TAROTSCOPES: JULY 2015

Tarotscopes July 2015 cast by Louise Androlia using The Cosmic Tarot deck

Cancer / Cancer Rising – The Devil

Let the ego battle commence and may the command over your darkness forever win out. That old devil on your shoulder needs to be spoken to this month, and also respected. It’s not possible to cram any more fears or excuses into the cupboard, it’s bulging and the time really is now. Time for what? Deep, intense self-awareness, love and power healing. When everything comes to the surface it’s only because you are perfectly aligned to be able to work with it. “Working with it” – this is the most productive and empowering way to consider your internal dialogue right now. You aren’t broken, you aren’t ‘going mad’, you aren’t being attacked by your mind. It’s YOUR mind remember, and it needs to be connected with and cherished.

The first step is to address your dominant fears or addictive behaviors, as well as the ‘go to’ you have in place for them. For instance, maybe you have fears surrounding your finances but every time you notice this you panic buy things in order to try and feel more in control. Or perhaps your fears are about finding love, and come accompanied by self-deprecating thoughts. You may find that your natural reaction when approaching your anxiety isn’t to reach for some loving kindness.

To shift this, as you tap into the things you are anxious about, bring them into the present moment by inserting an ‘I feel’ in front – e.g. I feel anxious, I feel concerned about X, I feel overwhelmed. In this moment you are allowing yourself to be present with the fear, processing it with the mind and body and most importantly acknowledging it. Now, follow this statement with ‘and it’s okay’ – THIS is the loving action. You may find that you resist this phrase, not wanting to allow your negative thoughts and feelings to be ‘okay’…and that too is okay!

A final thought to work with alongside this; are you comparing yourself to others, and deeming them all ‘fine’ while you are not? Everyone is experiencing a challenge and everyone’s experience is valid and valuable. To focus on owning your challenges, ask for help, be open to guidance and absolutely keep loosening your grip on the comparison trap.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Leo / Leo Rising – The Star

Star power alert! I feel that this month is all about how you choose to channel your highest self. If you were a superhero (btw you are) would you be using your powers for the positive or negative? I feel as though recently you might have been really tuning into the shadows of others, and being a little judgmental with your thoughts or expressions. Now, it’s okay for that judgmental self to rear its head, it happens for everyone, but there’s no need to spend your precious time pointing out the flaws you observe around you.

Why? It sends you into a lower energy space and it dims your light – the part of you that is fueled by your self-love, passion for life, and appreciation of your own shadows. I want July to be all about you getting your glow back! The fast track way to this is to reconnect to yourself, especially if the above passage resonated with you – it might have been that you just hopped out of your journey and spent too much time staring through other people’s windows.

So reconnection to the self, it’s a simple trick that requires one major thing; a commitment to being kind to yourself, unconditionally. This means valuing your time, celebrating your talents and taking into consideration your mind, body and spirit. A connection to the self is merely an awareness of all parts of you. If you already have a neglected meditation practice then just pull yourself back there by reminding yourself that you deserve it. If it’s new for you to practice self-care then just commit to five minutes each day doing something that lifts your spirits and feels safe inside.

The reason I want to lure you back to the big Y O U is that the energy of this month is so bright and positive; you need to be present to receive and appreciate. This period of time is perfectly aligned for sharing your talents, launching new projects, asking for help, and deepening your life experience. To feel as though the world is appreciating you, you need to first pat yourself on the back and recognize yourself as worthy. Which isn’t about being better than anyone else, it’s simply about owning something that you always have access to. What if self-confidence was your absolute birthright, have you claimed yours yet?

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Virgo / Virgo Rising – Six of Cups

July is a month where you can continue the work you’ve been doing on empowering the past. Nostalgia is a funny thing, and I want you to check in with the lens you’ve been using to look upon times gone by. Are you rose tinting experiences from before as an excuse to not participate in the present? Are you perhaps holding anger towards people and events from once-upon-a-time because you are feeling afraid to dive into your own self-healing?

Spend some time checking whether you feel as though there are any negative ties binding you down. It’s so easy to remain static when we are spending time dancing in days gone by. Too much regard for the past can also dim your view of the present and future, especially if you have fears of ‘cycles repeating’, conscious or not. Recognize that everything new is always different, even if it appears similar. Your job is to not bring old fears and place them on current events. Just because something happened once before, it doesn’t make it more likely to repeat. Know this to be true.

If you are seeking guidance from the cycles of life, then it’s important to go within and not obsess about the external. For instance, what have been your consistent fears or behaviors, and how can you change them?
It’s safe to move onwards, it’s safe to let go and it is definitely safe to be putting yourself first. You don’t need to know why something is the way it is, you just need to trust that the explanation will be revealed at the exact moment you need it. All you are required to do is show up for the present and take one step. Your empowerment comes from TRUSTING in the past and using the tools you’ve been developing as the days weave together.

On a fun note, when practicing the good time kind of nostalgia you can reach back into those shadows and pull forward all of the good stuff. Be inspired by visions of you with a smile on your face, allow memoris of magic moments to lift you up to greet your highest self and connect to your joy via as you tune in to your inner child. This month will no doubt end with a sense of clearing and lightness; enjoy shaking off what you no longer need.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Libra / Libra Rising – The Emperor

I feel that July holds an element of stability you’ve been seeking for a while now. After ups and downs and feelings galore, there is a sense of order within the chaos. Also be aware that order and stability are not the same as rigidity and control. I want you to know that you can have order, whilst still existing in a full state of surrender. Really? Yes! You see, order doesn’t have to mean restriction. Your desk can be clear whilst your mind is expansive, and doesn’t that sound good?

So, over the coming weeks I’d like you to tune into where it is that life feels unstable. It may be your career or relationship or home, but it may also be your state of mind or connection to your body. Now, allow your thoughts around these challenges to be stretchy and opportunistic. Instead of just assuming no one can help you, consider what help it is you need, and shout it out! Instead of deeming yourself hopeless, be hopeful that you just haven’t discovered what the solution is yet. Instead of setting punishments at the end of uncompleted tasks, celebrate every small thing you do, including your ability to just keep going.

If you are having problems with an external source of power then it’s time to claim your self worth back. Any situations that just don’t feel good to you probably aren’t good for you. It’s okay to own your voice, to speak up, to share. You are not alone, especially in those times it feels most like you are. I really want you to have your own back this month! I see opportunities for reclaiming self-empowerment coming through for all signs, and you really need to re-appreciate yourself.

Can you practice this by celebrating something unique about yourself each day over the coming weeks? This may be harder for those of you who have been self-sabotaging of late, but that’s even more of a reason to do it. Self care is always the solution, especially when you think it can’t possibly be. The equation works that as you up your self-worth then balance will be more accessible to you, and there will even be potential in times of chaos. This is a positive kind of control, and you’ve got this.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Scorpio / Scorpio – Five of Pentacles

With Saturn dipping back into Scorpio for the next few months it’s no wonder us Scorpions are suddenly feeling dips and dives within and without. Is this the final test? Well, kind of, but think of it more as a clean up, than a challenge. Whatever is prominent in your stress zone right now is there for a reason, and it’s because you have an opportunity now to view the challenge in a different light.

I don’t want to just shout THINK POSITIVELY at you, because what does that even mean? It’s a throwaway inspirational quote and I’d rather you thought more deeply than that. It feels as though your trust barriers have been up and down recently, particularly between you and the world and the YOUniverse. Do you feel a little unsupported or ‘shut out’ in some areas of your life? Have you been feeling anger towards some aspect or yourself or the world around you? It’s okay to have these feelings, but it’s important to know they are workable too. This card often comes up when it feels like we have been left out in the cold, and only you will know where it is that this feeling belongs.

The answers all lie in fresh perspectives and new approaches. You may feel tired because a method you’d previously used to help yourself no longer seems to be working. How so? Time is always shifting and you are evolving, trust that you need different things at different times. Instead of feeling exasperated, as though there are no options, choose to feel inspired to seek alternative pathways. Your ideas may need stretching to help you get to that settled place; your meditation may need shifting to help you receive more clarity, your body may need a different method of self care to match your environment.

See how when you extend your thoughts to a wider space there suddenly seems to be MORE potential? I’m pushing you to up your self-care practice to maximum voltage, to not even consider feeling guilty for cancelling plans and being kind to yourself. You need to be connected to YOU right now in order to benefit from those Scorpio powers you know and love. There are wide and bright skies surrounding you, just be present for the clouds to pass.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Sagittarius / Sagittarius Rising – Ten of Wands

Something has to give, starting now! All signs are seeing major opportunity for breakthrough this month and yours comes in the form of ending a period of feeling completely overwhelmed. Overwhelm comes in many forms, but there is always the need to surrender in order to receive a fresh perspective. In what areas of your life do you feel as though you just don’t seem to be able to make a breakthrough? And are you noticing your need to try and control things more and more, even when nothing seems to be working?

I’m going to ask you to drop all the stress to the floor. This is very hard to do in a state of overwhelm because it feels like you’re being pushed to just GET IT TOGETHER – but that just doesn’t work. Remember how I spoke about compassion last month? Now it’s time to shine that torch on yourself, release the battle and look after yourself. ‘But I’m doing everything I can!’ I hear you say, which is one more reason to surrender, give up a little, and consider that you may just need a new approach. This new way of looking at things also might require you to pull down a few walls and listen to some advice. I know you have ‘your ways’ of doing things, but this is a month to seek help from your friends, and guidance from those you are drawn too. Think expansively in your search for harmony and you will find it.

Meanwhile, this is Fire energy, which is your master and your superpower, so it’s also a strong message to be reconnecting to your spirit. This means really making some space to do the things you love, the everyday things that generate inspiration and excitement. Your frustration really needs diffusing, and that will come by pulling strongly from the other angle. What can you get excited about right now? Go there and bask in that energy a little.

It also helps to remember that after a period of overwhelm there has to be some release, and yours will come in the form of your mojo returning bit by bit, and your positivity creeping back in. Make sure to not close your mind, and to keep your opinions malleable. Acknowledge all your feelings, ask for help, receive help, be kind to yourself – and repeat FOREVER.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Capricorn / Capricorn Rising – Ace of Cups

Still on the Water theme for you Capricorn, and I love this card! You are holding the brightest energy of all the signs this month, and also the most fluid – a far cry from the restrictive energy you’re more familiar with. Feelings this month connect back to November – can you see a link to that time? It may be that you are seeing the results of something you brought into play then, or a certain situation suddenly becoming prominent again, in person or maybe just in your mind.

This is an overflow of Water element and so it’s certainly not the month to stuff your feelings in any cupboards or try and swallow them whole. You have a wide-open space to just get it all out, especially the good stuff. You sometimes (okay often) feel guilty for taking time for yourself, but there can be no more of this. You know the cycle – too much giving and struggle = exhaustion and restriction. Only you can rewrite this story though, and so I ask you; when are you going to realize that YOU are the priority in your life? When you place your wellbeing at the center, you will notice life transform from inside out. Now is the time to really own this.

The month is full of freshness, so some new people may spring into view, people that are in place to complement the better frame of mind you are choosing for yourself. Know that as your story evolves you need different types of support networks. You will always have the deep layers, the ones you’ll keep by your side forever and a day, but on the surface there may be space to be uplifted by some new faces. You will be interested in those who are having similar experiences to you, as the conversation can be equal and supportive, with sharing and teaching from both sides.

Remember that this is what you need right now, to allow yourself to receive as much as you give out. I hope you’ll be surprised by some sweet spirits soon. Finally, in what new ways can you deepen your connection to your own inner pilot light? I feel that there is opportunity to pay deeper attention to the messages your body is giving you. Your senses are heightened and it’s truly time to listen.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Aquarius / Aquarius Rising – The Sun

July is all about seeking the light and playing within it. You are used to your shadows and you absolutely love playing in those, so how about balancing things out? Even though your to-do list may be a mile and a half long, you will notice how much more is achieved when you insist on taking positive spirit-enlightening breaks!

There is a strong theme of freedom coming through, so I’d love for you to really tune into that word and consider what it brings up for you. What does ‘personal freedom’ look like to you, and do you feel it’s accessible right now? If the answer is ‘no’, then in what small ways could you start to bring those feelings into your everyday life? It might be related to the way you plan your day, to what you do in your spare time (do you give yourself adequate time?), and to the people in your social circle. As you consider freedom you will probably become aware of its shadow, the restrictions and the limits. So, where do you feel restricted or limited? And how can you shift those restrictions or your perspective on them? This is just as important as actual physical change, in fact maybe even more so.

You are able to even choose not to take on stress if you like. Really? Yep, and it’s a practice I love – consider that you being stressed has to be a crisis only option. There are always going to be stressful scenarios – for instance moving house, or during massive change. But there are also points where we don’t have to take it on. Think about the pressure you put upon yourself, and the times you get involved in other people’s dramas, or common frustrations like traffic and waiting in line – all of which offer a choice about whether you want to raise your stress levels.

So have a feel around, both within and without, and note where you could release the pressure a little. Again, it’s as the small things start to weave together that you’ll notice a difference. This card also brings in the ‘adventure’ energy, and a free pass to take a holiday. This doesn’t have to mean a big flashy extravaganza, even camping out in your back yard can shift you into an explorative space. The Sun is your guide – so where is your source of light? Travels there unapologetically.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Pisces / Pisces Rising – Ace of Swords

July brings in a significant opportunity for you to shift your perspective and reclaim your personal power. Last month may have brought out your deepest shadows, and now you have a choice whether to be victimized by them or be willing to genuinely change your perspective for good. It doesn’t matter whether one thought pattern has reined high and mighty for you FOREVER, it can still be shifted with your willingness. This requires you getting out of your own way, taking off your masks, putting your ego to the side and truly surrendering to the fact that there might just be some good in the world.

A clear request for help within and without will help you gain some expansion on your challenges, and up your confidence to boot. The themes you will see coming through are of bright openings and sudden flashes of wisdom, intuition and clarity. Your ideas are sharp, but the clouds need to be cleared first – and the mist moves when you show up and take responsibility for your own experience, the ins and the outs. No, this doesn’t mean blaming yourself for anything; it means you get to decide not to blame anything or anyone externally.

The brightness you see is what you don’t want to miss, as your intelligence merges with your passion and creativity, which in turn blooms into fresh ideas and beneficial perspectives. Even those of you who really think there is no other way to see things, know deep down that there is. Your creativity and intuition is always your super power, so I also want you to check in with where those two aspects of the self are fuelled. If you believe your work can only be fuelled by your darkness, know that your light can match that. And if you are afraid to meet your fears, know that they have no roots.

Meanwhile, for those of you itching to spread the word then July is aligned well for you to own your voice and your talents – the path is being cleared for you to step into. Personal power comes from owning the moment, and allowing yourself to step into your ultimate authenticity. This energy links back to January and ideas that were forming then. Now is the time to own your talents, while not downplaying the work involved. So dive in fully – and absolutely do not put yourself or anyone else on a pedestal this month.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Aries / Aries Rising – Four of Wands

And here we are again. With the same card coming out from last month, I feel like you are one of the lucky ones as you get to continue to marinate in the positive and active energy that you’ve been conjuring up for yourself. Nevertheless there is always room to expand and extend our experience and this month, for you, the theme is really about finding your perfect balancing point. You know that you have the ideas and the inspiration, and you also know how easy it can be to feel overwhelmed – so I want to ask you about what other things you need to make consistent, alongside your non stop spinning of the work wheel.

Last month, you may have tapped back into some of your passion and spirit energy, noting moments where smiles were abundant and times you felt most in your body. How can aspects of these moments be brought into your daily life? Recognize that the more you center your self, the more easy it will be to ground and focus on what’s buzzing in your career. Again, it’s that journey of self-care, of discovering and rediscovering what does and doesn’t work for you – from the people you spend time with, to the way you manage your own thoughts.

I feel a strong healing focus coming though, and would like to encourage you to try out a different or unusual type of meditation or wellness practice – it seems that there is something undiscovered that will suit you over the next few months. It doesn’t have to be anything totally wacky (although some if you will like that) – it could be a really simple shift in your diet or movement practice, or spending more time with someone you find interesting.

Keep your mindset expansive to have an expansive experience. Remember your internal always reflects onto what is going on around you, so don’t worry too much about micromanaging other people – just trust in the decisions you make. And on the subject of ‘what to do first’ – really know that if you always pursue the thing that makes you the MOST excited, then it’s definitely the ‘right’ thing to do. You’ll find it easier to stick with your projects when passion is riding high – and as for everything that seems to be floating without direction, just know that it’s not going anywhere. Believe in the bigger picture and divine timing.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Taurus / Taurus Rising – The Moon

After two months really considering your own restrictions, July sends you even deeper into the soul and what’s going on behind the scenes. I’m seeing this as definitely a good thing, as the back and forth of constantly fighting with yourself or your surroundings probably wasn’t getting you anywhere. It will pay over the next few weeks to go beneath the surface and sideline some of your Earth energy for the more fluid Water elements.

In more practical terms, I invite you to engage in a more soulful self-care practice. Instead of sitting and making a hundred lists, stop, sit quietly and listen to the workings of your inner dialogue. Then, reclaim your power over it. The Moon only comes up when we will benefit from a trip into our subconscious, but I don’t encourage you to go down there and wallow – instead, use your meditation practice to impact on the material world. The aim here is to heighten your own levels of self trust, which in turn will help you trust the world around you.

You may have been feeling flighty recently and less able to make decisions than usual, which may have led to suspicions about certain personalities around you, and cumulated in an all-round ‘meh’ feeling. While it’s easy to get locked in a stubborn pattern of restrictive thoughts (see May and June) – you know very well that you prefer how you feel when you are enlivened by your own ideas and creativity. Exploring one’s own subconscious also heightens your dreams and elevates your imagination – which can only help you with all those things you have to get off the ground.

You may also enjoy the company of your more watery friends this month, so reach to your pals allow themselves to be ruled by feelings, and see how they manage their time. As you sit and value your mind a little more, you can ask yourself questions in regards to your current challenges. The aim is to allow your mind to stretch, so that you are able to receive help from new angles. What isn’t working in your personal segment of the world right now? Are you at least willing to look at this from a different perspective? Know that your ego will encourage you to stay static, but that your soul knows help is at hand. Be open to getting out your comfort zone.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

Gemini / Gemini Rising – Nine of Pentacles

July brings some great strides in your career and material world, with more solid developments showing in the areas you’ve been placing your energy since the start of this year. You have really been assessing and reassessing your material world, so, how do you feel about your day-to-day life right now? How is your environment suiting you? Does you friendship circle feel stable? How are your anxieties about finances? Ultimately; are you feeling ‘at home’ or displaced? I want you to question all these things over the coming weeks, but with compassion. All roads on enquiry have to come from a source self-care.

With career in mind, the emphasis is on WHETHER YOU ARE HAVING FUN! So are you? Did you know you can love your work and feel fulfilled by it? Are you engaging with your days or wishing them away? If not, what subtle shifts could make a big difference to this? Don’t be afraid to want more, it’s okay to want nice things and to feel at home. You don’t need to feel guilty about wanting to feel comfortable.

Environment is actually everything. Everything. So how is your home life looking? And the people around you? How could there be more harmony? Spend time with those who lift you up and make sure you are lifting others too; communication should be elevating, so step aside from any pride, ego and dramatic thoughts, and return to loving kindness. Don’t feel guilty about giving less energy to situations that don’t feel good. Make your time the most valuable thing. Do you have a morning practice? If not, then the time to begin one is now.

Finally, you are exactly where you’re supposed to be, so stick with it. I hope you are starting to see the fruits of some of your labor, and in turn can keep checking in with how things feel to you. Always be guided by the ‘feels good’. This is also a month to be proud of yourself for the adjustments you have been making, it’s important to pat yourself on the back! Especially those of you who don’t feel you have a cheerleader in life. Remember that safety comes from within; you are your own superhero.

Have you bought your Astro Girl print yet? Questions? Come and chat with me about how your month is going @louniverse

TURNED ON: SPEAK YOUR TRUTH, RESCUE YOUR RELATIONSHIP

Imagine the heartache you’d avoid if you could just speak your truth. Numinous relationships expert Ellie Burrows examines the sacred partnership between our tongue and our heart chakra…Portraits: Mikal Marie Photography

Ellie Burrows writing on relationships for The Numinous

I believe in astrologers, tarot card readers, psychics and mediums. However, I do not believe my boyfriend is a mind reader.

Most people are the opposite. They don’t believe in astrologers, tarot card readers, psychics and mediums. However, they think their boyfriends, spouses, partners and lovers should be able to intuit what they’re thinking.

It makes my brain explode.

For clarity’s sake, I’m not talking about couples and friends who can finish each other’s sentences. Although sweet and impressive, that kind of reminds me of what happens when women live together and all start their monthly cycles at the same time. A bit of a stretch maybe, but I think we all can all agree that when you spend enough time with other humans you begin to adopt their mechanics.

No, I’m talking about when you lash out at your partner for not knowing how you wanted something done. For buying the wrong brand of organic milk, for not pleasuring you properly, or, most commonly, for not knowing why you’re upset.

Thinking about this, I reached out to a guy friend who writes relationship advice for some major publications. I asked him for a concrete example in which someone’s partner thinks he or she is a mind reader. He responded with a one liner email: “Uhm. Yeah. My life.” I quickly realized no one was safe from this issue and that it needed addressing.

Enter my friend, let’s call her Sage (this is The Numinous after all).

Sage and I had had a long, very tiring day running around outside the city for various obligations. For a few reasons that I promised not to disclose in this article, her emotions were at “an all time high, like freak out level.” And, unfortunately for her and her wicked attitude, she was scheduled to have dinner with her husband and another couple later that evening. All Sage wanted to do was cancel her plans, spend a quiet night on her sofa with her man and quite possibly have sex.

Cut to 5pm, us stuck in traffic on our way back into the city, and Sage astutely describing our state as “eternally stuck in midtown.” A bad situation was getting worse.

Meanwhile, in another dimension called Downtown, Sage’s husband had enjoyed a gloriously leisurely Saturday. Having spent all day at home, he’d decided to run some errands and notified her by text that he was headed out now and would meet her at dinner.

Oh no he didn’t.

Everyone. Run for cover.

The conversation escalated quickly. Sage couldn’t understand why he decided to leave just as she was coming home. She thought it was “rude and unnecessary, when they hadn’t seen each other all day. How could he be so thoughtless?”

But Sage was saying this to me. Not to him.

Ellie Burrows relationships expert for The Numinous

As if it was the most obvious thing in the world (because it was) I turned to her and calmly responded: “Why can’t you just ask for what you want, and tell him what you need? Ask him to cancel the plans and stay home with you instead.” But Sage wouldn’t say it. Sage couldn’t say it. She rolled her eyes, let out an “ugh” and told me that wasn’t the point. I felt pressure in my chest. My heart constricted a little.

Sadly, the story of Sage is a universal tale – and I believe it’s deeply tied to desire.

My first piece in this series was all about arousal energy, Qi, and how when we allow ourselves to open and soften it can circulate within and excite us. I wrote: “for me, arousal is really about accessing the heart and I use my whole being and all my senses to do that. If my heart isn’t activated and engaged, then I can’t be turned on.”

Now Sage had no problem accessing her heart. Her heart knew what it wanted, but was trying to reach her husband’s mind without going via the tongue. The energetic equivalent of: “do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars.”

If in Chinese medicine the meridians are the paths or channels in the body through which the Qi flows, it’s no coincidence that the external part of the heart meridian is the tongue; this organ and this muscle are bound in sacred partnership.

Now let’s backtrack a little. As babies, communicating our needs to the one we love unconditionally (our mother) relies largely on the power of intuition, as we do not possess the ability speak. And in the beginning that works, because our needs are rather simple. But as adults we have more needs, and those needs are rather more complex. We also have an entire dictionary at our disposal. Yet sometimes, when we encounter what feels like unconditional love again, we regress and forget how to use it.

Put like this, it seems only natural to assume our loved ones should be able to intuit our needs. But the thing to remember is that their needs are often very different to our own.

Any time we use the word ‘should’ we are also creating pressure and strain. Probably not a good idea when it comes to our heart meridian as that’s how heart attacks happen, energetic ones at least. The kind that can take gallons of ice-cream, buckets of tears, and endless reruns of Sex And The City to heal. Luckily, simply expressing the want, calmly and without judgement, is usually enough to alleviate the pressure.

By the time we’re grown-ups, we’ve also hopefully learned that we don’t have to get what we want. But our body never unlearns the importance of expressing what we need.

Do you have trouble expressing yourself in relationships? Connect with us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and share if you dare…

DIAL 111: HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR SPIRIT GUIDES

Do you know how to work with your spirit guides? Ruby Warrington gets a lesson in life’s celestial helpers from spirit-guide-whisperer Rebecca Campbell

There follows a lesson in how to work with your spirit guides by Rebecca Campbell. Read more at Thenuminous.net
Inviting them into your dreams is one way to work with your spirit guides…

It happens fairly often among my Numinous circles that somebody will casually drop into the conversation that they’ve been working with their “spirit guides.” At which point I’ll nod and be like, “that’s rad, dude” – because, conceptually, I’m totally down with the idea that there are benevolent Universal forces working on our behalf all the time, and that we get to choose how and when we interact with them. That’s called “creating your own reality,” right?

But then I meet Rebecca Campbell, an Aussie author, mystic, coach, and co-founder of The Spirited Project, who insists that our guides are actually more like real entities – angels, I guess – who are just kind of hanging out, polishing their wings, until we call them into action. Learn to work with them, and they can offer assistance in every area of life – in fact; “no request is too big or too small, too specific or too broad,” she says.

It’s a pretty out there idea, even for me. And I (obviously) embrace a LOT of out there ideas. But I LOVE the concept (I’m already picturing my guides like a kind of spiritual Spice Girls, with the dance routines and everything), and so I asked Rebecca for the full low down. Here’s what she had to say…

Your guides - kind of like a spiritual Spice Girls? Read more about how to work with your spirit guides at Thenuminous.net!
Your guides – kind of like a spiritual Spice Girls?

So does every individual on the planet have their own spirit guides?
Yep, everyone has their very own team of spirit guides who are completely devoted to their growth. I like to think of them as a group of amazing cosmic beings who have our back no matter what. But because of free will, in order to receive their support, first we need to ask. Asking is super simple (like, you can do it right now).

For general guidance:
“Hey spirit guides…I am open to receiving your loving guidance in all areas of my life. Thank you, and so it is.”

For more specific guidance:
“Hey spirit guides…I am open to receiving your guidance surrounding (insert specific request here). Thank you for guiding and supporting me.”

The thing about spirit guides is that they’re always there – we just don’t notice them. When you’re devastated by a terrible break up, they’re there. When you’re looking for a spot to park your car, they’re there. If you’re trying to make a difficult decision, they’re there. They’re by your side right now. What do you want their help with right now? Go on, ask them right now!

Okay, but first I need to know how they actually do their work?
Our spirit guides work with us through signs, people, nature, synchronistic events and our intuitive senses (inner seeing, inner knowing, inner hearing and inner feeling).

So the best way to start working with your spirit guides is to ask them for a sign. When I first started working with my guides I asked them to send me a light peach feather to prove to me that they were really there. Within half an hour I had received two peach feathers, which was pretty amazing – and what I needed to open my mind and heart up to noticing the support they could offer me. (nb: I tried this last night by asking for a blue crystal – nothing yet. I’ll keep you posted. Update: two hours later I was working out and found a mini crustal on the studio floor – but it was mauve. Close!)

The more you work with your spirit guides, the stronger the connection gets. It’s just like working out – you can’t expect to have a six-pack like J-Lo if you only do one sit up.

Okay, so is there one team of spirit guides working for us all, or are they individual for each person?
Everyone has their own team of spirit guides, which are assigned just to them. We are born with spirit guides and also recruit them as we go about our life.

I find that most people have around six spirit guides in their “inner circle.” These are the guides who are completely unique to us. Some spirit guides have had lifetimes here on earth (often appearing as “people” e.g. an American Indian teacher, a Tibetan monk, an inspirational business leader etc.) – while others may just appear as beings of light.

I believe that our purpose on Earth is twofold:
1. Evolve as a soul (learning, growing and raising our vibration)
2. Be the light (light up the world by following what lights us up)

Our spirit guides are assigned to us to help us do both these things. The more we allow and receive their guidance and support, the easier our path becomes.

A lesson in how to work with your spirit guides from Rebecca Campbell. Read more at Thenuminous.net!
Accept their support, and move forward more smoothly on your journey

I like the idea of us being “assigned” out guides at birth – how does this happen?
Your soul recruits your spirit guides based on your unique soul calling and the path you are here to walk. Your guides are perfectly suited to your highest calling, and waiting to guide you as much or as little as you wish. No matter what you’re facing, their presence means you always have the support around you to make it through.

I believe that we are born with one main guide (also known as a Guardian Angel) who stays with us throughout our lives – and by the age of 18-25 most people have recruited their spirit guide “posse.”

We can recruit more guides as needed though. For example, while writing my book Light Is The New Black I recruited two light beings and a new teacher guide to help me – in exactly the same way as I used to call on famous ad men to help me present my creative ideas in a way that would most resonate with the client when I worked in advertising.

What if I’m still having a hard time getting my head around the concept…
What holds most people back from developing a relationship with their spirit guides is their need for hard core visual “proof” that they exist. For a long time, I was waiting for my spirit guides to ring my doorbell and chat to me over a bottle of vino (clearly that never happened).

I wanted to know their hair color, their favorite movies and where they grew up. But the moment I Iet go of any need for them to appear in a certain way and just opened myself up to the possibility and trusted, the more my relationship with my guides grew and the more evidence of their presence I received in other ways.

Everyone’s experience with their spirit guides is personal, and because they work in the subtle realms, it takes practice to sense them. We are all six sensory beings, but we need to work our intuitive muscles each day to strengthen our intuitive connection with them.

Most people experience their guides through their predominate intuitive sense: Clairvoyant (clear seeing), Clairaudient (clear hearing), Clairsentient (clear feeling) and Claircognizant (clear knowing).

Can you give us some tips to start working with them on a regular basis then?

1. Start asking them for guidance…right now
2. Thank them for guiding you – they love a bit of positive reinforcement!
3. Ask them to send you a sign (e.g. a feather, a butterfly, elephants…whatever you fancy)
4. Keep a little notebook by your bed, and jot down any experience you might have had with them and any signs you spotted throughout the day. The more your book fills up, the more you will notice their support
5. Before you go to sleep ask your spirit guides to come to you in your dreams. The moment you wake up, note down any experiences you may have had with them

A lesson in how to work with your spirit guides from Rebecca Campbell. Read more at Thenuminous.net!
“She’s behind you…” Your spirit guides have always got your back

I’m almost convinced – can you share any amazing experiences you’ve had working with your guides?
These days I speak to my spirit guides every day – but my favorite story of working with my guides happened earlier this year, when I’d handed in my book proposal to Hay House (twice) but hadn’t heard anything.

One of my spirit guides is a woman (spirit) named Charlotte. Charlotte appears as a terribly English high society lady from the 1920’s who wears big dresses, hats and gloves. A gifted gossip, with her fingers in all the most influential pies, Charlotte is here to help me get my message out there and name spoken about in the right circles. Knowing that getting some publicity might increase my chances of being published, I called on Charlotte her for help and then surrendered it.

That same day I was connected with a journalist – and one week later she was commissioned to write a story, “Like a Prayer”, for the UK’s Sunday Times Style Mag (which also happened to feature the who’s who of Hay House authors, as well as The Numinous).Two weeks later, I got the phone call from Hay House offering me a deal!

When I went into Hay House to meet the team for the first time, the Publicity Officer mentioned that she’d seen the Sunday Times article and asked who my publicist was. Without thinking I responded “my spirit guide Charlotte!” Now, I’ve sat around a lot of boardroom tables in my life, but that was the first one that I was able to casually drop the name of one of my spirit guides and credit them for their work. I love it!

For one-on-one guidance on connecting with your guide, Rebecca Campbell offers spiritual mentorships and readings. Alternatively, you can attend one of her regular group workshops in London.

@rebeccathoughts

THERE MUST BE AN ANGEL: A SKEPTIC MEETS KYLE GRAY

Hipster angel whisperer Kyle Gray is on a mission to shift the perception around our celestial messengers. Will skeptic Lisa Luxx be convinced?

Angels. The first time I heard them spoken about in a serious yet non-religious context was two years ago. A friend carried a white feather around on the handlebars of her bike. She said if you found a white feather on your path it meant an angel was present. And I thought, what good is that?

Then I went to meet Kyle Gray, angel whisperer, and while my heart was open a strong gust of skepticism kept trying to slam it shut. We were at the Hay House conference where it seemed like everyone else definitely knew what angels were. But see the problem is, as much as I dig the vibrations of all these now-age ideologies, angels were always just a bit too wishy-washy and indefinable for my liking. So I was quite surprised by Kyle, once the youngest clairvoyant in the UK and now the hippest angel reader ever.

It’s easy to imagine an angel reader turning up barefoot, beaded from head to toe and floating in an effluvium of loose material and harem pants. But Kyle is mostly made up of tattoos, Vivienne Westwood and a good-natured pout. His soft Scottish accent carries an air of naivety, which acts as a sweet welcome mat into the temple of his experience.

His first successful angel reading was at a family party when he was fifteen years old. He has since become the fourth generation of psychic in his family, not exactly unexpected since his mother was summoned to a psychic night one evening when Kyle was six. “The psychic refused to see anyone until my mum arrived. When she went in, this lady sat her down and told her, ‘By the time your son is seventeen years old he’ll be known nationally for being the same as me.’”

But back to that first reading; “I closed my eyes and heard Destiny’s Child’s Survivor in my head.” Enter another almighty gust of skepticism. But I sit tight…and he continues; “I said, ‘if there is an angel present, thank you for revealing a message to Joe’ and suddenly I heard a voice saying ‘tell this man he is a survivor’. When I opened my eyes there was this great gold light, with black eyes, standing behind Joe…I almost shit myself!”

Kyle recalls how cool it was to discover that following their meeting, Joe went on to overcome a depression that had hitherto led him to five suicide attempts, each of which had failed drastically with an uncanny, almost divine, intervention. It turned Kyle on to the power of angel work; surrendering himself to becoming a messenger between the divine and the human. Although it meant he spent most of his teenage years listening to middle-aged women talking about their affairs, which he reflects was “way too heavy.”

But “Angels are always present,” Kyle explains to me. “Every space you look, there is an angel waiting.” And…jackpot! Without warning, I’m ten-years-old again, the moment I realize talk of angels and the like stopped making sense for me. I’d forgotten it had actually been a choice to stop believing in the “make believe.”

At age ten I was exploring things I wasn’t supposed to, like masturbating and smoking my friend Kayan Chan’s mum’s cigarettes. My grandma, who had raised me, had just passed away and I didn’t understand the distinction between angels and spirits. So ten-year-old me was so nervous that I was being watched by Grandma, I was busy talking myself out of that frequency despite having had what I now recognize as vivid experiences with the spirit world up until then. But now here’s Kyle Gray telling me that when it comes to angels; “its your job to turn up, not theirs.”

Ironically, Kyle explains, “when you work with angels they help you understand who you are, help you return to love and help you get away from the fearful stuff in your life. Angels are like guardians, these beings that forever love you, no matter who you are or what you do.” If I’d know that when I was ten, maybe angels could have helped me explore my grandma’s death in a healthy way, rather than running from it and pretending it didn’t exist (much like the angels themselves).

Kyle has been distracted a few times since we began talking by things happenings around me that I can’t see, but he insists that spirits are more distracting than angels – although angels do like to remind you of their presence. And for the record, if a spirit is a loved one in heaven who’s passed away, an angel, he says, is like a divine entity. “If God was to exist and God was to think, that thought would become an angel.”

So perhaps our angels are more like the thoughts we have. Thoughts that grows wings; our intentions. When Kyle first discovered angel power, he says had a lot of fun writing prayers to them. And though he speaks to angels and often hears a response, his practice still is the sacred act of writing prayers. At first this meant prayers to manifest new cars and free holidays, before he realized he could use angel power for internal growth. “Instead of asking for money to pay my bills, I started to ask how I could share more, how I could be more present. The rest of the stuff started to take care of itself.”

Kyle spent much of his adolescence wondering why he was special enough to see angels; “but when I look back now, it was just about the willingness to see.” We agree that it’s a frequency the majority of us are conditioned out of. I’m starting to get that the important thing about angels is having “the open heartedness to experience without judgment,” as Kyle Gray puts it with a nod.

With that, it’s clear that it was only me doing the judging when I was a kid, not the angels after all.

Angel Prayers Oracle Cards by Kyle Gray with be published by Hay House on October 6. His book,  Angel Prayers: Harnessing the Help of Heaven to Create Miraclesalso on Hay House, is out now.

Lisa Luxx is the editor-in-chief of Prowl Magazine.

@MGCK

@ProwlHouse

SIMPLY ME: REDEFINING SUCCESS THROUGH SELF-KNOWLEDGE

What does “successful” look like to you? Redefining success on your own terms can only be done by going within, says Ruby Warrington.

The SUCCESS bracelet by Melissa Curry

What does “success” mean for me? It’s a question that’s been circling my very being since last summer when I interviewed Arianna Huffington about The Third Metric – her campaign to encourage us all to consider “success” beyond the relentless pursuit of money, accolades and power. And this week, I met a woman who has helped put into words the journey I’ve found myself on.

Melissa Curry is an Irish jewellery designer whose SUCCESS collection features a motivational amulet, designed to be gifted to the woman in your life you want to encourage to be the best she can be. A delicate rose-gold bracelet or necklace features an 18 carat gold bar inscribed with the word “Success.” And if, “the bar represents our inner strength, success can mean…everything,” she told me.

For Curry, whose personal journey has taken her from glittering career in Paris to destitute, single-mother of one, meaning some radical shifts in her own perception of success over the past decade; “it’s not about external power, and, for a woman, it’s certainly not about competing with men. It’s about being you, knowing what makes you tick, what makes your heart work, what makes your mind work, and embodying that.”

YES. Success for me is simply about being true to being me. At work, in my relationships and in my physical body. And this is when I realized that so much of what we cover on The Numinous is about tapping into exactly that.

From learning how to read and work with what the Astro Twins call your “factory settings” in your own astrological chart, to developing your intuition or “psychic powers” or embarking on a transcendental juice fast, isn’t so much of modern new age (what I like to call “now age”) thinking, about seeking to develop a more intimate and comfortable understanding of who we really are on the inside – and, therefore, what we really want?

For me, stepping off the media merry-go-round and leaving a high-profile magazine job to launch my own Internet project last year was the beginning of this journey. Creating something from my heart, working in my own environment, to my own hours and with the people of my own choosing has made me feel successful in ways that far eclipse the glamour, status and influence of my old life.

Of course, the fact that I can also structure my day to include a guided meditation to meet my spirit power animal is by no means going to tick the success box for everybody – but that’s the whole point. There is no one-size-fits-all definition of success.

And the fact I get emails every week thanking me for creating The Numinous is the icing on the cake. It’s also an illustration of how stepping into a definition of success that means something to me personally, I find myself giving something back and having a positive impact on the world around me almost by default.

My friend Jennifer Kass, a happiness coach and self-described “love pioneer” put a brilliant post up on Facebook the other day. In it, she described “The 3 Stages of Human Evolution (from my perspective, of course),” with step one, “Sleeping,” defined as; “Being stuck in a job and/or relationship that is toxic, causing physical mental and emotional ailments, denial, addiction, living in fear, anxiety, suffering, doubt, lack and limitation.”

Step two, “Waking up,” involves using all the Numinous tools – “meditation, self-love, healing, a return to wholeness, freedom, self-knowledge, joy” – to engender step three – “Action.” And here’s where the rubber really meets the road; “We take full responsibility for choices that will change our lives, and we let go of what is no longer serving us by taking courageous action.”

Further, she argues, “Now that we know who we are and what we’re here for, we go out into the world, sharing the gifts and passions we came here to, which in turn perfectly align with ending suffering on the planet in various forms.” A lofty ambition, maybe, but why not? Human suffering – and what alleviates it – comes in many forms too.

I’m not a big one for a motivational quote (quality over quantity, people), but I saw this, from Howard Thurman, at a Lululemon event recently; “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” And knowing your SELF – that is, being in direct conversation with the spirit being piloting your human form on a daily basis – is the only way to answer that question too.

Each piece in Melissa Curry’s collection comes with a little card, where you can write your definition of success. So what does it mean to you?

Melissacurry.com

NEW YEAR, NU YOU: FENG SHUI YOUR FRIDGE

Embroiled in a love-hate relationship with your refrigerator? Time to set some boundaries, show some respect and radically shift the negative vibes, says Feng Shui expert Elana Kilkenny.

Chances are you’ve already spent a lot of time this year making (and breaking?) resolutions around your relationship with food. What if I told you that the state of your refrigerator plays a contributing role to your goals? Here’s how to Feng Shui your fridge, aka “where your food spends most of its time hanging out,” to powerfully shift the energy around it and bring you closer to your 2014 vision.

LAY DOWN THE LAW (AND ORDER)
Cluttered refrigerator = cluttered relationship to food. So mindfully clear out your refrigerator and freezer by making a habit of throwing out what is no longer fresh and what no longer gets you closer to your desired feelings about how you are feeding your body.

IT’S NOT JUST WHAT’S IN YOU FRIDGE
Take a symbolic look at what’s on your refrigerator door.  Does it look chaotic, filled with things from the past, stressing you with to-dos? Take off anything that is not fully inspiring to you and re-invent this space as a vision board for how you want to feel.

TAKE AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
Caution note: before you put up a picture of a perfectly toned actress or yourself when you were at a “better weight” ask if these images inspire you or depress you. Reinforcing negative feelings about your current weight will only push you further away from your positive intentions and deeper into self-sabotage. Choose instead to put up pictures, words or quotes that remind you of how you want to feel about your health, food and body. Sexy, vital, satiated, luscious…

CREATE GOOD CHI FOR YOUR CHIA SEED PUDDING
Most trainers suggest stocking your refrigerator with cut-up vegetables and washed fruit, so that you have a healthy choice at your fingertips. Elevate the mundane into a feast for your senses by storing these items in beautiful vessels and containers. This further raises the chi of not only your refrigerator but also your energy around food.

LOOK AWAY FROM THE REFRIGERATOR
If your refrigerator is the first thing you see when you enter your kitchen, it could condition you to eat more. Don’t roll your eyes thinking I’m going to tell you to embark on a costly renovation. Create a pretty distraction to draw your energy away from the refrigerator. Decorate the surrounding area with art, a funky chandelier, or a bold kitchen rug. Be creative.

GO JEDI ON BEN & JERRY’S ASS
Practise going into your kitchen with laser focus on what you DO want, with the use of a positive affirmation about food. “I desire to wake up feeling energized,” “I desire to feel beautiful in my jeans,” “I desire to love myself and trust my food choices.” Eventually your desired feelings will be so potent that they might just be a stronger draw than that pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

Elana Kilkenny is a Feng Shui Designer, Intuitive Counselor, Empowerment Psychic and Healer. To book a session please contact [email protected] or 877-858-2100.

www.elanakilkenny.blogspot.com
@elanakilkenny

NEW YEAR, NU YOU: DEVELOP YOUR PSYCHIC ABILITIES.

We all have access to the sixth sense – so will this be the year you work on developing your intuition? Doing so could be key to creating a life that’s aligned with your highest purpose in 2014. Ruby Warrington reports on a growing trend.

When I interviewed Alexa Chung for the UK Sunday Times at the end of the summer last year, she told me a few stories about what she felt were her natural psychic abilities. Like the notebook she’d found recently in which she’d written, aged 16; “I’m going to be a TV presenter, but I don’t want to be.” About how when she first walked into her apartment in NYC’s East Village, a voice in her head told her; “I live here,” and how she often has to ask people what’s up “because I can feel all their shit, and it’s like ‘you have to tell me what’s going on because it’s killing my mind!’”

There was also a recurring pre-cognitive dream (where you dream something and then it happens) about escaping the 2006 Tsunami in Thailand. She described how, as events were unfolding, she thought she was having the dream again – only to realise that it was actually happening. A double Scorpio with Pisces ascendant, Alexa’s chart shows something of a natural mystic – but actually, haven’t we all had similar experiences? Isn’t everybody “psychic” to some extent?

Yes, says Louise Androlia, the gifted intuitive responsible for our monthly Tarotscopes. “The 6th sense is for us all – in fact we’re all very tuned in as kids. Having had an imaginary friend or pet as a child is a classic example of somebody just being very energetically sensitive. I think whether this carries on into adulthood just depends on the rate we forget.” Lisa Rosman, a Brooklyn based intuitive, agrees; “it’s our natural birth right to be able to tune in on deep levels to each other as well as what yogis call the ‘divine intelligence’ of the universe. But the less we have to communicate on that level, the less we do.”

She believes our reliance on modern devices – from computers to clocks – is partly to blame. “Rather than merely using cell phones or the Internet as shortcuts, we’ve been using them as a substitute to true communion with ourselves and each other. And yet in our dreams and disorders our deeper wisdom is still, always, clamoring to be heard.”

So will 2014 be the year you work on developing your psychic abilities? Betsy Cohen, a.k.a. Psychic Betsy, hopes so. This month she launches a six-week course titled Trust Yourself: Intuitive Development through Awareness, designed to “help you become your own psychic. The whole class is centered around the fact that your body is an instrument through which your soul speaks.” The goal, rather than learning how to read for other people; “is about learning to trust your own higher voice, because if you want to create anything – abundance, good health, relationships – it’s about bringing that awareness and taking action from the inside out.”

We’ve all said it a million times; I should have listened to my gut. When I attended a psychic development workshop last year, the tutor pointed out that; “often the only time we know our intuition was right is when we don’t listen to it and everything goes wrong.” And, as Lisa puts it; “Really, what I do is direct my clients to who they truly are – where they’ve been and where they’re going; what their natural strengths and challenges are – so they can step on a path that really works for them.”

With even the Mail Online reporting on the rebranding of psychics to “intuitive therapists,” the idea of tapping into our own inner knowing is very much in the zeitgeist. “The conversations about psychic ability now are all about healing ourselves and helping others,” says Louise. “The idea that it’s about predicting the future is very outmoded, and not at all productive because the future is totally fluid anyway.” The point of attending a class says Betsy, “is about getting confirmation in a group setting that what you think you’re hearing, seeing or feeling is valid. It’s about building your confidence, so that outside of class you’re more likely to trust yourself.” I had a taster of this when I attended the weekly Willamsburg Spirit Séance Betsy hosts each Thursday – where she explained to the group how messages from spirit might appear to us, and encouraged us to share anything that came through.

Louise studied Psychic Development and then Tarot at the College for Psychic Studies in London. Founded in 1884 to facilitate formal investigation into the psychic and mediumistic phenomena that were such a topic of debate in the Victoria era, far from a real life Hogwarts, she describes the collage and her fellow students as; “as ‘normal’ as it gets. People expect me to say that it was full of women in cloaks, but as a lingerie designer I was definitely the most ‘crazy’ person there.” Instead, she was surrounded by “teachers, social workers, GPs, accountants. A group of amazing people aged 25 to 75.”

That the idea we can all tune in to a higher power and affect each other’s energy with our minds alone should seem in any way weird, is baffling to Louise. “The fact we live on a gigantic living, breathing circular mass, in a totally infinite and pretty much unknown space surrounded by other planets and moons is actually the most ridiculous thing I can think of! The idea of being skeptical of ANYTHING is so odd to me, since the fact we even exist is so bonkers. So why not learn about the energy that’s around us and allow it to help us?”

Numinously put, but still, many people shy away from delving into their psychic or intuitive abilities – “mainly because they’re afraid to look inside themselves,” says Betsy. Alexa Chung even joked that; “if you spend enough time with me, it is creepy” – but that’s because, as Betsy points out; “We’re all afraid of dark places. I was scared of my abilities in the beginning, but going to classes myself was like getting headlights, so I could actually see the road I knew was in front of me. And driving in the dark is not a good idea!”

The idea of encountering ‘evil’ spirits or visions of horrific future events can also deter people from tuning in; “but it’s all about intention. Are there darker forces? Absolutely. But you’ll only attract them to you if you’re fearful of them. I always think about Cesar Millan, the dog whisperer, and how he can transform a dog’s energy with his energy, which is always calm and assertive. It’s about a shift in thinking towards; ‘I have the power’. Which, in the spirit world, we always do.”

And owning this power can be key to affecting positive change – both in your own life, and the wider world. “We can feel very helpless in the face of events that are seemingly out of our control, from the people we’re dating to the fact we can’t exactly write to President Obama and tell him to take all our troops out of Afghanistan,” says Betsy. “But by taking responsibility for our own lives, based on what we know is for our highest good, we’re automatically empowered and actually in a position to change the world in one of the only ways we can.”

http://vimeo.com/81863053

Psychic Betsy’s six-week class, Trust Yourself: Intuitive Development through Awareness, begins January 11 in New York City. For more information click here.
@PsychicBetsy

HOW PSYCHIC ARE YOU?
Louise Androlia shares five ways your soul may already be speaking to you.

  • Smell – Have you ever suddenly had the scent of, for example, your grandmother’s perfume waft into a space? This is called “clairolfaction,” and is a way of connecting to people who have passed.
  • Knowing that someone is about to call before they do – This is you being tuned into the energy of friends and family, so you have just picked up their intention.
  • Collecting a mood or feeling from a person or a space – This is an example again of being tuned into a person’s energy, which is all a psychic ability is.  When you feel sad because your friend is, that’s a perfect example of ‘tapping in.’
  • The ‘gut’ feeling – This is your intuition, or your inner voice, at work. When you really know that you ‘know’ something, it’s the energy of the Universe that is outside of you and inside of you.
  • Songs – Often when you get a song in your head from nowhere, it’s a useful gift – making a point of listening to the lyrics often gives you a useful message that you needed.

www.louiseandrolia.com
@Louniverse

PSYCHED! BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE WEEKLY WILLIAMSBURG SPIRIT SEANCE

It’s 6.45pm at Betsy and Bryan’s place, and Bryan is “taking care of the space” ahead of tonight’s Weekly Williamsburg Spirit Séance. The altar is set with a few crystals and a candle, and thick coils of smoke from some heady Copal incense mingle with the savoury scent of the sage “smudge stick” he is using to clear and prepare the space.

The event, which Betsy, a.k.a. Psychic Betsy, has been hosting on regular Thursdays since Fall 2011, begins at seven sharp. “On the email it says not to ring the bell before 6.50pm,” says Betsy, “and we pretty much keep to schedule.”

Betsy and Bryan on their terrace with Pie Pants.

When you read the word “séance” the first image that springs to mind probably isn’t a cute hipster couple dressed head-to-toe in white. In fact, most people I told I’d be attending tonight replied that they’d be “petrified” to be in my shoes. “Well most people have seen The Exorcist,” jokes Betsy, “but think about it. If you believe that Spirit is actually a benevolent force that connects us all as human beings, what is there to be afraid of?”

Even better, what might I discover about my own “magnetic and psychic powers” (as it says on the flyer) tonight? Describing the weekly séance as “like my pro bono work” (a $10 “suggested donation” sure beats her regular $270 hourly rate) Betsy says she established the event because she wants to encourage this kind of exploration in people. “I always wanted to teach psychic development, and the idea is for everybody in the circle to see what messages come through for them too.”

It’s safe to say that despite the butterflies gathering for a flutter flash-mob in my stomach, I’m now “psyched” for the event to begin.

Sage, Copal, a rattle and a sacred fan.
Crystals decorating the altar.

We all have the power
The séance is open to nine bodies each week, and once this evening’s group has arrived we are swiftly seated, ready to begin. Betsy kicks things off with a talk about the nature of Spirit and the different ways we as humans can all receive messages from the “other side.”

How we receive messages
Betsy tells us she is mainly “clairaudient” – “meaning I hear things, literally like a voice in my head” – and “clairvoyant”, meaning she also receives messages as images. But they can also come through as smells (clairscent), a taste in the mouth (clairgustance) or even just a feeling or sensation (clairsentience). “So how do you think you connect?” is her question to the group.

And how to interpret what they mean
So once you receive a psychic impression, the trick is to get into the feeling you associate with it. The image, sound, smell or whatever is just a symbol for the actual message that wants to come through, explains Betsy; “and then you have to share it, to see if it resonates.” In other words, don’t be shy, “or get embarrassed that you might be wrong. Because there is no wrong answer, you might just need to do some more interpretation.”

You can’t judge “success” on how a person reacts #1
Audience prepped Betsy begins with a short prayer calling in the spirits, followed by a guided meditation to welcome a more receptive energy. She then goes from person to person to deliver a short reading from whoever has come through for them. First up is David – likely, I’ve got “a feeling,” the least receptive person in the group. “I didn’t want to start with you, but Sprit had other plans,” laughs Betsy. As she explained before the session, “how the first person reacts tends to be how the group then reacts.” As she goes on to describe a distant dead relative, David, predictably, plays dumb.

I’m getting…the color purple?
As she goes around the circle, Betsy encourages us to share any messages we might also be getting – “learning to trust what you’re seeing is the hard part, but it’s all about practise,” she reminds us. And so, when a vivid curtain of purple unfurls in front of my mind’s eye as Sarah (who seems way more into it than David) is getting her reading, I dig into the associations that come up.

Firstly, it’s undoubtedly Silk Cut purple” – a very specific shade of magenta used to advertise the brand of cigarettes I smoked when I was trying to be cool in middle school. And as for my feelings about Silk Cut…well I always thought cigarettes looked chic, but were kind of gross at the same time. The sensation in my body is a conflict between wanting to smoke, and feeling disgusted by it. “Are you…trying to stop smoking Sarah?” I pipe up timidly. Is this how it works?

You can’t judge “success” on how a person reacts #2
Sarah shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head. Oh well, I tried! But it’s only after the event that another person in the group comes over to tell me that just this week they decided to give up smoking weed…interesting as Silk Cut was the brand of tobacco I first learned to roll a joint with. OMeffingG…I’m psychic!!

Bryan preparing to sage the space after the event.
Betsy can also bend spoons with her mind.

Manifesting fireworks!
Finally it’s my turn, and Betsy wants to tell me; “I’m seeing flowers turning into fireworks…” And as she says the word, what d’you know – a kick-ass firework display starts up outside the window. And it doesn’t stop. For my entire reading (in which my Grandfather, a renowned workaholic, comes through to tell me not to neglect the fun-and-family loving part of me – thanks Gramps).

We’re all kind of bowled over by the…coincidence? “You know it’s you doing that…” Betsy laughs at one point, as the swhooshes and whoops outside get almost too loud for us to hear her speak.

Who knows, but I’m sold. If there is something out there, the fireworks incident is enough for me to believe that I’ve connected with the Universal oneness in some way tonight. On the way home, I check my Instagram feed – and sure enough, people are all like “what the hell, random fireworks over the East River…” I want to comment to them all; “you’re welcome. Just another reminder that life’s a celebration, right?”

The Weekly Williamsburg Spirit Séance is every Thursday from 7-9pm. For more information and to reserve your space click here

www.psychicbetsy.com
@PsychicBetsy

INTUITION 101: HOW TO BE YOUR OWN PSYCHIC

Last week at the Golden Bridge yoga center in NYC, Gahl Sasson, a.k.a. the Cosmic Navigator, hosted an evening called Becoming Your Own Psychic. If “intuition is like a muscle, you have to strengthen it,” Ruby Warrington reports on a practical session that was sort of like a workout for the third eye.

The evening kicked off with a round of names and signs. Why? “We can’t do this without water. Intuition is ruled by the water signs, Pisces in particular.” In fact, wherever Pisces shows up in your chart, “is where you will benefit most in life from what your intuition is telling you.” For me (an Aries but with six planets in water signs throughout my chart), I have Venus (romance, taste, personal style) in Pisces in the 3rd house (communication, friendships, community). No wonder I just did a psychic closet clear out, and my friends often tell me they’ve just been thinking about me when I call.

There’s even a theory that Pisces was actually the first sign of the zodiac, and that all the others are just a figment of Pisces’ potent imagination. And in fact, any activity that gets you closer to your inner Pisces is a good way to get your intuition (“the ‘tuition’ that comes from ‘in’ side us”) flowing – “so go for a swim, take a salt bath (“a little temple of Pisces”), take a yoga class or read some poetry.” Particularly before bed. Pisces also rules our dreams, so tune in just before you set sail for the land of nod and expect much more clarity when you try to interpret whatever messages your sleeping psyche has for you.

And never forget, the opposite sign to Pisces is Virgo. By being fastidious with our daily habits and our analysis of the world around us, and working to maintain good health through diet and exercise, will we create the right internal environment for our intuition to flourish.

There follows a series of practical exercises, drawing on cultures from the Kabbalah to the Aborigines to the C.I.A. (yes, really) to flex your psychic muscle.

THE DREAM QUEST
“Pose a question to your higher self while you’re asleep, and you brain is not impeded by logic.”

  • Refrain from drinking alcohol for three days prior to your quest
  • Refrain from eating food four-five hours before you go to bed
  • Right before you go to sleep, pose a very specific question to your higher self. Use the words; how, when, where, what…(as opposed to why)
  • Drink half a glass of water, and go to sleep
  • On rising, drink the rest of the water and immediately write down what you can remember from your dreams
  • If you find it difficult to remember what you saw, set your alarm for four a.m. to interrupt your dream mid flow, and write then
  • Repeat for up to seven nights, until your answer is revealed by the symbols in your dreams. Think, how do the images feel to you, and what do these feelings relate to?
  • For extra insight, find a poem that relates to the most potent symbolic messages by plugging them into Google

THE ANGEL IN A CUP
“Use this to allow your higher self to locate something that’s gone missing.”

  • Take one angel, and one glass
  • Holding the glass out in front of you, ask the angel to hop in, and then place it upside down on a table to trap the angel inside
  • Search for whatever it is that’s missing – your keys, your passport, your child
  • As the boundary of the glass creates “focus” for your psychic energy (represented by the angel) you will likely hit your target in record time
  • Release the angel and let it fly away

DISTINGUISH INTUITION FROM FEAR
“How do you know if it’s your gut or your fear telling you to act? The sensations can be similar so train your body to tell the difference.”

  • Download some music you know you will really hate. For some people this might be gabber house, for others, anything by Justin Bieber
  • Force yourself to listen to it, loud
  • Take note; where do you feel the sensation of disgust in your body? What does it feel like?
  • Repeat with a piece of music you really love
  • Take note; where do you feel the sensation of pleasure and happiness in your body? What does it feel like?
  • Remember the difference between your physical experiences of aversion and attraction. This is your body’s way of communicating what you need to know

(N.B. this experiment can also be conducted using food)

THE SORTES VIRGILIANAE
“Named for the ancient Roman poet Virgil, when mystics would use passages from his Aeneid to predict the future.”

  • Chose a book you feel emotionally connected to, or that resonates with you in relation to your situation
  • Pose a very specific question to your higher self
  • Open the book at random, and select one sentence from the page
  • Using this passage,  work with your intuition to find the answer to your question

AUTOMATIC WRITING

  • Take a blank piece of paper and a pencil
  • When you are very tired and by the light of a candle, spend five-10 minutes writing down the first things that come into your head
  • Without reading what you have written, go to sleep
  • Repeat for 30 days
  • Only at the the end of the 30 days, read everything
  • Circle the things you have no recollection of writing down, and string them together to create a message or poem from your higher self

DEVELOP YOUR INTUITION, C.I.A. STYLE
“In 1995, President Clinton revealed records of a C.I.A. investigation into the validity of psychic activity by the intelligence community, instigated as a counterfoil to similar activity by the K.G.B.”

  • Close your eyes and relax deeply
  • Focus on a background
  • Focus on a colour
  • Focus on a symbol
  • Focus on a smell
  • Focus on a sound
  • Think, are there water, plants, people, food or animals in the picture you are creating?
  • Think, are there round shapes, patterns, hard edges, is the image soft, linear or cloudy?
  • Open your eyes and draw the picture your higher self has created. This is where you will find your mark.

Like any muscle, with your intuition it’s a case of use-it-or-lose-it, so practise these techniques regularly. Start an “intuition diary” to make a note of symbols, noises and smells that light a psychic spark in you, so you can track the daily workings of your higher self.  After all, who doesn’t want know how to be your own psychic?

You should also be aware that as you open up your own energy field and begin to blur the boundaries of time and space, you’ll become more susceptible to negative vibes sneaking their way in along with the insights you now have access to. So here are some practical tips for creating a cosmic force field to protect yourself as you delve into the unseen.

www.cosmicnavigator.com
@gahl1

“MY PSYCHIC AWAKENING”: HOW IT FEELS TO GROW UP WITH THE GIFT.

Betsy Cohen, a regular contributor to The Daily Love, is New York’s hippest psychic medium. She shares the story of her psychic awakening and tells how working with her gift has helped make a profound diference in the lives of others.

“I’ve always known I was a little different. As a child, my older siblings encouraged me to be as weird as possible. “How about I put jelly on this meatball?” I’d say. “Yes, Betsy, that’s a great idea!” But I also remember holding hands with angels at age four. When I was seven I had an experience of knowing ahead of time that someone was going to die. And at nine, my bedroom was moved upstairs and I began hearing footsteps coming up the stairs every night. When I would look out the bedroom door, no one was there. At the time I was unaware of  how “different” these experiences were, and so I never shared them. I thought they were normal.

Continue reading ““MY PSYCHIC AWAKENING”: HOW IT FEELS TO GROW UP WITH THE GIFT.”

HOLLYWOOD HIGHS (AND HOTELS): IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LEY LINES

Eddie_BehindHotel

YOU’VE got Ibiza, Glastonbury, and…Hollywood? Certain global locations just seem to rob people of their inhibitions and inspire the kind of semi-naked, joyous hands-in-the-air dancing photographer Brad Elterman captured at this 1977 pool party at a mansion behind the Beverly Hills Hotel. Maybe it was just the 1970s (“back then it wasn’t too much of a big deal going to a Mega Mansion party in Beverly Hills with nude girls, because I attended three or four a week!” he says) – or maybe you could put it down to the ley lines.

Continue reading “HOLLYWOOD HIGHS (AND HOTELS): IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LEY LINES”