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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

my mystical life gabby bernstein spirit junkie rainbow on The Numinous

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

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

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

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

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

my mystical life september 18

MATERIAL GIRL, MYSTICAL WORLD: SHIVA ROSE

Meet Shiva Rose, Earth mother and holistic creatrix, and discover the fashion and beauty finds that rock her Mystical world…

Shiva Rose of The Local Rose featured on The Numinous

“We escaped Iran when I was ten years old, one cold winter night as the country was in the throes of a bloody revolution. We traveled to Germany, then London and finally to California, where my mother and her family is from. We settled in LA.”

So speaks actress, activist and curator Shiva Rose, whose lifestyle blog and online store The Local Rose celebrates her local community of artisan makers and mystics. And it was going from “a childhood nurtured on imagination and nature to life as a refugee,” that in fact fueled her passion for fashion and paved the way for her current incarnation as a woman dedicated to promoting a holistic, healthy and authentic lifestyle.

“I was a bit shy and awkward, and the trauma of escaping a revolution didn’t help. My refuge and escape from this reality was immersing myself in what I loved best, which was old European/Hollywood films and great books. I fell in love with story telling and being told stories,” she says. “I feel today I do this with each product I create and curate. The story behind the power of the ingredients rules me.”

Shiva Rose currently lives with her two daughters, Colette Blu, 19 and Charlotte Rumi, 10, in the Santa Monica Mountains, where the family is virtually self-sufficient. In itself an important part of her evolution as a woman.

“I feel like I have only become an adult in the last five years. There have been immense challenges and yet I have so much strength now that things that I couldn’t even dream of doing a few years ago are a welcome treat now. Things like fighting off a pack of coyotes that are trying to get my chickens by the light of the moon in my garden!”

The most vital lesson of all on her life path, however; “is that i have finally realized no one is going to make me happy unless I am happy, content and fulfilled on my own.”

Here’s a peek into the Mystical World of Shiva Rose, Earth Mama and Material Girl.

:: MATERIAL GIRL ::

My label
“Clothes designed and made by my community like Awave/Awake and Rachel Craven.”

awave awake fall 2015 collection shiva rose for the numinous
Awave Awake Fall 2015 collection

My shoes
“Celine on a fancy day. Hand made moccasins most days.”

manitobah handmade moccasins shiva rose for The Numinous
Manitobah handmade moccasins, $149

My scent
“Faith Essential Oil (on my site shop) or Rose oil from Amma.”

Essential Faith oil from the local rose featured on The Numinous
Essential Faith Oil, $65

My jewels
“Tantric pearls worn through meditation to soak up the high vibrations.”

tantric meditation pearls shiva rose featured on The Numinous
Tantric Meditation Pearls, $595, Nine Treasures

My pampering
“Daily evening goddess baths with my handmade Moon Rose Salts and then my Nectar Body Oil.”

rose moon sea salt bath salts from the local rose featured on The Numinous
Rose Moon Sea Salts, $50, The Local Rose

My home
“Minimal astral treehouse!”

My food
“Organic and hand picked from my garden ~ fresh salads and fruit crumble with raw cream.”

organic garden salad shiva rose The Numinous

:: MYSTICAL WORLD ::

My Awakening
“I awake before my children and creatures so I can have a few cups of Living Tea in meditative silence. If I am bending time that day, I will do a few Kundalini sets.”

My sign
“Aquarius with a Scorpio Moon, thus the dance between light and dark.”

My mantra
“Wahe Guru” and “I am Love.”

My guru
“Mama Earth and Father Sky.”

My reading
“So much to devour and learn. At the moment Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams; books on bee keeping, and The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy.”

My transformation
“So many, I’m always evolving and transforming ~ but the most recent when I got divorced 7 years ago, and my life broke apart and then open.”

My mission
“To raise compassionate daughters, to walk in beauty every day, to be a custodian of Mama Earth.”

Read more about Shiva Rose and shop her collections at Thelocalrose.com

Shiva Rose of The Local Rose featured on The Numinous

09/17/15: HOW TO WORK WITH THE 8888 NUMEROLOGY

September 17 2015 is a QUADRUPLE 8 day. And 8888 numerology means time to step up and transform, says Felicia Bender.

8888 numerology on The Numinous

 

Are you feeling the burn this year – and particularly this month – in pretty much every area of your life?

Numerologically, everyone on the planet is experiencing an 8 Universal Year.

You calculate it this way:  2015 = 2 + 0 + 1 + 5 = 8

The number 8 is the money and power number. The number 8 is an amplifier. Yet, here’s the rub. The energy of the 8 tests you in the realms of power. And not just some inconsequential quiz – this is like the comprehensive exams for your doctorate. And once you pass the exams, you must write your dissertation. Once you finish your dissertation, you must defend it in front of your committee. Once you defend it in front of your committee (and you pass), only then you get your degree. Ardous? Yes. Worth it? Damn right.

2015 is your year to develop and nurture everything related to money, power, control, and authority. There can be amazing gains, wonderful advancement, powerful achievement, and financial abundance. And there can also be losses, set backs, feelings of victimization, and financial slaps-in-the-face. The 8 is about resilience.

And since you’re a member of the Numinati, and pay attention to Astrology, you’ll also know that there have been – and will be – substantial planetary shifts and events taking place this year.  Eclipses, Blood Moons, Blue Moons – need I go on?

And now here’s a “red letter” day in numerology: September 17, 2015 is a QUADRUPLE “8” day.

·      2015 is an 8 Universal Year (2+0+1+5=8)
·      September 2015 is an 8 Universal Month (9+2+0+1+5 =17; 1+7=8)
·      September 17 is an 8 Date (9+1+7=17: 1+7=8)
·      And 17 is an 8 Day (1+7=8)

What’s more, this particular 8888 numerology shows up between two powerful eclipses!

So how to bring this energy down to earth?

The whole point of this intense time is to bring us back to our roots – to the foundational, authentic you. Your soul is being revealed to you now in all its beautiful truth, and wherever we are not aligned with our soul path this will itself to us as a rather loud wake-up call. And one that can come in all forms – from pain to euphoria (and everything in between).

September 17 is also a “portal” of sorts – an energetic opening where manifestation energy is at an all-time high. Dramatic changes and transformations are happening all around us and within us. The keys to working with the energy of 8888 numerology are:

·      To be open and receptive to rapid transformation.
·      To set your intentions with the utmost clarity around what you want (rather than what you don’t want).
·      To trust your truth and your intuition.
·      To take right action to manifest the next level in your life, whatever that might be to you.
·      To ready yourself to let go of old, old, old thoughts, habits, and programming.

Many people see the number 8 simply as the money number – personally think there’s more to it.  Metaphorically, I see the 8 as a really difficult personal trainer. Think Plutonian vibes. Working with the energy of the 8 in any aspect of your life isn’t easy. It always brings substantial tests – and like a personal trainer, it’ll make you show up even when you’re hung over, and work your ass off until you can barely walk. Yet as you step up, you’ll become strong, disciplined, and ripped.

September 17, 2015 (8888) will bring challenges to those who’ve been in denial or slacking in the “life purpose” department, and a huge breakthrough to those who’ve been doing the work and are prepared to leap into their next magnificent phase. Get ready for the ch-ch-ch-changes…

How will you work with the 8888 numerology this week? Share in the comments below and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

HOW TO READ THE TAROT FOR PERSONAL EMPOWERMENT

“It’s a tool to help us wake up” – and with her Sacred Tarot School, Lindsay Mack teaches how to read the Tarot for personal empowerment, says Elyssa Jakim. Images: Chase Voorhees

Lindsay mack on how to read the tarot for personal empowerment interviewed by Elyssa Jakim on The Numinous

As someone who identifies as spiritual, I had a secret. I spent a long time afraid of the Tarot. Reading cards on my own I often found their wisdom super harsh, and getting readings I was fascinated but uneasy. “Are the cards going to be mean?” I thought. And then it all changed because I met Lindsay Mack.

At our first reading, I felt completely held. I re-learned how to speak to my higher self, and was reminded to feel my big Scorpio-moon feelings every day. I got messages from my guides, and I forgot the cards were even there (plus she used a beautiful, gentle deck, the Motherpeace – and who could be scared of Motherpeace?)

I’ve since gotten about fifteen readings with Lindsay, and the fabric of my life has completely changed, so let’s just say I’m not so scared anymore. I offered to do an interview just to get to know her, her story, and what the devil she was doing with those cards (the Devil card included, sorry for the dad joke)

How did you start with Tarot?
I bought my first deck and its accompanying Tarot book at 13 years old, which was eighteen years ago. I loved it immediately and gave readings all the time: on the schoolyard, at the movies. I did them for free and for fun. I was a little afraid of the cards too, but I wanted a tool to help me understand things in the world. I found Wicca in the same way. On a whim, at age 13.

How do you describe the way you work with the cards now?
I read Tarot for people’s soul expansion – meaning I read in a way that helps them to wake up to the truth of their being. It’s a synthesis of energy healing, counseling and clear channel intuition, delivered with great warmth and gentleness. The Tarot being what glues everything together.

For me, the Tarot is definitely not a fortune-telling tool, and I feel very grateful to be part of an excellent generation of readers who are redefining that false notion. It’s a tool to help us wake up; it’s a perfect mirror for our lives, helping us to be present and empowered in this moment – and all in service of helping people to know that there’s nothing in their lives that’s not assisting their evolution on a soul level. I help people to understand things that feel too scary or too unfair to work out on their own, and to see these things as happening for them, not to them.

Lindsay Mack on how to read the tarot for empowerment interview by Elyssa Jakim for The Numinous

What makes you a gifted intuitive reader do you think?
I have survived huge waves of darkness, depression, fear, trauma and abuse in my own life, all of which has become the sacred fertilizer for the healing work that I do with people. It has informed everything about my work, and it’s how I’m able to help people who feel that they too are navigating their way through Hell. I’ve been there, and I know that the only way out is to come home to the truth.

Most of the time, when people come to a Tarot reader they are coming with some kind of trauma they have no choice but to face, and they are definitely coming with at least some degree of nervousness. For this reason, I believe that Tarot readers and energy healers have an absolute obligation to be kind to people’s nervous systems. On the first day of my Sacred Tarot School, I always tell my students this.

Can you give an example of what you mean by this?
Nothing in the Tarot is meant to be scary. When you learn how to read the Tarot and really understand this in your bones, every card, even the famously intense ones like Death, The Devil or the 10 of Swords, deliver an empowering message. It’s all in the understanding and the wording.

Also, when the parasympathetic nervous system (rest/digest) is relaxed and engaged, people can retain and hear information more clearly. If the nervous system is in fight/flight, the reading won’t really be useful or helpful to the client, no matter how amazing the advice might be!

My Sacred Tarot School definitely covers how to read the Tarot theory, but it’s a lot of this, too. In order to give really deep, healing readings, we have to be warm and watch how we phrase stuff. And my readings are RAW. They go there! But you can be deep and impactful while also helping people to relax.

Lindsay Mack on how to read the tarot for empowerment interview by Elyssa Jakim for The Numinous

 

For somebody learning how to read the Tarot, how does one choose the most empowering deck?
There’s a lot of lore on this, and some people say very strictly that you have to be given or gifted a deck. I don’t think that’s true, but it is true that your true deck will always find you.

The first thing I advise is to focus on the style and imagery. The colors, the shape of the cards, whether the art is abstract or very clear, traditional or modern. It all makes a difference. Having said that, I don’t think I ever would have chosen the Motherpeace for myself, so allow Spirit and instinct to guide you too. Be influenced beyond visual preferences.

So how do you know when you’ve found “the one”?
When you hold it, your deck should feel like an extra appendage, or a beloved pet. Mine feels like a golden retriever to me! We have such a beautiful relationship;when I give readings, it’s me, her and the Divine. There is no other one like her to me. That relationship does take time to ripen, but that’s what you’re going for.

It seems like the public consciousness about the Tarot has changed radically in the last few years. Can you speak to this?
The big answer is that the world as we know it is totally changing. Everyone is being invited to wake up. Everyone is being invited to serve, and to step onto their soul’s path, because the Earth needs it. It’s “go” time, cosmically, and as such, everyone is longing for a reconnection with magic, wildness, and with the Divine. Learning how to read the Tarot is a perfect conduit and a road home to that.

And as I mentioned before, perception of the Tarot reader is also shifting away from the notion of a fortune teller trying to fleece you out of money. Every reader I know is so beautifully and austerely committed to helping their clients wake up, to become empowered. We don’t predict the future. The future doesn’t even exist! As my beautiful teacher and mentor, Michelle Sinnette says, we are birthing our future in every moment. It is in the present moment that the greatest treasure and opportunity for transformation lives.

Lindsay Mack is the founder of Sacred Tarot School, a six, 12 or 24-week advanced Tarot training in NYC. The next six-week group intensive (limited to five places) begins Tuesday Sept 29th, priced $650, and the next 12-week group intensive (also just five spaces) begins Wednesday Sept 30th, priced $1200. PLUS email Lindsay directly to book, quoting the code “Empress”, and get a $100 Numi discount! [email protected]

How do you use the Tarot as a tool for personal growth? Share in the comments below, and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

WEEKLY TAROTSCOPE: SEPTEMBER 14-20

This week’s card chimes perfectly with the cosmic energy of the Virgo New Moon eclipse. The Eight of Cups is an invitation to let go, and move forward in your journey, says Louise Androlia

You can watch last week’s weekly tarotscope at the link – did Louise’s message resonate with you? Share in the comments below, and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

MESSAGE FOR THE VIRGO NEW MOON ECLIPSE: HAVE FAITH!

This weekend’s Virgo New Moon eclipse is an invitation to go big, or go home. Just have a little faith, says Chani NicholasPhotography: Dana Trippe. Model: Rachel Barnes

message for the september 13 2015 new moon eclipse words chani nicholas image dana trippe for The Numinous

It’s that time again. Eclipse season.

Things speed up. Choices come rapid fire. Life alters, and we either keep up or get left behind. Eclipses tend to bring themes of major openings and closings. Portals of opportunity beckon us towards them. Things get cut short. Endings draw near without warning. Experiences are stark. Stakes are high.

The Virgo New Moon eclipse on Saturday, September 12th at 11:54 PM PST at 20 degrees of Virgo is a solar one. During a solar eclipse, the light of the Sun is diminished, obscured and confiscated (though not for those of us that will be experiencing it during night time). Life depends upon the light of the Sun. We depend on the light of the Sun. When that light appears to be threatened, so too are we.

We realize there are things we have no control over. Like the planets. Like our lives.

This eclipse is in Virgo. Virgo wants to know the specifics, the design and the down-and-dirty details of the situation. Virgo over thinks, over stresses, and over analyzes. There is no one that I would trust more with any kind of job that required a sincere and honest effort than a Virgo. This sign is unparalleled for its ability to work diligently at a task.

The Virgo New Moon eclipse also occurs near the North Node of the Moon – the point in the zodiac representing what we strive towards and want to accumulate. As such, we could say that this eclipse is propelling us forward, opening us up to our appetites, asking or taunting us to push our boundaries and find our edge, while possibly calling us to fulfill some aspect of our destiny.

Minutes before the eclipse, there will be a New Moon in Virgo. Every New Moon marks a new beginning, energetically opening up the sign it occurs in, as well as any major planet that has recently entered that sign.

And Jupiter has just landed in Virgo. Jupiter’s influence expands what it touches, creates opportunity, makes magnanimity its monogram, flaunts blind faith as a virtue and enlarges whatever it touches. Jupiter’s year long stay in Virgo is asking us to spend some time considering how we deal with the organizational aspects of our lives, how to work in efficient ways, and what details to expand upon. But more importantly Jupiter is hard at work developing the house in our chart that it is transiting in a critical, thoughtful, discerned fashion. Jupiter was last in Virgo 12 years ago – what area of your life was expanding, and opening up, back then?

With this eclipse of the new Moon, Virgos the world over are getting extra bouts of growth-inducing game thrown their way. And all of us are being asked to pay special attention to the part of our chart that contains Virgo (you can do your birth chart for free here). These are the areas of our life to focus on at the eclipse, to be tended to, worked on, explored, opened up, expanded, brought into form and made into something.

Because Juno, Guardian of Women and Goddess of Marriage, is sitting next to the Virgo New Moon eclipse, we can also ask ourselves if we are willing to committo marry ourselves, to the most pressing issues this area of our charts holds for us. Because this eclipse is sitting with Jupiter the benefic, we can be certain that whatever the effects, they will be BIG. Because this eclipse is making a friendly sextile to Saturn, we can know that our efforts to stabilize and make real are being aided. Because this eclipse is making a trine to Pluto we are invited to go deep and be real, to get ready to embrace our power and use it for good.

But. And. Finally.

Mercury, the planet that governs both the Virgo New Moon eclipse and Jupiter’s stay in Virgo, is slowing down to station retrograde on September 17. This might muck things up a bit, or at the very least make for an extra strange eclipse season. One that urges us to take well-assessed risks, but one that can’t guarantee the outcome. One that wants us to have faith in what we know, but might not show us all the information. One that asks us to serve the design of our lives, while it conceals an important part of the blue print.

This eclipse calls for critical faith.

Read the full, unedited version of Chani’s message for the Virgo New Moon eclipse at the link. You can also purchase her Eclipse Season Survival Guide here.

What area of your life do you want to open up with the cosmic energy of this New Moon eclipse? Share in the comments below, and connect with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: THE SCENT OF A GODDESS, AND 5 EMPOWERING TAROT LESSONS

This week, 5 empowering tarot lessons that helped me past my fear of the cards…
TAROT SCHOOL COLUMN BY RUBY WARRINGTON FOR THE NUMINOUS

I got over my fear of the Tarot. Confession. As much as I’ve always been attracted to the tarot, it’s also a tool I’ve shied away from as a lot of the time the cards I pull for myself tend towards the negative – if not downright scary! Anybody else with me on this?? It’s one reason I love Louise Androlia’s Tarotscopes, as no matter how “heavy” the message, she finds a way to put an empowering spin on it.

When my friend Elyssa told me she’d got over HER fear of the cards with a tarot lessons from her favorite reader Lindsay Mack (a.k.a. Wild Soul Healing), I decided it was time to move beyond my own pussy-ass position on the tarot, too. So I booked a session with Lindsay – and it was so, so awesome!! Here are 5 key fear-busting take-aways from our 90-minute tarot lesson:

  • Tarot is not a predictor of anything. Tarot is just a mirror, a bridge to an awareness of the answer that is for your absolute highest good – the Truth with a capital “T”.
  • The only thing all living beings have in common is that we all experience evolution. Which means there’s nothing that can come up for you, or happen to you, that isn’t for you. See the tarot this way, and you’ll see that every message in every card is an invitation home.
  • The Major Arcana in particular (The Fool through The World), contain an invitational energy from divine intelligence to ask us to evolve and to wake up. But since our nervous system and brain chemistry prefers the comfort of staying still, evolution and growth will always be accompanied by resistance and fear.
  • Evolution is a process of expansion (excitement about change) and contraction (resistance to / fear of change). “Negative” cards (like the Devil, the Tower) simply represent BIG contractions, to show us where we’re slipping back into old patters, and ask us to examine why this is.
  • Finally, when reading into a card, interpret the message as if you were reading for your five-year old self – with loving kindness, and a protective attitude.

Which is already making me feel way better about my future tarot lessons. If this is where you’re at too, Lindsay suggests a daily card pull to begin to get to know your deck better, with the enquiry: “Highest power, please can I have some more information on the truth with a capital “T” about (insert pressing concern of the day here).”

Oh, and read this book! Rachel Pollack’s Tarot Wisdom

Book a reading or tarot lessons with Lindsay at the link, and follow her on Instagram to find out about her Sacred Tarot School.

I reconnected to Lakshmi. My fave – the Hindu Goddess of wealth, prosperity and fortune. And no, not through meditation, prayer, a badass new Goddess deck, or any other sort of spiritual practice – I simply restocked my supply of Lakshmi fragrance oil from The Goddess Line! Which happens to smell a whole lot like an old favorite of mine, the now discontinued Rumeur by Lanvin…only it’s totally vegan (as in the “musky” element of the scent comes from a blend of oils, opposed to the glandular secretions of actual animals) and chemical free.

V important to me these days, since I had a facial with celebrity aesthetician Christine Chin. Known as “Mean Christine” for her take-no-prisoners approach to pimples, she told me: “perfume is poison to the neck!” As in, the alcohol in most mass market fragrance is what dries out the skin on your neck, causing a crepe-paper effect, enlarged pore and wrinkles. And Christine is Gisele’s go-to. I rest my case.

lakshmi fragrance oil the goddess line tarot lesson my mystical life column by ruby warrington on the numinous
The Goddess Line Lakshmi Roll-on Fragrance Oil, $30

 

A LESSON IN NEW MOON MAGICK

Want to align yourself with every phase of mother Moon? Gabriela Herstik has a lesson in New Moon magick just for you…

a lesson in new moon magick featured on the Numinous

If you’ve ever wondered how you can use the energy of mother Moon to manifest or discard that which may or may not serve you, you’ve entered the realm of what’s known as ”Sympathetic Magick”.

Don’t let this menacing term fool you, it’s really not as scary as it sounds! To put it simply, it means working with the waxing and waning of the Moon, as it gains and loses light, to reflect what you would like more or less of in your life.

Here’s the lowdown on New Moon magick, to help you channel your inner witchy mamma…

What is it
“Sympathetic Magick” works on the assumption that there’s a secret sympathy that connects all energies. We may not be able to see this, but we feel and understand it. This concept can be broken down into two parts; The Law of Similarity and The Law of Contact.

The Law of Similarity
The Law of Similarity is the most relevant when it comes to working with the Moon. This Law states that magick works because like attracts like (as both the Buddha, and The Secret have taught us), and so in imitating the result you desire, you will cause it to happen by attracting it to you. This is also called The Law of Attraction.

The Law of Contact
The Law of Contact works with the idea that the energy of two objects continues to act on one another even after they’re separated. Voodoo dolls are a good representation of this Law! By hurting a certain part of the doll you’re following the Law of Similarity – by using some actual hair, or a piece of clothing belonging to the person the doll represents, you’re following The Law of Contact. (Don’t worry – we’re not suggesting you use Sympathetic Magick to hurt anyone, but this is the easiest way to explain the difference between the two Laws.)

How This Relates to the Moon
Okay, so some basic astronomy- when the Moon is dark it’s called the New Moon. As it then becomes more light it’s called a Waxing Moon. After the time of the Full Moon, it starts to lose light, known as the Waning Moon. The easiest way to remember this? Wax on, Wane off. In relation to Sympathetic Magick – as the Moon’s light grows, or waxes, you tap the Law of Similarity and perform some New Moon magick for what you want more of. When the Moon’s light shrinks, or wanes, you use the same law to perform magick for what you want to let go of.

a lesson in new moon magick featured on The Numinous

When the Moon is Waxing
As the Moon grows in size and gains both strength and light, focus on what it is you want to grow and manifest! In the two weeks from when the Moon is black, up until it’s full, there’s a really strong window of opportunity to attract more of anything you want an abundance of. The waxing Moon is a perfect time to think about (and perform magick for) communication, financial and legal matters, healing and health. For example, you could do this money spell. Think about what you want to increase and go for it.

When the Moon is Waning
In the time between the Full Moon to the Black Moon, or New Moon, there’s a strong window of opportunity to let go. This is a time to analyze what no longer serves you and to rid yourself of it, a great time to break old habits, relationships and addictions. The waning Moon is a time of release. Take some time to tune in to what speaks to your soul – if it isn’t letting you rise to your highest possible potential, is it necessary? If not then let it go, let it go.

When the Moon is New
Of all the Moon phases, the New Moon and Full Moon are the most potent. When the moon is completely dark, it’s a really strong time to work your New Moon magick and get rid of what you don’t want. It’s a good idea to retreat from the world, focus and think of what really does and doesn’t serve you. The energy of the New Moon occurs the day it’s marked on the calendar, as well as the day before and after. PS – If you need some ideas of ways to celebrate with more New Moon magick, we got you.

When the Moon is Full
Meanwhile, the Full Moon is a time of celebration! The divine feminine is amped, and it’s a good time to gather up your tribe and give gratitude. The Full Moon speaks of commitment, psychic ability and magickal acts of all kinds. Spells are especially strong on this day (as well as three days before or three days after) and you can tailor your spell to fit the coming New Moon, too. If you want to manifest, think of the Full Moon as the apex of this energy. If you want to perform a spell to let go, tailor it to the fact that every day after the Full Moon will assist in shrinking whatever it is.

Other Tools
If you really want to use Sympathetic Magick to its full advantage during each Moon phase, don’t forget about the other tools at your disposal. Affirmations, crystals, flowers, herbs, incense, trees… go crazy! The more ways you can state your intended desire to the Universe, the stronger the magick will be. Beyond anything else – believe in what you do whole heartedly, Magick flows the best when you completely surrender to it!

WHAT IS A RED TENT ACTIVATION?

Your period is your connection to the divine. Learn to listen at a Red Tent Activation, says Alexandra Derby. Image: Emi Haze via Behance.net

artwork by Emi Haze for 'what is a red tent ceremony' article on The Numinous

We are all pretty down with the memo on self care and coming into a place of self-love. This is what all spiritual traditions come down to at their core, the fact that only once we can fully love ourselves can we fully LOVE – one-another, the planet, and all life. But as women, we have some murky territories to traverse on the journey of self-love and ultimate self-acceptance.

A pretty big one is our complicated relationship to our body, and especially the fact it bleeds once a month. Yup, our period is something associated with negativity in our current culture. Something to ‘hide’, ‘clean up’ and generally try and pretend we are not ashamed of.

We have been trained to ignore it, and at best be grateful for the modern pharmaceutical options to ‘deal with’ our individual and unique cycles. Just think of the language that has been used to describe it; ‘the curse’. It’s also been decided it’s a time women become ‘irrational’, and that we should disregard what they (we!) are trying to articulate as ‘just them being emotional’.

But what if there was a different story that got lost over time? What if our period was actually a powerful and potentially life changing event – one that we get to experience every single month of our menstruating years?

We bleed and yet we do not die – just think about the symbolism of that. We are capable of allowing our life blood to flow out of ourselves without any harm to us. And we do this month after month after month. It is literally a physical embodiment of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

In the past, men were likely intimidated and threatened by this female creatrix energy, and declared it ‘unclean’. But there was a time when women would all bleed together, at the time of the New Moon, and meet to honor their menstrual cycles in what is called a Red Tent.

A Red Tent (or Moon Lodge in the Native American tradition) is a place where women come together to honor their bodies as sacred, and celebrate the Blood Mysteries – what DeAnna L’am (recognized world expert on menstrual empowerment, and author of Becoming Peers: Mentoring Girls Into Womanhood) says is the ‘missing piece of the puzzle’ when it comes to women connecting to their sacred wholeness.

My life has been transformed by training with DeAnna.

My period used to be a time of pain and frustration that felt like an internal war with my body, coupled with a fear of ‘leaking’ as people would then know – shock! – that I was having my period. I did not want to get this messy (both physically and emotionally). Today my Moon time is actually my most powerful time – a time to retreat and listen to my body, literallyand do what it wants, not what my to-do list wants.

The reward? I get beautiful, spine tingling downloads from my intuition. Ideas come through, and my days are peppered with “aha” moments. I get clarity on exactly what is in alignment for me. And every single woman has this capacity too. We each carry our own Oracle, and each month we are asked to take the time to sit down and listen to what she has to say.

Because the voice that comes through while you are bleeding is the voice of the GODDESS, and if something is out of whack she is gonna let you know! Hence not being prepared to ‘put up and shut up’, like we often usually do. Your job is to listen to that wise voice and take heed, because the part of you that creates IS the Goddess. And she knows what’s best for you, your family and your tribe.

Now I hold Red Tent Activations myself – daylong events, where you get to completely and radically alter your perception of your own menstrual cycle, your creative potential and your body, and re-establish your divine birthright as being connected to all women on the planet in sacred sisterhood. Connected by blood to all women who have gone before you, and all women who will come after you.

A Red Tent Activation is a powerful and life-changing ceremony around telling the story of your first blood, and of letting go the judgments and prejudices you took into your precious early teenage self that have kept you from fully accessing your power and creative potential as a goddess Creatrix today! And, finally, of enacting the ceremony we never receive in modern society – that of a girl being welcomed into womanhood.

It is a deeply moving to take your place in your lineage of ancestors and as a woman on the planet with the capacity to birth LIFE – be that children, ideas, creative masterpieces, businesses, or a even a new Earth. Yes, it is that big! And we have been hiding from this part of ourselves month, by month, by month.

But just imagine each and every woman in NYC connected to their own inner guidance system. Tapped directly to the Source through their own body, listening to the Goddess within. What choices would women make in their relationships? Their work? Their family life?

Now imagine a whole WORLD of women operating from the true Source within, not longer carrying the baggage of negative self image, not swayed or influenced or manipulated by the external world, but living in complete alignment with their true values, their true desires. That is the world we can create. This is my vision for our new Earth.

Join Alexandra Derby for the next Red Tent Activation in Brooklyn, NY, on September 13 2015. Further information and tickets available at the link.

Have you re-claimed your monthly bleed as a sacred time for intuitive connection? Connect with the Numinous community and share on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

WEEKLY TAROTSCOPE: SEPTEMBER 7-13

The message of this weekly tarotscope is all about shattering your self-imposed illusions, says Louise Androlia

You can also check out the last weekly tarotscope at the link – did Louise’s reading resonate for you? Share with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: INTO THE AKASHIC RECORDS.

This week I met the Dharma Punx, connected to my witchy mama, and got guidance from the Akashic Records….

Ruby Warrington's mystical life september 4 on The Numinous

I opened the Akashic Records. Or rather, my friend Elyssa did. A gifted intuitive, the Akashic Records are Elyssa’s latest “thing”, and as soon as I started talking to her about a particular crossroads I have found myself staring down on my journey, she suggested a session.

For the uninitiated, the concept of the Akashic Records speaks to a metaphysical “library” or “filing system” that holds a record of every word, deed, thought and action, of every soul, in its every incarnation. So yeah, unless you want to spend the next two hours in a total head spin, don’t even try to picture this as a physical thing. Just go with it as a cosmic concept!

This article has more about the Akashic Records, but the idea is you can open them up to get specific information about certain people and situations, and the role they have to play in your current incarnation and your soul’s development. I mean why would you NOT want to spend your Wednesday evening doing this.

First, Elyssa asked for my current legal name – “as that’s how spirit registers your soul” – before opening the Akashic Records by reciting a special prayer, and calling in the masters, teachers and loved ones (departed ancestors) “assigned” to my soul in this lifetime.

This is the cosmic “team” Elyssa then consulted every time I asked a question, and the answers that came through just FELT so right. I always think the best kind of psychic readings pretty much support and validate your own intuition about whatever situation you’re facing, and that’s exactly what I got from my Akashic gatekeepers.

Oh, and I recorded the reading on my iPhone – and it ended with me going “Yay!” at 1.11.11 #angelnumbers

I hung out with the Dharma Punx. I’ve wanted to connect with this sober Buddhist meditation group since I first read about them in i-D magazine about five years ago. And since drinking a lot less (if not all out sobriety) is on my current consciousness-raising to-do list, I figured the time had come to go see what they had to say.

And it seems like I’m not the only one – I have never seen Maha Rose in Greenpoint, where they host a regular Monday night session, so packed! (p.s. SO psyched to see our favorite healing center featured in the NY Times this week too)

The session went like this: 30-minute guided mindfulness meditation, 30-minute “Dharma talk” on a core component of the Buddhist teachings, Q&A.

This week’s talk was about how happiness is an inside, in the moment job, and can never be found in the pursuit and attainment of external things (including booze, I guess was the implication). My takeaway by the end of the night? Meditation is a powerful way to recognize and cultivate the serenity required to STAND IN THIS TRUTH. Amen. (And time to pick up what had become a seriously lapsed practice).

I connected to my witchy Mama. If you read last week’s column, you’ll know I’ve been experiencing the The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (thank you Marie Kondo), and while tacking the “Books” segment of the process, I unearthed this little gem.

my mystical life the akashic records on the Numinous

The inscription inside reads: “Christmas 1972. To Nancy, all my love, Louby xx”- the “Nancy” in question being my mom!

Now, I always knew she was a hippie. I think my first solid food was pureed aduki-bean stew. But if I ever doubted where I got my mystically witchy tendencies, I no longer need to consult the Akashic Records on this one.

Containing recipes for all sorts of “Remedies, Spells, Elixirs, Cordials and Aphrodisiacs”, below is a taster of the kind of wisdom contained within.

Aphrodisiacs
If thou wilt that a woman bee not visious nor desire men, take the private members of a Woolfe, and the hairs which doe grow on the cheeks or eyebrowes of him, and burne it all, and give it to her to drinke, when she knoweth not, and she shall desire no other man.

Err, come back modern medicine, all is forgiven…

TARYN TOOMEY: MOVE YOUR BODY TO HEAL YOUR SOUL

Taryn Toomey has built a cult following for her Shamanic-inspired workout, the class. She explains how it’s all been part of her own healing journey. Video and portrait: Jennifer Medina

taryn toomey shot by jennifer medina featured on the numinous

You have to have the courage to let it all go.

THE FEAR.

I have had a very long, sticky road these past few years. Hell, let’s call it like it is – the past 36 years. From the outside it could look all rosy but, like our lives on social media, there’s always something deeper, truer.

I grew up in a very complicated family (didn’t we all in some way?) but as a child, I absorbed a lot of those unsupportive patterns and continued to think: “it always has to be this way.” I called myself names, believed them, hated myself, was embarrassed to live in my body. I didn’t trust those around me; I questioned everything; it seemed like everyone was “out to get me.”

I didn’t want it to feel that way, but I was so fearful of letting it go, because it was what I knew.

These past few years have been about breaking that cycle. For my children, for the forward of my family, and, once and for all, for me. I decided that the history I lived doesn’t need to be part of the future I continue to create. It happened. Let’s move on. Right? I wish! It wasn’t that EASY.

Over the years I worked with psychologists, analysts, plant medicines, shamans, Eastern doctors, invested in good old fashioned friendships and more. But, in the end, I realized I didn’t need to talk about it anymore; I had TO MOVE IT. But I also had to keep it simple and do it BEAT BY BEAT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3G4p1CE-0U

And so came ‘the class.’ I knew I would need fire, heart and soul to get this story up and out of my DNA. I needed shaking, contraction, sound, release,intention, forgiveness and stillness. And music, to help me take it beat by beat, breath by breath.

In the world of fitness I have heard way too many things pushed into people’s psyches that are FEAR based, stemming from the “guru’s” own fears, ego, and the need to make others live in fear with them.

“Don’t do THIS it will bulk you, don’t do THAT you’ll ruin your body!”

But we aren’t all made the same, and these “theories” don’t apply to us as a whole.

How about…

Move how you NEED TO.
Move so you can FEEL GOOD.
Move to CREATE NEW SPACE for YOU TO LIVE IN.
Move to wake up, be alive, present, engaged, and to come UNSTUCK from the past.
Move to get out of the EGO – the one that makes you stare at yourself and size up every last centimeter of your body, gripping the mirror with your eyes, criticizing, loving and over dramatizing the things that don’t matter.

At the end of the day, if you don’t work on the parts of you that no one can see, you can change the shape of your body all you want, but living inside of it wont be pretty. It’s time to close your eyes and go INSIDE. The body you’re looking for is not out there. IT’S IN YOU.

Set’s move, people. Not in the “right” way, not in the “pretty” way, but in the way that you need to release the fear. Let’s gather the courage to let it all go. Moving this way is what’s saved my life, the future lives of my children, their children, and hopefully a whole lot of others.

When you move, summon the courage to let it all go. And take it beat, by beat, by beat…

ONWARD.

Follow the link to book and experience the class with Taryn Toomey for yourself.

Have you experienced healing working out? Connect with us and share on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

DANNY BRITO AND THE CULT OF WITCH KITSCH

Miami-based Danny Brito is our latest fash-art obsession. He talks feminism, magic and alien abductions with Gabriela Herstik

Danny Brito Alien t-shirt and witch tote on the Numinous
Danny Brito Alien t-shirt and witch tote – back by popular demand 09/03/15!

Okay so first off, totally digging the cute meets sassy meets edgy theme you have going on. When did you decide to start selling and creating your art? Were any aliens involved?
I started selling my art right out of high school. I would hand paint tote bags and sell them on Livejournal! But I would say I started taking it seriously in about 2009, when I decided I wanted to start working for myself. I don’t think aliens were involved, although I completely believe in the supernatural…all this sass has been with me since birth. I really feel like my style is a reflection of myself. I’m a very opinionated person who likes really cute and weird things.

You’re based in Florida. Do you love it? Hate it? What’s it like?
Yep I was born and raised in Miami. I really hated it for a while, and spent most of my early 20s trying to move somewhere else. In the past two or three years though I’ve really grown to love it here. I live about two miles from the beach so it’s kind of a slow paced lifestyle, which I like, but it also has some of the allure of city life at times. Miami also has a really great art scene. If I’m feeling especially uninspired, I like heading down to Wynwood in Downtown Miami and just taking in the street art that’s literally everywhere.

Danny Brito self portrait on The Numinous
Self-portrait

So as you can probably tell, we’re a tad obsessed with all things mystical. What stirred your inspiration to create pieces like the Junk Food Pentagrams and Ali?
I grew up going to catholic school my entire life and as a weird gay kid my body basically repelled the lessons of the bible. I was also really into science fiction and reading about magic and stuff and it’s still kind of stayed with me as an adult.

Are you into the mystical and numinous side of life? If so, does this impact what you create?
I’m not a super spiritual person, but I do believe in karma and that there are spiritual, mystical things out there in the Universe. I personally just like to focus on being a good person, or the best ‘me’ I could be. I think it impacts my art, especially my more feminist or motivational type pieces. I like being able to uplift people with the things I create.

Danny Brito badass bitch poster on the numinous
He’s a feminist too

Besides all the pieces in your shop, you have some wild art pieces – a lot of which also happen to feature totally rad women! Is this intentional?
It’s completely intentional because I’ve just always drawn girls, even when I was younger. It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized the injustice women face every day. I’m a cisgendered gay man, but I consider myself a feminist and I like to create things that support women. I think the girls I draw are inherently girly but still strong.

Don’t think you’ve escaped more questions about aliens just yet – we have to ask, are you a believer?
I am! Absolutely, I mean I’ve never personally seen any proof but I just find it so interesting. If there’s a low budget alien movie, I’ve probably seen it. I’m also an avid X-Files fan. I’ve seen every episode more times than I can count.

Last but not least, are there any life lessons you’re dying to pass on to our Numi readers?
I think just be yourself, 100%. People can see when somebody is genuine, even through the internets. If you want to get to know me, just follow me on Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter. Essentially my social media is my brain just spewing out onto the web.

P.S. Numis – Mention The Numinous when you’re checking out of the Danny Brito Etsy store and you’ll get a special surprise! Keep scrolling for a selection of that’s on offer…

Danny Brito junk food pentagram pins on the numinous
Junk Food Pentagram buttons, £3.50
Danny Brito All Seeing Eyes and Crystals Zipper Pouch on The Numinous
Danny Brito All Seeing Eyes and Crystals Zipper Pouch, $10
Danny Brito All Seeing Eye lapel pin on The Numinous
Danny Brito All Seeing Eye lapel pin, $8

GET TO KNOW YOUR VIRGO MOON SIGN

With the Sun in Virgo it’s also the perfect time to shine a light on your Virgo moon sign, says Ash Baker. Image: Prince Lauder via Behance.net

Virgo Moon Sign image by Prince Lauder featured on The Numinous

If your Sun sign describes your vitality and speaks to the way you operate day-to-day, your Moon sign is your reactionary pulse. Her phases push and pull at us like the ocean’s tides. Your Moon represents how you vibe the most authentically in the world, without time to apply logical thought or judgement. If the Sun thinks about himself, and the Moon feels herself.

You can find out your Moon sign when you do your chart for free here. And do one for your friends’ while you’re there!

So now let’s discuss what what form the Virgo moon sign takes in its fullest expression.

Being proactive is the gold standard for this spirit. People with the Sun in Virgo tend to be very organized, but with a Virgo Moon sign, being able to control (to a reasonable degree) the external chaos is key to your health and wellbeing. If your internal desire to control a particular area of your life (that area all depends on which house your Virgo Moon sign falls in) is thwarted, you will literally feel as if your whole world is out of balance.

The Virgo Moon sign is a humble creature. She wants to be seen as skilled and gifted and has a strong, deeply rooted desire to help others. Virgo is the sign of the craftsman, so to have your Moon here means you have an emotional pull towards the kind of perfectionism that is built on day-by-day effort. I always picture the worker bee when I think of the Virgo Moon sign. With each passing day she is crafting something amazing that can be of service to the world, no matter how small that contribution may actually be. Goal-oriented repetition resulting in measurable success makes your soul sign.

Virgo is ruled by logic and analytical thought. Yet the Moon is all about feeling, so bridging the gap between the heart and mind is something the Virgo Moon sign will always be working on. They will want help the ones they love tackle their problems in a practical way. Remember, this Moon nurtures by helping others heal through logic.

Hyper aware of their own flaws, they sometimes project that critical tone onto others through a simple desire to help. This may not be the best approach, so remember that constantly critiquing yourself and the people around you isn’t exactly healthy. There is a time for discernment, and there is a time for pure acceptance.

The Virgo Moon sign feels their best around authentic people who accept their flaws, because underneath they are hugely self-critical too. Their Moon cracks the whip to keep improving daily. Not only are they a worker bee for others, but that drive gets reflected a la luna back onto themselves – the feeling that they must always be working on the best version of themselves.

This can make a Virgo Moon sign your own worst enemy. Use your natural gift of hyper-awareness to improve, but don’t let it run your life to the point of feeling stifled. Your Moon has very specific gifts to offer the world when you allow intuition to get a look in!

Some ideas to put into action to assist your Virgo Moon sign tendencies.

WRITE. Making lists is an easy way to feel like you’re in control of your life. That creeping fear you may forget something and, heaven forbid, look like you made a mistake will be put to rest. Your Moon can relax while still feeling on top of her game. Also, when feeling cranky just write it all out. Virgo is ruled by Mercury, the sign of communication, and is symbolized by our hands. So when emotions are overflowing, get out your pen and paper to purge what’s assailing your heart.

CREATE. Use your hands, and take a class in something that will require lots of skill. Your Moon will be put at ease by having a detailed task to perform. Your natural perfectionist tendencies will love to learn an instrument, or create photo-real pieces of art. Having a creative outlet that gives you the opportunity for others to praise you will also make your spirit sing. Cooking could be another option, because you get to work at it till it’s just right while also bringing happiness to others. Providing a delicious meal for the people you love is a win-win.

GET PHYSICAL. Virgo sign rules physical health and wellbeing, so your Moon needs to feel healthy to be happy. Whether it’s lifting weights, seeking zen through yoga or hiking out in nature, you will be more balanced once you some regular exercise to your routine. Speaking of routines, that need to control the chaos will also balanced by exercise. The Virgo Sun likes to think, the Virgo Moon wants to feel, and movement is super helpful to address this duality. Getting out of your head and into your body gives you the opportunity to just feel.

In summary, Virgo Moons make for great listeners, loyal friends and practical partners. Just keep the critical self-talk and need for control in check and all will be copacetic.

How have you learned to work with your Virgo Moon sign? Connect with us and share on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!

WEEKLY TAROTSCOPE: AUGUST 31-SEPT 6

In her new weekly tarotscope, Louise Androlia pulls the Three of Wands – which is about acting on all you’ve been manifesting. The time is NOW…

You can also check out the last weekly tarotscope at the link – did Louise’s reading resonate for you? Share with us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter!