull the trigger on ideas and projects that you have been putting off. This is time for a feast, to raise a glass, say okay—now it’s happening. Then get back to work. And work, and work. Because right now you are resolving parts of your identity. Embrace your new identity. You are finally pulling the trigger on thoughts and ideas that were previously just floating around in the ether. Say YES, say NO, and move forward. Make your decisions, form your opinions, and go. It’s time to celebrate and then shoot your arrow again.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising A light ray that moves between dimensions. You are able to connect with another plane of existence somehow. Not you usual interest, but now, maybe? Find your ray of light and follow it through to a new way of thinking. A new perspective. Maybe even through the veil to your subconscious or a dreamtime world. You are now ready to make a deep and integral shift. What comes to mind? It could be a feeling, a habit or a behavior that you ready to shift. It could be a fear. Something is ready to resolve and you are ready to close a chapter. The shift will be deep, maybe even subconscious. When it happens, say a prayer of gratitude and then let it go.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising Bumper cars. Here, there and everywhere. You make a move and then you move again. As you go, you bump into another person or idea. “Bumper cars” is a special arena, where everyone is equal and there are meetings. So, expanding this metaphor, if you have felt disconnected, you will now be able to connect. Connect to people who are like you and different from you. You may have dreams of social justice, dreams of a better future for everyone. Connect to those ideas. Any part of you that has felt pessimistic about dreams and visions is ready to fall away now. Do it because being pessimistic gets old. So don’t deny your vision of the future anymore. Now you can say, “Oh yes, I can do the things I want. I can connect with people in the way I want. We are all going somewhere together and I am going to help determine how. This is my vision of the future and I have agency over my little car.”
Pisces :: Pisces Rising Floral scented perfume. Your perfume metaphorically fills the room. It precedes you. You arrive before you arrive. Over the last few years you have been trying to negotiate how you stand in the public view. This may have to do with your vocation or work. If you have felt like you have been unable to make the kind of impact you have been wanting to make, now you’ll be able to break through into action. Your flowery symbol says that you need to be remembered in a gentle way however. So you won’t want to use force to get yourself remembered. Seep into peoples’ consciousness like a mist. Gain the attention of the world by being exactly who you are and trusting that it will all work out.
Aries :: Aries Rising An egg in a nest. Are you ready to break through your eggshell? Now you can finally break through to a new perspective. Where you have felt trapped you can now expand. There may be a moment of force. You may actually have to work to break through the shell. The harder you work to break free and become more yourself, the stronger you’ll be. In your new world, you’ll need to be ready to explore, philosophize and form opinions. The time has come where you can synthesize your lessons and move forward to embrace a new philosophy. If you have a ping of anger or resistance this week— look closely to see what belief you are ready to upgrade. This shift will offer you massive freedom and a new perspective.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising A mat made of grass. The mat is made of individual blades of grass. Merged, they become something new. Something stronger. You may have to open yourself up to merging. Merging in this context means— trusting and letting go. This could be about trusting in a relationship. Or it could be about trusting yourself to move to the next stage in your development. Trusting yourself to evolve. Letting go of something you have been holding on to. Letting go of control. Moving forward. If there has been any resistance or fear about the idea of merging over the last couple of years, this week offers you a chance to complete your lessons and break through. This shift you are experiencing could be about life cycles, grief and trust. Let go and become something new.
Gemini :: Gemini Rising Parade of elephants. Two elephants walking, one holds the tail of the other with it’s trunk. Link up. Get comfortable depending on another person. Negotiate. Be diplomatic. The elephant is massive and can help you learn to take up space. Own your space, yet be comfortable leaning on another person too. This week, your relationships are shifting. Have you been learning the lessons of the last two and a half years? Now there will be some kind of resolve that has to do in the area of relationships. Some ability to take action. Don’t shy away from this moment. Push through. Discover how to ask for what you need while taking responsibility for your own emotions.
Cancer :: Cancer Rising Beetles in the sand. It’s time to get really grounded. The best way for you to get grounded right now is to remember to nurture yourself. You are so good at taking care of other people. Over the last couple of years you have been learning how to do the same for yourself. This intention reaches an apex this week. Synthesize your lessons. Be gentle with yourself, but take action on your new healthy habits. Your emotions are soothed by lots of structure in your daily life right now. Wake up at the same time, go to bed at the same time. Get the right amount of exercise. If you feel inspired to begin a program of self-improvement, take the opportunity. Now is your moment to invest in yourself, physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally.
Leo :: Leo Rising A sundial. A sundial is a clock that uses the position of the Sun to tell time. It’s a simple tool designed to use the Sun’s light in a practical way. Maybe you are learning how to use your own light. Maybe the time has come for you to honor your creativity, your special individuality, your fire. How can you best funnel this energy? You have been learning how to be more yourself, to stand up straight and tall and share your light with the world. Synthesize these lessons. Don’t make yourself smaller than you are. If you take action this week, you may have a creative breakthrough. Radiate light, warmth and generosity. Focus on love and self-expression.
Crystal lipgloss is a thing. Plus a link to our virtual Full Moon ritual, a facial for the soul, and a shout out to Shaktibarre…
Attempting to pout in my new Ruby crystal lipgloss by Gemmed
:: MONDAY :: A box of goodies from Goddess Provisions, INCLUDING a lipgloss by Gemmed named “Ruby” containing actual crystal dust (Labradorite, Moonstone, Opal, Pyrite and Sunstone). I mean. Goddess Provisions is a subscription service where you receive a box of 4-6 high vibe items—snacks, tinctures, crystals etc—by mail each month, all 100% vegan and cruelty free, and all in aid of inspiring your spiritual practice. And there’s lipgloss. #magicmonday. Find out more at Goddessprovisions.com
:: TUESDAY :: Not really a lot going on in the Mystical stakes. Except for quite a few phone calls and emails back-to-back about moving stuff forward that’s felt stalled for MONTHS. Thank you, Saturn direct.
:: WEDNESDAY :: Hosted my virtual Full Moon ritual with Alexandra Roxo! For starters we had almost 300 people sign up, which blew us both away and was a reminder of how excited people are to come together to share their Moon manifestations. FULL Moons are a time to celebrate what’s coming to fruition in our lives, and for me, the Aquarian vibes of this Moon have been very much reflected in all kinds of collaborative efforts beginning to take shape. So y’know, watch this space!
Another fave take-away from our ritual? A new daily practice of smudging down my technology. For real. If you think about it, our computers and phones are interacting with energy from hundreds, if not thousands of people every day. I first tried it out when I found myself going down a really low-vibe comparison hole on Instagram. Giving my iPhone a quick sage wash spiraled me right back UP the Unicorn horn—you might wanna give it a try! You can listen to the recording here.
We’ll be hosting our virtual rituals monthly. Look out for details!
:: THURSDAY :: A beautiful, nurturing facial with Melanie Herring. Describing her practice as “skin therapy, soul deep,” Melanie sees the skin as a doorway to the inner realms of healing, and incorporates intuitive energetic work while simultaneously nourishing the body’s largest organ of detoxification…the skin. “It’s sacred work that honors the vulnerable nature of being seen,” she told me.
Facials are not something I regularly indulge in (see my use of the word “indulge”!), but as I relaxed into a semi trance state on Melanie’s table I was reminded—yet again—that regular self-care is actually one of the cornerstones of a truly balanced life. Also, how did the simple act of being held and cared for by another human being become a “luxury”? Today reminded me it’s a necessity. Discover more about Melanie and her work at Melanieherring.com
:: FRIDAY :: Excited for the opening of Shaktibarre tonight, a new yoga+barre+activism+sustainable wellness space in Williamsburg. I met founder Corinne Wainer at a Lululemon event back in May, and was blown away by her vision and her sheer balls! The woman is committed to finding ways to make yoga and other wellness practices available to all, and so the studio will offer sliding scale pricing as well as host regular free community events. Hell to the yes. (And future Shakti-Numi collaborations to follow, no doubt!) Find out more and book a class at Shaktibarre.com
We have a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Aquarius on August 18th at 5:26 am ET
A Full Moon happens when the Sun and Moon oppose each other. They face off, and the Sun’s full light shines on the Moon’s surface. This week, the Sun is in Leo and the Moon is in the opposite sign, Aquarius. This is a time of higher energy. All of the Moon’s emotional and intuitive power is amped up by the force of the Sun. It’s a time to act.
Think back to the seed intentions you set at the New Moon on August 2nd. Now you are harvesting some of those intentions. The next two weeks will be about reflecting on what you’ve learned and readying your soil for the seeds of the next New Moon, in Virgo on September 1.
A note about this Full Moon Eclipse
Is this an Eclipse, or isn’t it? In star-gazing circles there is some debate as to whether or not this counts. Because there are many different ways to calculate eclipses, some sources are listing this as an eclipse, yet others are not, including NASA. Earth’s shadow gets verrrrrry close to the Moon, but the shadow won’t be visible from Earth. I think that this Full Moon will feel like an Eclipse—meaning it will feel like a massive reset.
As such, this is time for change. A time to pull the plug and then plug back in. To close the book on a chapter. To start with a fresh perspective.
Use this powerful energy to fire up your body, mind, and spirit, and experience cathartic release. Cleansing actions are recommended now. Sweat. Cry. Dance. Take a salt-water bath. Laugh until you can’t breath. Spin in circles. Run. Howl at the Moon. Breathe. Get it all out!
***
THE MOON AND ITS MESSAGE “Waving a sparkler.” Celebration. This Full Moon is helping you communicate what’s in your heart. So shine forth unapologetically, for all of us. The Aquarius Full Moon points us to a picture of the future—one in which humans are connecting through their gifts. Sharing, collaborating, working together. Individuality is healthfully elevated, not in a narcissistic way, but in a balanced and beautiful way.
This Full Moon can deliver this understanding directly into our hearts, if we are ready for it. If we have prepared the channel to receive the download. “Believe in the future” says this Aquarius Full Moon. Believe in your own light. Believe in the power of the collective. Give freely. Receive freely. Commune. Shed all of the stories that make you smaller than you are.
***
MOON SEXTILE URANUS AND INCONJUNCT BOTH MERCURY AND JUPITER “An acrobat on a tightrope juggling fire.” This acrobat is busy. Multitasking. A Yod (the shape formed by these aspects together) is like that too, as it is a combination of two very different types of energy. And what we have here are actually two Yods, so there is even more going on.
A Yod is an aspect pattern that looks like a narrow triangle. Because of this it’s also called “the Finger of God.” This moniker brings to mind the feeling of this aspect. It is a feeling of fated expectation. But this strong sense of expectation can be uncomfortable, when the outcome has not yet been realized. The planet at the tip of the pointing finger is called the Focal Planet. In this Yod there are actually two Focal Planets together, mindset Mercury and expansive Jupiter…
MERCURY AND JUPITER CONJUNCT IN VIRGO “The acrobat practices on the tightrope.” With both Focal Planets in Virgo, this energy says: practice your craft, improve, do it well, and make it perfect. But, don’t, whatever you do, get caught up in worrying about potential problems. Don’t allow your mind to get stuck in a critical mode of thinking. Don’t be judgmental of yourself or anyone else. If you do, you will fall off your tightrope. If you look down, or allow anxious thinking to overtake you, you will drop the fire you are juggling. So stay present. Stay in the moment so that you can accomplish this impressive acrobatic feat.
Mercury and Jupiter are Inconjunct the Moon and Uranus. An Inconjuct is “almost there, but not quite.” So it’s a little frustrated. It doesn’t know what to do, exactly. But it knows it wants to do something. The Yod joins this frustrated energy with a pleasing and harmonious sextile between the Moon and Uranus. The message: you may not know how, just yet, but you can create a new and unexpected path for yourself.
It is tenaciously pushing you through frustration and toward your desired outcome. It is urging you past the risk and into the glory. You will need to focus on the details. But by staying conscious of your emotions and staying open to inspiration, you will make it through.
SUN TRINE URANUS “A clear radio signal.” Uranus’ inspired thinking is coming through loud and clear. This is epiphany energy. Keep your mind open to new possibilities. How do you keep your mind open? Focus on the vision. Don’t overthink. Turn the radio dial to receive the signal and wait to see what comes through.
VENUS TRINE PLUTO “A rare flower in bloom.” The plant has stored up enough energy to create a rare and beautiful blossom. It has worked through obstacles and circumstance and allowed a cycle to come to completion. And it did so naturally. It did everything in it’s own perfect time. It letitself blossom. And it will let itself fall away. It moves gracefully through the cycle of life and death. This is exactly what Venus Trine Pluto offers you. The beauty of the cycle. The beauty of blooming in your own perfect time. Allow the process.
IN SUMMARY This is a moment to commune with others and share your light. Push through frustrations to glory. Allow inspiration. Allow the process.
***
FULL MOON ACTIONS BY SIGN
Leo :: Leo Rising Communicate something important to you to someone else.
Virgo :: Virgo Rising Meditate. This is best action that you can take right now. You are in an especially productive frame of mind, so settling your mind and raising your vibration through meditation will make you unstoppable.
Libra :: Libra Rising Give something. And ask the Universe to help you receive something.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising Nest. Pay extra attention to your home space.
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising Mingle. Get out into your neighborhood and connect with your peers.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising Do something luscious and sensual. Eat a beautiful meal. Get a massage. Do something that feels good.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising Celebrate! It’s not often that we stop to be appreciative of ourselves. Take a moment to be ecstatic. Mark this moment in your favorite way.
Pisces :: Pisces Rising Do some dream journaling. This is your time to connect with your inner symbolism and intuition.
Aries :: Aries Rising Find out what everyone else thinks.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising Work. This may be a big vacation time, but for you, this time period is best spent working.
Gemini :: Gemini Rising Travel. Take a vacation. If you aren’t able to get away, explore a different way of thinking.
Cancer :: Cancer Rising Create a letting-go ritual for yourself. Close a chapter.
Rather than indulging in a post-break-up rebound with another person, engage in a fling with yourself says Emma Whitehair… Artwork: Maja Planinac
The first thing that “rebound relationship” googles up is: “an attempt to fill a hole in your life… to avoid the pain of a breakup.” And there’s few of us unfamiliar with that visceral craving to have something, or someone, fill the void left by the ending of an intimate human connection.
Even though my last breakup didn’t involve a breakdown, letting go of a lover often leaves me feeling bereft. That special closeness lost, gone forever, with them having known me so intimately.
So I grieved a little, before my gut suggested—actually shouted pretty loudly—that I needed to treat this hole as space for growth. This was my time to face my fear of being single, pack up my emotional baggage and elope. With myself.
Unlike the quick fix of a fling, or a replacement insta-relationship, rebounding with yourself is about so much more than simply avoiding heartache. No one else can offer the same level of security, unconditional love or acceptance, as a divine relationship with yourself.
As I have discovered, this kind of self-generated love allows your life to flow with joy, and for things to start magically falling into place. In the words of Oscar Wilde: “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance”. So, how about a three-way with mind, body and soul; be part of the self-love revolution!
There are many routes to saying a passionate yes to yourself, and while each person’s path is as individual as them, here are a few things that helped ignite a romance with the soul mate under my very nose. Literally.
:: TUNE IN TO YOUR INNER WISDOM ::
A.k.a. your intuition, as only it knows what your true needs are, and how to go about getting them met.
‘Focusing’ was a technique I learned on a course at the West London Buddhist Centre. A reflective practice that involves taking a curious awareness into your body and listening for messages, simply close your eyes in a quiet place, as you would to meditate, but instead, sense what needs your attention.
Describe out loud what you are experiencing. Is your chest tight? Stomach heavy? As I described my constricted throat the words resonated deeply, and the words that followed flowed, like a stream of consciousness. with my body, not my head, leading. “There is so much sadness I need to release…talk about….to heal…”
Then the visuals came. I saw an anxious, pining Wolfhound—frantically scratching at a locked door and whining to be let out. It took a few days to process this but eventually it dawned on me: this was a clear message to step away from the door to the outside world, and deepen my meditation practice.
:: UP YOUR MEDITATION GAME ::
As Einstein said: “I think 99 times and find nothing. I stop thinking, swim in silence, and the truth comes to me.”
Although I previously had a vague meditation practice, I wanted to try a new technique in order to get a better connection to my inner self, and Transcendental Meditation was the gateway.
From the first session, I noticed how effortless it was to meditate using a mantra as a stepping stone. And a few weeks in, I had my first experience of transcending, which will stay with me forever—I was hardly using the mantra at all, my breathing became shallow and I felt a melting sensation, like I was disappearing into unboundedness. My head become weightless, like a helium balloon before I felt an an ecstatic rush. It was the feeling of falling in love, with myself. Grinning from ear to ear, I was hooked.
The more I meditate, when negative thoughts and emotions inevitably creep up, I have the tools to observe them with curiosity and acceptance. So regardless of what’s happening in my life experience, I can get to some serenity. Not quite cosmic consciousness yet, but slowly and surely getting a little closer.
:: DEAL WITH THE JUNK IN YOUR TRUNK ::
And I don’t mean sorting out your loft, although that of course can help too (just speak to Marie Kondo). Most of us have issues holding us back in one way or another, and a breakup is the perfect time to find the right professional to help with some emotional sat nav.
For me that person was Fiona Arrigo. With a background of 30 years in psychotherapy, Fiona runs haute holistic healing retreats in rural Somerset, where she carefully assembles a crack team for bespoke programs. Orchestrated treatment by treatment, the therapists all compare notes to ensure the next session works with the discoveries from the one before.
Checking in with me each day of the retreat, with just a little guidance during our chats, Fiona helped me untangle my past, understand some of my triggers and shift a lot of the sadness I have been carrying around since the ‘dark ages’.
Note: aside from Fiona’s healing retreats, she also has clients from all over the world she ‘sees’ for skype therapy sessions.
:: EXPERIMENT WITH HOLISTIC HEALING ::
Be open to finding multi-discipline healing techniques to help you feel more integrated. The investment in yourself is worth it.
My The Arrigo Programme retreat gave me the opportunity to try everything from Acupuncture, Kinesiology and EFT to Soul Fragment Retrieval. Astrological Counselling being the biggest eye-opener—helping me understand recurring obstacles, life lessons and talents.
On this retreat I also hit a sweet spot with Tibetan Pulsing—an energy work using a diagnosis from the iris of the eye, which gives a feeling of such deep peace. Transformational Breathwork was another game changer, and Matrix Re-aligning allowed me to have a conversation with my deceased mother’s spirit, releasing some of the grief I’d been holding on to for years.
:: HAVE A SING-ALONG ::
From Kirtan Kriya to church choir or karaoke, the benefits of singing are scientifically proven. Encouraging deep breathing, it uplifts your spirit and gives a sense of well-being
Personally, I prefer warbling along into a hairbrush at the top of my voice, in the privacy of my own home. Get it all out by wallowing with Adele or having a rage-along with Alanis. Then move on by creating a feel good playlist of songs such as State of Independence, Ch-Chng and Love Me. Or take the anthems of co-dependence, and change the object of the lyrics adoration to Self. Let It Go may or may not also be on repeat. Sorry neighbors.
:: TALK TO YOURSELF ::
Not like a crazy lady, but like you would talk to your lover—using words of self-appreciation not depreciation. Develop an affectionate conversation with yourself and respond to any negative thoughts with compassion, acknowledging them but not letting them linger.
Be reverent, congratulatory and give compliments regularly. Look, really look at yourself in the mirror, hush the critical voice and observe with the eyes of love. Thank your body. Be your own cheerleader.
Deepen your self-love practice at out next Club SÖDA NYCevent, Sex, Lies & Alcohol, August 23 in NYC. Details and ticket info here.
SATURN DIRECT IN SAGITTARIUS (8/13/16—12/20/17) :: KEYWORD – “MOMENTUM”
In the late summer of 1938 three young, French nationals, Genevieve and Bernard de Colmont and Antoine de Seynes, arrived in America to take their kayaks down the Green and Colorado Rivers (a feat that had never been attempted before). This French Trio brought with them state-of-the-art kayaks, cameras, camping gear and, because they didn’t trust American drinking water, all the beer they could carry. This was no small feat, as they would have to paddle down 900 miles of very rough water. Three months later they rowed into Lee’s Ferry, Arizona river-worn but transformed by the experience.
Saturn turned direct in Sagittarius on August 13. Do you feel a new sense momentum? Retrogrades often remind us to slow down, practice patience, to revise our to-do lists and check our supplies, twice. And with Saturn direct and moving again, warmed also by the energy of Mars in Sagittarius, the time is ripe to set sail on an adventure/venture that’s been some time in the planning. Like the French trio, the time has come to point our paddles downstream.
Saturn direct in Sagittarius is not however, about doing things fly-by-night. Preparation is extremely important, as Saturn wants to methodically build the right foundation, to make sound calculations, and to consider any and all costs involved. The French trio was well prepared for their journey; dear readers you must do the same.
Sagittarius housing both Saturn and Mars insists that the intention with any ventures put into motion now is to grow, expand, and learn. It’s time to take that class, to fly to Indonesia for a yoga teacher training, to learn a language, start a non-profit, activate a latent passion. But by all means ground each activity with common sense, a good plan, sturdy walking shoes, and plentiful supplies of your beverage of choice.
Below, a Saturn direct in Sagittarius reading for each sign…
The French trio, Genevieve and Bernard de Colmont and Antoine de Seynes, ready to set off on their trip
Aries: MOMENTUM and HIGHER GOALS How do I incarnate a dream? Master fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkein took the world he created so seriously he developed a language for its characters. Although you may not be creating a language you are encouraged to take your visions and dreams seriously enough to let them spill wondrously, and almost fully formed, out into reality.
Taurus: MOMENTUM and OTHERS (Intimacy) We know our Taurus friends to be enduring lovers. During this Sagittarius season take your love-style to the next level by considering this juicy word: interdependence. Blending with others in your life will have you smiling and learning in deep and beautiful ways.
Gemini: MOMENTUM and RELATIONSHIPS There is no truer test of the solidity of a relationship than when you travel together, especially internationally. Dearest Gemini, go there with your lovers and closest collaborators and take on the test of your commitment to each other. Hint: travel with books and b-line it to a beautiful body of water.
Cancer: MOMENTUM and WORK Focus, direction and goal setting at work make it much more enjoyable to meet friends after work for sweet down-time and sparkly conversation. And when you’re truly invested in ALL the things that contribute to your wellbeing, you’ll find yourself with boundless energy for being of service in the world.
Leo: MOMENTUM and CREATIVITY Think of food as the Muse dear Leo, and you as its apprentice. Dream up new recipes, seek out exotic cuisines, let your Muse take you to happy soul-inspired meals and even late night binges watching with Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown. All in the name of sheer, unbridled pleasure.
Virgo: MOMENTUM and HOME In The Wizard of Oz, a girl and her dog end the movie with your new mantra Virgo: “There’s no place like home, there’s no place like home.” Find a luscious pair of soft, ruby-colored slippers and dig deep into the magic of your private sphere—the secure bedrock of your grandest plans.
Libra: MOMENTUM and COMMUNICATION Learning what to say and when to say it is your daily practice right now, and has you craving good ole fashion conversation. Finding your voice is imperative and although it might be a little squeaky from underuse it’s a tool that gets stronger the more you use it!
Scorpio: MOMENTUM and MONEY Do I believe I have something valuable to contribute to the world? Yes I do! The world right now dear Scorpio being your vibrant, local community. The mantra think global, act local is yours for this transit. Your innate talents + manifestation gives you a successful glow.
Sagittarius: MOMENTUM and SELF-IMPROVEMENT What do you want dear Sag? There are an abundance of opportunities but I’d consider focusing on the long game. Dust off the passport; pull out your suitcase for you may be taking a solo, soul-searching trip in the next month or two. A much-needed check in with self is the right ticket.
Capricorn: MOMENTUM and SOUL You are ready to take your spiritual life to the next level. A died-in-the-wool pilgrimage is in order even if you never leave your home. Honing this numinous part of yourself, could also find you working your solid magic on or off the yoga mat. Write down your dreams.
Aquarius: MOMENTUM and COMMUNITY What is the sweet cause you are cheerleading and feel most passionate about? Use your innovative magic to whip a grassroots idea into shape and see it ride off into the sunset, banners waving. The disempowered are relying on you. It’s time to take your ideas to the streets!
Pisces: MOMENTUM and MY CALLING The big picture talent of Pisces comes out and takes its place as part and parcel of your life’s work. Finally your unique vision merges with what you consider to be your sacred calling. The details come into focus and you find yourself magically incarnating one solid brick at a time.
To book a session with Shari or for for more information please find her at Sharizollinger.com
Enter the 8/8 Lion’s Gate…and an encounter with the cacao goddess, a return to my mojo, and a meeting of minds with Amanda “Moon Juice” Bacon.
Just hangin’ in my hammock loving the 8/8 vibes of the Lion’s Gate
:: MONDAY :: Happy New Year! According to the Mayans, that is, for whom 8/8 marked the planetary new year. Also the opening of the mystical “Lions gate” portal (8/8 through 8/12—a.k.a. this week), marked by the star Sirius moving closer to earth and aligning in Orion’s belt, which perfectly syncs up with the Pyramids in Giza. Linked to the numerology of 8/8, the astrological sign of Leo, and the Strength tarot card (which traditionally shows a woman holding the jaws of a Lion) the message is basically “MAJOR POWER PORTAL”! So let’s see what went down for me…
Sarah’s altar to the cacao goddess…
:: TUESDAY :: My first cacao ceremony! Thanks to a particularly switched-on editor in the UK commissioning me to write about cacao for The Times newspaper. #progress. And as the cosmos would have it, The Alchemist’s Kitchen was hosting a ceremony tonight with Numinous contributor Sarah Eve Cardell. Sarah’s been working with the cacao goddess for about 10 years, and the first thing she advised the 60-odd people in attendance was that: “it doesn’t taste pretty.” Not your average cocoa treat, in other words.
But I actually did like the bitter chocolate taste of the thick, gloopy glassful I was instructed to drink down as fast as possible—even if made throat a little raw and my mouth go slightly numb. Since we’d already been around the circle to share our intentions for the ceremony (mine, to invite the energies of collaboration and mutual support in my current projects) now it was time to journey.
As we all found a place to lay down and zone out (or rather in, to the visions of our heart center—since cacao is known as heart medicine), I felt a little nauseous, the cacao sitting kind of queasy in my stomach. But soon I was transported to a lulling trance state on the sounds of a gong bath by Jarrod Mayer. I actually think I drifted in and out of sleep, and while I didn’t have particularly strong “visions” (like I have in, say, breathwork sessions with Erin Telford, or Deborah Hanekamp’s medicine readings), towards the end of the experience I received a kind of “pat on the back” from what felt like a loving maternal presence for the work I’m currently doing—particular my Club SÖDA NYC initiative.
“The world needs what you’ve got…so keep giving it?” was the message I shared with the group afterwards, Sarah having reminded us that whatever came through for us was also a message for everybody in the circle. And since you, dear readers, are part of my circle too, let’s take this as the message the cacao goddess also has for YOU.
:: WEDNESDAY :: Maybe it’s the Lion’s Gate, maybe it’s the cacao, and maybe it’s because Mars finally moved into Sagittarius last week (likely a combo of all three)…but today I found myself thinking: “whoa, I’ve got my mojo back!!” Like the speed at which I can feel myself processing stuff, and the energy welling in my veins again this week, has made me realize I’ve been operating on half speed or something for most of this year. And well, what can I say but bring. It. On! (And where can I get my hands on some medicinal grade cacao please?)
:: THURSDAY :: More talk of magical medicinals, as I got to interview my friend Amanda Bacon, founder of Moon Juice, for the UK’s Red magazine today. Also more #progress, since Amanda was slammed by many in the mainstream media when a food diary she once shared with Elle re-surfaced earlier this year.
Her response to that whole situation? “Taking the harsh words away, I was interested in getting to the essence of: what are people really saying here? They’re saying that they don’t understand it. They’re saying that they’re skeptical. They may not believe in it. They’re afraid that they’re not invited or included, and it’s not for them,” she told me.
As such, it actually became an opportunity for this savvy businesswoman to find ways to refine her message—that we can all use food to heal and feel amazing—for the masses. Next up? Two new stores in LA, and her first cookbook, The Moon Juice Cookbook (above), out in November this year. 10 years ago, even green juice felt far out; 10 years from now, it’ll be Sex Dust for breakfast.
:: FRIDAY :: Planning my own mini ritual to close the Lion’s Gate tonight. And to thank you, cosmos, for another magically mystical week.
A symbolic reading of this week’s cosmic climate for your sign, direct from the third eye of Sandra Sitron—a.k.a. Strong Eye Astrology…
Leo :: Leo Rising Branches of a willow tree reaching toward a pond. Stretch. Stretch yourself to get grounded. Imagine a cord of light reaching from your root chakra into the center of the Earth. Put your bare feet on the ground. Early in the week you have access to an easy stability that helps you accomplish practical goals. The more grounded you feel, the easier this will be. This is an excellent time to boost your sense of self-worth. Part of your purpose at this time is to achieve a feeling of security, and moreover, to believe that you are worthy of feeling secure. It turns out that in order to share your creative fire (which is what you are learning how to do right now), you need to feel confident and financially stable. You are pushing yourself to reconcile these ideas. At the weekend, stretch yourself to think out-of-the-box. Reach for the higher perspective. If you want to dissolve into a dreamy and otherworldly experience with a loved one, then curb the part of your mind that is critical. Critique is necessary for improvement, but it can also kill the mood. Instead of criticism, choose discernment. Be very aware of whatever situation you are in, and if you decide you feel safe, allow yourself to dissolve into spiritual oneness.
Virgo :: Virgo Rising Crystals. In magical circles, crystals are thought of as helpful friends that have a specific job to do. They do their job well. They offer support to those who ask politely. Early in the week, set yourself to your favorite task. Don’t back down. Roll up your sleeves and get to work. You will have plenty of energy and focus available. You can either imagine yourself to be like a crystal (focused and reliable,) or you can actually enlist the help of some crystal friends if that is your thing. This is your time to work with the energy of the Earth to get things done. Be active and practical. But ask for help. At the weekend you will need to really dig in to understanding where your emotional support comes from. You will want to know more about what being a partner to someone means. How can you love fully without losing yourself in another person? This is a good question to put to the crystal committee.
Libra :: Libra Rising A hamster twitching his ears. Hamster medicine asks you to get in tune with your spiritual purpose and to call in your tribe. The clue that the hamsters ears are twitching as it listens closely shows us that you need to listen to your intuition. Be alert and be present. Especially early in the week pay attention to your emotions and what they are telling you. Your emotions and intuition are giving you strong messages. By the weekend you will then need to work on communication. Can you communicate your emotions? Can you tell the world what your soul needs? Doing so will help get you off the hamster wheel and help you break free.
Scorpio :: Scorpio Rising Rays of light streaming through a cloud. Reaching for enlightenment. Reach past the ego and toward the big picture. Less interest in what serves your own purposes and more interest in the greater good. Early in the week, you get lots of easy energy from other people, so get out there and share your ideas with the group. Some of the pressure is off and maybe it is even time to elevate away from the past and focus on the future (finally). At the weekend you do need to get clear about your security on this earthly plane. Figure out what makes you feel good in your body. Rays of light streaming through clouds is heavenly sight. Your work this week is to transcend the mundane, while keeping your feet firmly on the ground.
Sagittarius :: Sagittarius Rising A pyramid gleaming in hot sun. A pyramid is so solid. You are creating an edifice. A strong structure of beliefs that will support you for a long time. This is about your career and how you shine out in the world. You have lots of harmonious support early in the week to work on your career goals. It’s a good time to plan and build. At the weekend you need to check in with your emotions as well and make sure that your emotional foundation is strong. Are you making choices that are in alignment with your identity? Take advantage of higher energy levels that will help you push through any creative blocks. Think of everything you do right now as laying another brick in the pyramid— building yourself up to reach the apex.
Capricorn :: Capricorn Rising The color blue. A deep, saturated azure. Among other things, blue symbolizes wisdom. This is time for you to reach for the highest truths, philosophies, spiritualities and ethics that are available to you. As a Capricorn, you move through the world with all eyes upon you. You can’t get away with anything! You are called upon to be responsible. Early this week reach for wisdom. Imbue your actions with meaning. Figure out what you believe in. At the weekend, something may feel emotionally off. If so, it is a time for more meditation. Search for spiritual meaning as well as philosophical meaning. Allow yourself to be inspired.
Aquarius :: Aquarius Rising Swinging gently on a hammock. Cradle your heart. Swing gently on the hammock and feel as if you are held. You need to feel very safe, so that you can explore the depths of your emotions and move through to the next level. Cocoon yourself so that you can emerge the butterfly. As an Aquarius, your instinct might be to skip the deep emotions, you can be good at detaching when you want to be. But the Universe wants you to sit with these feelings so that you can gain more understanding and then transcend. At the weekend your social groups require more attention, so it is especially important that you spend some time understanding your emotional needs beforehand. The more you understand yourself, the more stable you will feel moving forward.
Pisces :: Pisces Rising Catching raindrops on your tongue. Open yourself up to inspiration. Open yourself as much as you can. This week is all about partnership. To be in partnership you need to be willing to be open when you would rather be closed. To be in partnership you need to share your heart. To be in partnership you need to allow yourself to lean back. This week you find stability from sharing your heart. At the weekend, the theme continues, although you may realize that you need to fan the flame of your inner fire in order to share your light with someone else. So mind your boundaries! And allow yourself to receive the nourishing rainwater of inspiration.
Aries :: Aries Rising A field of red flowers. It’s time to pay attention to nature’s beautiful details. Find something outside of yourself to be amazed by. Slow down and look closely. You need to pay attention to the machine that is your body and make sure that it is well oiled. Focus on details of your life. How you interact with technology, your diet, your activity levels. Focus on your productivity at work. Do this so that you can operate on a higher level. You really have the energy to make things happen now, as losing as you keep yourself in good health. By the weekend, your attention will shift to less mundane, earthly interests, so fine-tune things while you have the attention span for it. At the weekend you will be reaching for more expansive thinking.
Taurus :: Taurus Rising Sifting through dirt. Are you panning for gold? If you can combine your creative energy with your fortitude and resilience, you will be rewarded. To use the energy best, you’ll need to become a swirl of activity and connect with your higher philosophies. Connect with your creative dreams. Act. Do. Circulate. Most of all, don’t be afraid to shine. Expect recognition. This is the pathway to sustainability. This is how you use the current energies to build your empire. At the end of the week, your journey becomes more emotional and less action oriented. Use the weekend as a time to connect with your deepest desires. Then it will be time for you to allow yourself to slow down and receive.
Gemini :: Gemini Rising Splashing in puddles. Splash, play and nurture your inner child. It’s time to regress a little bit, just so that you can remember what it’s like to have fun and be taken care of. You may need to remember this so that you can take care of someone else as well. A deep emotional exchange is recommended during the week and by the weekend you will be working on setting up some compromises in your relationships. Find a way to make the peace. And don’t forget to play and have fun too!
Cancer :: Cancer Rising A snail in it’s shell. You need to find balance between going inward to restore, and being out in the world. There is a lot of planetary energy moving into your house of communication, so you will want to be emotionally ready to talk and learn at a quick pace. Use this week as a chance to say the things you need to say. Anything that has to do with learning and teaching is also recommended now. Circulate and be social. By the weekend you will be devoting your time to getting all the details of your life in order, so you won’t have as much time for friends. Really use this social time well. Learning from the people around you will help you learn about yourself and your philosophies.
Felicia Bender explains how to use the powerful numerology of 8/8 to bring about your greatest manifestations…
A day to channel your inner Daenerys
Question: What could possibly be more exciting than Leo season?
Answer: Leo season and the magical manifestation energy of the number 8!
In Numerology, the number 8 brings energy related to manifestation in the material world. It’s all about money, power, and achievement. And don’t misread the 8 as relating to “money only.” This energy is all about personal empowerment, since we really can’t fully manifest in the material world without a strong sense of self—and a consistent ability to be resilient, ethical, and hard-working.
Still, the numerology of 8/8 offers a strong vortex of manifestation energy that’s there for the taking. This is a powerful day to take a long-term view of your goals. Are you happy with your financial situation? If so, keep doing that. If not-so-much, then using this day to sit down and take a deep look at where you are, how you got there, and perhaps where you want to be instead, is mandatory.
And as a passing thought en route to the grocery store won’t cut it. This requires some concerted soul-searching and a bit’o long-term planning. Because the energy of the 8 isn’t “light.” It’s not particularly easy-breezy or “lucky.” Rather, the 8 brings ideas and desires into the material world ONLY when there is a solid focus, a plan, organization, and some elbow grease.
And when the going gets tough, the 8 gets going!
This month, the double 8 of 8/8 is a platform from which to launch our practical dreams, whether it’s a desire for a healthy and passionate relationship, a new job or career more suited to our talents, and that offers more money. This isn’t about fly-by-night endeavors. So make a plan. Tap a more business-like attitude. And most importantly, take yourself seriously!
This may cause some real “OMG I’m just not good enough” feelings to bubble to the surface. Don’t avoid them—we actually benefit when we take a look at our perceived weaknesses. We get to investigate where they originated and get serious about how we can get past self-sabotage and into our empowerment. You are the embodiment of the Divine, hear you roar!
So get ready to rumble and take advantage of this powerful opportunity to launch your “what’s next” plan of action. Take the high road and don’t succumb to defeatism, victimization, or any other negative “ism.” The 8 amplifies all that we think about and act upon, so step up and make it count.
Big up to the grass roots entrepreneurs, an infrared detox, meeting my Mini Me…and the lies we buy about booze.
Witchy vibes in the streets of Sibenik with Alexandra Roxo and Jayne Goldheart
:: MONDAY :: Massive shout out to the organizers of Obanjan, the Croatian music and wellness fest I returned early from today. Early because a gnarly confluence of eco-operational-political factors meant they had to postpone the opening…the night before the opening, having already flown artists and contributors in from all over the world! And with close to 300 guests and press arriving for the big reveal to boot. A.k.a. every entrepreneurs worst. Freaking. Nightmare.
And here’s the thing. It’s fear of monumental s*it like this hitting the fan that keeps most of us from stepping up, pursuing our dreams and truly doing our dharma. From putting our heart, soul, balls (ovaries?) and life savings on the line to create something we truly believe in. Anybody who’s built a business or launched a project or product will have experienced similar setbacks—falling somewhere on the sliding scale of devastation. I know I have. And it feels HORRIBLE. And I keep putting my heart, and soul, and ovaries and life savings into my projects anyway.
We all say we want less corporate, less branded, more DIY experiences, right? Well down in the grass roots, there are also gonna be some weeds.
Sure, it was an inconvenience to fly half way across the world for nothing. (Although it wasn’t for nothing really, since I got to brainstorm with my boo Alexandra Roxo, hang out with Shauna and Morgan from Unlimited, FINALLY bond with brilliant Jayne Goldheart, and meet the magical Gail Schock). And yeah, if the holiday I’d booked got cancelled/delayed at the last minute, I’d be pretty pissed off too. But really? Fairly minimal annoyances compared to what the organizers were going through.
All I kept thinking as I witnessed the fallout, was: Good for you. Good for you for feeling the fear, and doing it f*cking anyway.
AND latest update is, Obonjan opens for business Friday Aug 5 (yes, that’s today!!) Keep following their Twitter and Instagram accounts for more updates.
:: TUESDAY :: Shout out to another badass entrepreneur, Henry Holland, who I watched set up his label House of Holland from scratch out of the fashion cupboard of the magazine we were working on together 10 years ago. Wow, a whole decade! And with PLENTY a “character building” road-bump along the way. Anyhow, this rather special sweatshirt (below) from his latest collaboration with Lee arrived in the mail today. #COSMIC!
:: WEDNESDAY :: Infrared saunas, anybody? It’s a big YES PLEASE from me after my first visit to HigherDOSE today, a new spa offering private infrared sessions in Manhattan. I kind of never got the sauna thing, but secluded in my little wooden hut, my own music on the speakers, sweating tennis balls of toxic travel stress (see: Monday), I found myself thinking: well this feels like it’s REALLY good for me. Kind of like Bikram, without the pain part. Maybe it’s cuz I was also reading their info pack—”decreases cortisol, increases serotonin; detoxifies heavy metals, radiation, and environmental toxins; stimulates collagen, reduces wrinkles; burns 600 calories a session (!)”—and maybe it’s cuz Kate Bosworth was in the booth next door. But I’ll be back. Discover more: Higherdose.com
:: THURSDAY :: Got the actual date my book will be published next year…which meant I could finally do her birth chart!! (Yes, she’s a she). AND, it turns out we have the same Rising (public image), Moon (emotional center), Mercury (communication style) and Midheaven (professional path). How freaking rad is that?! Talk about Mini Me. She also has her North Node (karmic destiny point) at 0 degrees Virgo—which says she’s destined to be of service in the world, but colored with some unbridled Leo North Node self-expression. I want to be her friend already 🙂
:: FRIDAY :: Will be mainly spent spreading the word about my next Club SÖDA NYC event with Biet Simkin and special guest Betsy LeFae, Sex, Lies & Alcohol. Turns out summer (not to mention toxic travel stress: see Monday) is a major drinking trigger for me (anyone?)—the “lie” my inner booze demon spins, that day-drinking in the sunshine is what August is made for. My personal truth being that nothing feels as blissfully free (my core desired feelings from day drinking) as…never being hung-over! It’s been getting super down with my intuition—simply, what feels right and what feels wrong for me—that’s helped me truly connect to this, which is why I’m so happy intuition coach Betsy is joining us for this event. Read more and get your ticket here.
Discover the truth about you and booze at Sex, Lies & Alcohol…our next Club SÖDA NYC event with Biet Simkin and special guest Betsy LeFae.
Found on Pinterest
“Sober isn’t lame. Sober is brazen, hilarious, kingly, free; Sober is a spiritual quest riddled with madness, authenticity, and true love.” The Sober Life
What are the stories you tell yourself about booze? About why you drink, when you drink, and what people will think if you don’t? About how alcohol makes you feel? About the role drinking plays in your friendships, your career, your dating life, and in the bedroom?
Our collective myths around drinking are ancient, worn smooth like old money. Learned from watching our parents drink, our peers at college drink; from how they drink in books and movies, from Cosmos in Sex and The City. New York is a drinkers town, right? Work hard, play hard. Alcohol a stimulant, a way to relax, a marker of sophistication, of camaraderie, the key to connection in a crazy world.
But what if some of the stuff what we thought we knew about booze, some of the stories we just swallowed, was a lie? What if we were actually more confident, more relaxed, funnier, sexier, and a better friend…sober?
Sex, Lies & Alcohol, the next Club SÖDA NYC event from The Numinous and Guided By Biet, will begin with a group discussion to debunk some of our most deeply ingrained drinking myths—including one of the big ones: that you have to drink when you date, and that sober sex lacks passion.
Celebrated meditation coach Biet Simkin will then share her favorite sober flirting techniques, before bringing the group together with her signature Center of the Cyclone meditation experience.
To finish, intuitive coach Betsy LeFae will guide us through some simple exercises to help us tune in to the voice of our intuition, of our TRUTH, to help us navigate beyond the half-truths we harbor around booze—leaving us free to approach our future drinking choices with more clarity, confidence and integrity.
Refreshments will be served.
Sex, Lies & Alcohol, will be held in NYC on August 23 2016. Click here for details and tickets, and sign up for our newsletter to see how the conversation unfolds.
***
ABOUT Club SÖDA NYC
Club SÖDA NYC is a social experiment from The Numinous and Guided By Biet—a new space for the sober curious to investigate just how good life can get when we re-frame our relationship with alcohol. Far from “boring”, what if choosing a more sober life meant being “high” all the time?
This might not mean total abstinence from alcohol, either. The power of positive drinking can be a beautiful thing. A sacrament, even. But an occasional cocktail to celebrate life can also be a slippery slope into the kind of habitual drinking that becomes a substitute for sustained, self-generated joy; that dulls our awareness; that only exacerbates feelings of anxiety and emptiness; and that ultimately separates us from a true sense of self.
A series of meet-ups, talks, workshops, and other events, Club SÖDA NYC could be for you if:
– You drink to feel good, but it often leaves you feeling worse
– You want to drink less, but think this will mean the end of your social life
– You want to drink less, but think this will mean the end of DATING
– You want to cultivate a healthier relationship with booze
– You want to attend high-end, high-vibe events where alcohol is off the menu
– You love how good life feels when you don’t drink, and want to connect with other people who’ve discovered this too
– You want to experience getting crazy high on your own supply
And a caveat: Club SÖDA NYC is NOT an addiction recovery program – although it may be a stepping stone to AA for some people. If you think you might need a higher level of support to address a drinking problem that’s negatively impacting your life, or in dealing with any underlying emotional issues that may be part of this, we also have the resources to connect you with people who can help.
***
ABOUT BETSY LEFAE
Intuition Coach Betsy LeFae holds a BA in psychology and has nearly two decades of combined experience in social work and intuitive consulting. An expert educator in intuitive development, she teaches that our body is the tool through which we can learn to hear the messages constantly streaming from our intuition and, as a facilitator of the mind-body connection, how maintaining regular practices is an effective way to keep the channel clear. She has been featured on Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, NPR, Vice and Refinery 29, and was named one of the top psychic mediums in New York City by Time Out New York.
Following an experience that took her to the edge, Lisa Luxx asks is meditation dangerous for the more sensitive minds among us?
Some of us are so highly connected to the rhythms of the Moon, that much like the tide we are dragged by some greater force into depth and darkness. One would have thought the way back toward the surface would be through meditation; the New Age answer to everything. I certainly thought so—surely it will balance me back out and return me to my moorings. Until one prolonged Samantha mediation class led me to the lip of suicide.
Silence is best taken in tiny sips when the mind has a tendency for self-destruction. I know this after I glugged on a big cup of the stuff and wound up choking. What happened was, the class leader was taking us through a guided meditation; only at a certain point, I was instructed to stop following their guidance and continue with my own practice for the remainder of the class.
So now there’s me, free-falling. Surrounded by all these people in woven clothes, with clear eyes and a softness about their jaw. And me, whimpering in pain, crying abundantly, unable to make eye contact or speak, playing out my own death forwards and backwards in my head until I now how to execute it perfectly.
I survived thanks to a very sensitive friend who was in the class too and saw it all happen. Once I’d come ’round I spoke to another friend, also bestowed the gift of ‘manic depression’—and she told me that her teacher at the East London Buddhist Centre advised she only take half hour classes because of the uncertainty that lay in opening up. My quasi-spiritual therapist wasn’t surprised either; “you have to be so careful with meditation,” she told me, explaining how dangerous it can be to create space for unwelcome thoughts to take hold.
My experience was overwhelming. Depression has been sucking on me ever since I remember, but I’ve never felt such a sudden rush of pain as I did that day. It was a tidal wave. A brute force. The most certain and determined I’ve ever felt about wanting to pass through to the other side of living. During the time it took for the episode to play out, I existed within the visions of death, rather than the visions of death existing within me.
Ever since the experience I’ve been wary about meditating again. I’ve got myself in a really good, balanced place now but I daren’t allow space for that darkness to re-enter and consume me again. My pal won’t always be on hand to pull me back in from the ledge. I see now that this resistance is my psyche trying to protect me. But when I speak to Sumaya Fenton, my friend who is a practitioner of Rinzai Zen,she tells me: “The psyche trying to protect you is based on fear and ego. Any emotion you had was only temporary.”
She goes on to explain that sometimes these knock backs happen before a great break through. But I haven’t felt safe blindly continuing with the same practices I felt had almost killed me. However, each person walks their own path to enlightenment (in as many life times as it takes), and perhaps my pathway is going to start to look a little different.
A walking meditation. Photo by Olivia Sykes
“Wherever you’re at you’re still on a path. In Zen they talk about the ten stages of insight—the road map to enlightenment—and around stage four people have this experience of a big fear, or something that really knocks them back, but you carry on and focus less on the significance and meaning of that experience and more on the physicality of meditation,” says Sumaya.
For me, meditation right now cannot be about sitting in silence—but it can be about movement, like walking meditation, or other physical manifestations. Paying attention to each part of my foot in turn as it makes contact with the earth. Focusing on my breath and other practices that put the awareness in my body: “[in these practices] your mind is still opening up and expanding but you’re not watching your mind so consciously and fearfully.”
I also sit across from the Yorkshire moors, where my house is nestled, and interpret the patterns of the Sun/Moon-light across the hills mirroring my emotions. Finding synchronicity between my internal process and the greater external process. Which also works to remind me that my ups and downs are simply localized versions of the master rhythms of this universe.
Yoga helps. And I’ve also taken up life-drawing. You learn something about yourself from the way you depict another body. These have become my ways of getting mindful and finding peace within the almighty Oneness. Though I still often feel like I’m free-falling.
Sumaya says that the pressure in the West to do everything ourselves is what’s making for unsafe meditation practices. “Having a teacher is paramount. Pretty much as important as daily practice. The problem is systemic, Western capitalism only provides this culture of sticking plasters rather than giving the proper context of how and why to tread this path—which often comes from a long-term relationship with a teacher.”
It feels to me like in our society, this ‘one size fits all’ take on meditation is proving to sit a little baggy or tight on many of us. For the more sensitive minds among us, giving time to developing a relationship with a trusted teacher would also mean rooting ourselves in connectivity, by allowing our journey to be directed by the wisdom of another.
East London Buddhist Centre run Breathing Space, a course developed for people with depression, anxiety or other imbalances (‘gifts,’ as I like to call them). The course involves more personal attention from the teacher, more support. But even within their standard classes they aim to relate to people on a personal basis.
“Faith in humankind is what we need the most” says Sumaya. And if our practice begins with trusting another human being then we starting off in the arms of safety, which is ultimately what saved me. And why I’m ready to continue on my path.
If you’re concerned about whether meditation is right for you, then please consult with a medical professional.
