The Numinous

PROWL MAGAZINE: TALKING DIY CULTURE AND DMT WITH LISA LUXX

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

Lisa Luxx is the self-declared “preditor-in-chief” of new London counter culture ‘zine, Prowl. In this interview she talks to Ruby Warrington about; why you need your ego to succeed, why anonymity will be the greatest luxury for generation Z, how to prep your face for an ayahuasca trip and how switching off from technology felt like an “everlasting climax.” Among other, equally fascinating subjects…

Lisa Luxx by Olivia Sykes

SO HOW DOES A GIRL MANIFEST A WHOLE MAGAZINE THESE DAYS?
Visualization. I very much believe that I can get what I want by thinking about it enough…and I couldn’t take my mind’s eye of this project for a long time, like a song on repeat. I believe it manifested itself through that energy.

DECLARING YOURSELF “PREDITOR-IN-CHIEF” SURE TAKES SOME BALLS, TOO…
Luckily I have pretty big ego and, as an Aries, heaps of pride, and I really believed that what we were doing with PROWL was going to have some worth among the underground creative scene. I also talked about it a lot in the beginning, and as soon as I announce that I’m going to do something I absolutely will!

Jacob Escott

THE MAGAZINE OPENS WITH A MISSION STATEMENT: “LOVE EVERYONE, PLEASE NO-ONE.” WHERE DID YOU GET THIS AND WHY IS IT SUCH AN IMPORTANT AN IDEA?
Jacob Escott (the illustrator behind this and Art Director of PROWL) and I came up with this together, which seems to be the ethos of a whole generation of creatives making up this independent renaissance. The current DIY scene is very cooperative and collaborative, where love is the driving force behind success – perhaps because so many people understand the power of positive vibes nowadays. However, there is also a sense of revolt – we are writing, drawing and performing whatever we like because we have nothing to lose and no one to answer to.

Chenoa Gao

IS THIS WHY “COUNTER CULTURE ISN’T DEAD”?
As long as there are still people going against The Man, there will be a counter culture – and there has never been more to counter! Right now, humans still don’t know how to live alongside the mechanisms we’re putting into place in our everyday life. There’s also is a vast awareness of our environmental issues, the backend of a grim recession plus an increasingly more right-wing government to contend with.

SO WHAT WILL COUNTER CULTURE LOOK LIKE FOR GENERATION Z?
Anonymity. I mean, do you ever get that feeling you’re not being watched? People have started to react against our overexposure by hiding away. In fashion I expect to see a lot more facemasks, headpieces and full body outfits with less skin on show. Imagine space age Victorians. “Unseen” is already the trendiest thing to be now, think about all these hidden bars or the online Darknet, for example. As a result, the counterculture of Generation Z will be almost undetectable.

Marco Zaffino

ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES IN THE MAG IS ON “BEAUTY TIPS FOR ACID HEADS” – HOW SHOULD ONE PREP ONE’S TOILETTE FOR AN AYAHUASCA CEREMONY?
Well, you’re gonna be puking a lot on ayahuasca so the most important thing to do is tie your hair back in a loose bun. Give your face a good cleanse before you start and apply a tiny amount of non-oily moisturizer – like Neal’s Yard Yarrow & Comfrey Moisturizer. It will see you through the long trip but won’t get clammy. The white robes at an ayahuasca ceremony are also prone to washing out your complexion, so don’t wear any black around your eyes that might look spooky when smudged. When you come out of this you’ll want to look as good as you feel, so have a hit of blusher with you to bring yourself back to the land of the living zen.

AND WHAT WAS THE BIGGEST REVELATION YOU GAINED FROM RESEARCHING “THE ANTI-NET KID” (WHERE YOU WENT TWO MONTHS ON THE ROAD WITH NO PHONE OR EMAIL)?
When I reached Yosemite National Park, I found this open meadow and I let the wind lay me down in the long grass while the sun graciously bore itself upon me. As the gentle breeze passed through me I felt myself shift into a nook of harmony with my surroundings. My edges blew away and I existed as one with the universe – I could feel our energy coming together in the throes of one great everlasting climax. It was a real moment of enlightenment for me and the moment I wrote the poem that would become my first published piece.

Marco Zaffino

WOW. COULD WE ALL ACHIEVE THIS IF WE JUST SWITCHED OFF OUR iPHONES FOR A MINUTE?
This was the result of being without modern technology for two months and submerging myself in natural beauty. As a twenty-three year old I’ve never been in the moment. I grew up with mobile phones and the web always connecting me to times and places that didn’t exist in my immediate surroundings, so I’ve spent a lifetime being tremendously longsighted – thinking it made me stronger to exist further afield, when really I wasn’t existing anywhere wholly.

Jacob Escott

HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOU IN THE LONG RUN?
Following that time in Yosemite, it became clear that if I continued to use technology the way I had become accustomed I would not be a fully fuctioning human being – unable to concentrate, meditate, explore or really touch things and mean it. I have since translated this lesson into conversations, work and sex – suddenly I was better at everything and enjoying it all at a much deeper level.

WHAT DOES THE NUMINOUS LOOK, SOUND AND FEEL LIKE TO YOU?
As an abstract and rather psychedelic reply to that, here are some notes I once wrote while lost in the beatific vibrations of a DMT trip…“The red and purple Amorphous Androgynous rain falls down on me but instead of wetting me it tickles. This is the summertime of consciousness. The cosmic vibrations of the universe and constantly in orgasm. It’s glorious; let yourself go to the spectacle of lights and colors. I’m in meadows of joy and light, listening to trumpets of energy and serenity. There’s a real language of cosmic love but words don’t exist here. I’ve been to the edges of existence and it’s glorious. I’ve been to the riverbanks of gentle being. I’ve watched the sun come up on the hazy valleys of our essential being. I’ve witnessed the willows weep as the seasons of peace pass on our insignificant magnificence.”

“Sweet Thoughts” by Jacob Escott

AND NOW I’VE READ PROWL, WHO SHOULD I GIVE MY COPY TO?
Pass your copy on to a real underground artist who could become one of the Predators or someone else who wants to join the party. PROWLHOUSE is about building a network of creatives and celebrating our worth, while marking the next big movements. Or give the copy to someone who might want to invest some cash into our next issue! Remember to write your name inside so as the copy gets passed on you will always exist with it and the next reader can look you up and make friends.

Issue one of Prowl magazine is available now. The editors encourage sharing. For information about events go to www.prowlhouse.info

 @ProwlHouse

DESERT ROSE: ERICA JAGO ON SPIRIT, SEX AND CREATIVITY

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

Jago Yoga founder Erica Jago talks to Ruby Warrington about finding her freedom at the Burn and creative collaborations her her twin flame. Images by Michael Chichi.

I first came across the work of Erica Jago and Michael Chichi in Art of Attention, the book Erica co-authored with NYC yogini extraordinaire Elena Brower.

The book opens with instructions for a fast-paced flow sequence to Reduce Tension and Find Forgiveness, and I was blown away by Michael’s accompanying images of Erica and Elena, set against the backdrop of Burning Man’s Black Rock City.

This was yoga FROM ANOTHER PLANET. One where fierce postures were infused with fashion, sex and a powerful and raw femininity. At the time, The Numinous was still in the very earliest phases of conception – but; “look,” I would tell people, “THIS is Numinous.”

When I reached out to Erica and Michael about creating some images for the site, I was beyond psyched when they said yes. Here are the results. And here is Erica on her yoga, her man and how she believes “my spirituality, sexuality and creativity” are one and the same thing.

ERICA, I FIRST CAME ACROSS YOUR WORK IN ART OF ATTENTION. HOW DID YOU AND ELENA FIRST CONNECT?
Elena’s poetic yoga classes came into my life right when I needed support and inspiration. I was transitioning out of a 13-year relationship, my job had just laid me off and I had no choice but to take my dreams seriously. Terrified of failure, I reluctantly sent her a pdf of my book and within days she responded with; “Could we / should we work together?” DREAM COME TRUE! Our relationship since has completely changed the course of my life. Not only did Elena bring me into her world, but she encouraged me to elevate mine on every level.

AND HOW DID YOU AND MICHAEL FIRST MEET?
Michael! My twin flame. I was kind of stalking him online, because his photography and artwork made me swoon. It’s like he spoke the language of my heart through his visuals. Again, it came down to ASK and you shall receive. When I first reached out, we agreed to met in person about web design and photography. What I thought was a “business meeting” turned quickly into a discussion about relationships, spirituality and…Burning Man!

AH, THE BURN. IT’S IS OBVIOUSLY A SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOU TWO…
When I finally started attending these transformational festivals with Michael, I found myself moving my body and expressing myself ‘wildly,’ in a way that used to invoke caution to be careful, to be realistic and remind myself of my own limitations. Instead these experiences liberated and revolutionised my self-confidence. After years of putting out the request to learn self-love, I believe the Universe conspired the union between Michael and I that brought me to the Burn through the spiritual law of attraction.

WHAT ARE YOUR SIGNS, AND WHAT PART DOES THIS PLAY IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
Michael is Sagittarius, I am Leo. Both Fire signs! I believe Michael appreciates the way I’m not afraid to shine and take the lead, and I respect his outward focus on the world.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO CONNECT WITH EACH OTHER ON A CREATIVE LEVEL?
Michael’s favorite line is; “When two people are saying YES, anything is possible…”

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THIS PROCESS TO ME?
You can count on me to take the lead in many, if not all of our creative projects. Michael shows up with a willingness to work as a team and there is a clear understanding on both our parts that there is something much larger at work here. We both know our place in the process, and our fiery passion to express beauty is magnetic to the type of work we attract. Hence working with The Numinous!

 

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE PROJECT YOU SHOT FOR US?
Our inspiration for this shoot was really the sculpture. Michael knows both the artists, so we sought their pieces out specifically. Also, we always tried to shoot at 6am or 6pm, which we call ‘magic hour,’ that cinematic time of day with its soft luminosity.

YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO PUT A LOOK TOGETHER. WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR CLOTHES AND HOW DO YOU STYLE YOURSELF?
My favorite designer is Lurdes Bergada. I found them in Barcelona while biking near the Rambla Catalunya. The window display stopped me in my tracks; feminine in nature but with that REVOLUCIÓN androgynous feel. I seek contemporary clothing with soft lines, clean shapes and natural fabrics for practicing yoga in, but which still have a sensual side for bopping around town and meeting friends out. The saris women wear in India are a huge inspiration for me and I love to adorn my body with bangles and bracelets…and body paint!

ANY RULES FOR THRIVING IN THE DESERT ENVIRONMENT?
Love your camp. Have a cushion for your bike seat. Plenty of baby wipes

SO WHAT’S THE PHILOSOPHY OF YOUR YOGIC PRACTICE?
When we meet on the mat, I believe we are doing the work to become whole. This is an act of remembering who we really are, when all the outside programming and input is brought to a minimum and we resolve to stay present in the heart. In fact, the heart breath is an excellent way into our wholeness. Keeping our awareness right above the heart and below the throat is how we align all aspects of ourselves with love. It means seeing this life as a gift that we are the caretakers of.

AND DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL LIFE PHILOSOPHY?
I think everything we say, do and think has to be a “win, win” for all concerned, otherwise it’s not worthy of the heart space. And that if we practice together, we are in it together..

WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR NATURAL AFFINITY FOR SPIRITUAL TEACHINGS?
My grandmother was one of the first evangelical women preachers in Ohio and my father has saved cassette tapes of her voice in church. When I listen to those teachings I can hear the same inflection in my voice when I’m guiding a group. So there’s a lineage here that my soul signed up for, and it’s like my body is equipped to further the universal messages of love through art and design. I know my grandmother is very proud.

FINALLY, IN WHAT WAYS IS ‘BEAUTY’ AN EXPRESSION OF THE SPIRITUAL?
I love this question. I see no difference between my spirituality, sexuality and creativity. All three are working to evolve us into the next level of love through beauty and attraction. Beauty drives the feeling of peace and until each one of us knows how to find that place in ourselves, and to align with it, we will never have world peace.

Art of Attention by Erica Jago and Elena Brower is out now.

www.jagoyoga.com
@jagoyoga

M.I.A. MATANGI: “BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU THINK”

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

“We all tweet incessantly the way parrots in the jungle do; we never consider how far the smallest idea can travel and how it can affect the people it reaches.” M.I.A. (a.k.a. Matangi)

Music with a message has always been M.I.A.’s MO. As global consciousness expands, her latest release, Matangi, is like a missive from another realm on the the power of our thoughts. If there has been a theme to 2013, our first year on post-Mayan planet Earth, then isn’t that exactly it? We are what we think.

With this understanding comes an awesome responsibility – because, oh s***, now the ball is in our court. For M.I.A. Matangi is here to remind us all that we better beware of our thoughts, and that we better back that up by speaking (not to mention tweeting) our truth.

Everybody’s favorite rap-tivist explains the story behind it all.

WHO IS MATANGI?
Matangi is a 5000-year-old concept of a Goddess who fought to keep thought and information pure. She sits on a gem-studded throne with a sitar. In Hinduism, the Goddesses have different life roles, and when Matangi is in a tranquil, meditative state, she plays the sitar.  Her instrument symbolises each part of the human experience…the consciousness, the breath, the heart, the body…and she plays to keep the universe and the people in harmony.

WHAT’S THE MESSAGE IN HER MUSIC?
She’s here to remind us that information needs to be spoken from the heart. If it’s not it’s false, and she defends that and fights for that. She fights the pollution of frequencies – which is all to do with words and how they come out, the articulation of inner thought to outward expression – which can happen through music, or any of the 64 ways to express your inner thoughts.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW ABOUT HER?
She’s the ninth of the ten Goddesses that Shiva’s wife splits into when he’s at work – because when she’s not being Shiva’s wife, she’s got s*** to do! His wife is called Parvati – and Wikipedia says she’s also the Goddess of power, because if Shiva is the god of destruction, you can’t destroy without power. In Hinduism it’s all about couples – and while the men are alright they’re not the main thing, which is really cool.

WHY DOES MATANGI’S STORY RESONATE WITH YOU?
I found about about her because my birth name is Mathangi, and how funny that her mantra is “aim” – which is M.I.A. backwards. But right now you can apply her myth to what’s happening in the world. Matangi also carries a parrot – she’s got her sitar and she has a sword in one hand and a parrot in the other, which represents the nature of humans.

WHAT PART OF HUMAN NATURE?
It’s an intelligent bird because it can repeat words, but it doesn’t have the consciousness to understand what it’s saying – and how funny, today we have a thing called “Twitter” – where we tweet, and then we re-tweet! And we’re judged on how many re-tweets we get. Not by the one intelligent thing we said that no-body re-tweeted, but because we said something stupid like; “I’m having a cheeseburger” and 1000 people re-tweeted it. Hinduism works in symbols, and the parrot means nothing in itself. It’s there to remind us to be conscious of what we say.

Matangi by M.I.A. is out now.
@MIAuniverse

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: MS LOUNIVERSE

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

Louise Androlia (a.k.a. Louniverse) is the beautiful white witch behind our monthly Tarotscopes. Also a gifted psychic and holistic life-coach, she reveals the day-to-day details of a very mystical life.

WHAT DID YOU DREAM ABOUT LAST NIGHT AND WHAT DID IT MEAN?
I’m currently on a major energy clear out and recalibrating myself after moving house so I’ve been having all sorts of super intense dreams about ex-crushes and old fears. Everything that needs to be zapped is getting worked out via my dreams. So I’ve been waking up a little tired but feeling like I’m dissolving emotional weight.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE FEEL-GOOD BREAKFAST AND WHY?
I’m obsessed with breakfast. My ultimate favorite is cooked porridge oats with berries, cacao and chia seeds, aka chocolate porridge! Ideally I’ll eat it in the bath. That said I just got a juicer so I’m switching it up and currently dying everything in my house with beetroot juice.

WHAT MANTRA DID YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE WITH THIS MORNING?
“I SURRENDER” goes with me everywhere, I stand by it being the quickest way to shift obsessive thoughts or worries. It’s a way of asking for help from a bigger place, and it works.

WHAT’S YOUR LUCKY CHARM?
I’m totally un-superstitious and have never in my life had “lucky” items but I often carry something to suit my mood, very often for me a black tourmaline crystal to help with grounding.

WHO IS YOUR GO-TO GURU?
I adore Mike Dooley for his ‘Notes from the Universe.’ Mainly though, my gurus are my friends, who I can talk about everything with, who light up my ideas and work with me as we all better ourselves. Friendship is power!

WHAT’S YOUR STRESS-BUSTER?
Helping other people cope with stress is a passion and speciality of mine, and to do this I need to look after myself. This means taking my own advice and slowing down, eating well, resting and, most importantly, being present as opposed to overwhelmed by the bigger picture. This often means taking time out on my own just lying on the floor in my room, painting or taking a walk in one of my favorite parks.

RETAIL THERAPY IS…?
Treating myself usually means indulging in some holistic therapies or good food. That said I’m definitely ready for some new winter clothes!

WHAT DO WEAR WHEN YOU’RE FEELING LIKE THE QUEEN OF THE WORLD?
A vintage cream silk dress that I bought in LA a few years ago from Shareen’s Vintage in LA. It’s perfectly dreamy, and makes me feel good.

YOUR LAST CONVERSATION WITH THE UNIVERSE WENT SOMETHING LIKE…
“I’m ready.”

YOUR MISSION IN YOUR CURRENT EARTHLY INCARNATION IS…?
To learn, heal and teach.

AND WHEN DID YOU LAST WITNESS MAGIC IN ACTION?
All the time! My favorite kind of magic is when I witness clients realizing a shift that they have been creating in their life. On a more mystical tip, on recent full moon trip to the Lake District I was up lucky enough to witness energy, lights and orbs dancing around while visiting the stone circle in the early evening. And I see magic every time I look at an animal.

www.louiseandrolia.com
@louniverse

TAROTSCOPES: NOVEMBER 2013

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

SCORPIO – THE FOOL

Happy Birthday! It’s Scorpio hour. Did you know that Saturn is currently touring through Scorpio too? The planet in charge of ass-kicking, Saturn works its hardest to open our eyes to change so that we can align with our true path. The journey isn’t easy but the thing is, Saturn and Scorpio have much in common. I reminded you last month’s tarotscopes that as a Scorpio you are the Zodiac’s master of evolution and that change can be your very best friend, if you let it. Keep this duet in mind, for the next two years are your golden opportunity to grab life by the universal balls, as it were, and transform into the super you that I know you can be. Last month I talked about getting to grips with the material world a little more, and as a Scorpio myself I can say that October was pretty intense. I found myself having to cope with a lot of very ‘human stresses’ as I called them. How was it for you? The Fool is a bright guiding light for you Scorpio, an opportunity to welcome in a new cycle in your life. It is such a positive sign for the end of your year, so shiny! I know you are sometimes a little afraid of shining your brightest but this is your green light to push forward. This card assures us that there are no endings or beginnings, just a revolving door of moments in your timeline. So this of course heralds more change, in a positive way, and try and see all change as that, an opportunity to move ahead – every moment is taking you somewhere, and when you look back in retrospect it will make sense. You have so many things that you want to do, places to go, people to meet and teach. Don’t let this be an overwhelm, instead put some practical stepping stones in place as this month is all about stepping up a level, materially and spiritually. You are supported, friends and family in both realms are here to help, just remember to ask for help when you need it Scorpio. There is no such thing as failure or weakness, only opportunities to move to better things and top up your personal power. So be confident, even if you don’t feel it, work completely with your intuition this month and take the leaps of faith that your heart desperately wants you to. This month is your chance to make changes and heighten your earthbound experience. So allow fear to transform to faith and surrender. I have a feeling you have an epic twelve months ahead of you Scorps, life changing in fact, so stay awake so you don’t miss out.

SAGITTARIUS – FIVE OF CUPS

How did last month go for you Sag? Manage to sweep away some of the cobwebs that were hiding your magnificence? I hope so, as a Fire sign it’s important that you direct your leading element in the right direction. We have a pretty deep card for you this month and I want to address that glow of yours and talk about perspective and perception. You always have your eye on the prize, something that’s very admirable about you, and you are very capable of getting what you want. What happens though when change swoops in and knocks your vision a little off balance? Sometimes it is easy for us to deem changes as failures or time wasted, and there may be a little foot stamping in line for you this November. I want you to be ahead of the game so that if you feel swung off track you know how to handle it. The simple message with the Five of Cups is to see your glass as half full, not empty, to not go off and have a big old pity party when something doesn’t go quite how you planned. However old we are, we’re all still capable of childlike tantrums, or a little fuming from within. The Cups hold the water element and as a Fire sign sometimes you get a little bit annoyed if you feel like your feelings are all up in your face, making you take a break in your schedule. Feelings however are your magical keycard this month, enabling you to go deeper with your questions about life, enhancing your fluidity beyond what’s written in black and white. I wonder if last month you unearthed some of things that can hold you back? When we come to a realization about why we have a certain habit or belief, it’s essential that we address that epiphany in the right way. It’s no use just saying; ‘Oh well that’s why I do this,’ and using that as your excuse to continue the habit. In November I want you to make a promise to yourself that you will not celebrate your losses. There are Five Cups in your eyes and three of them are overflowing with love, compassion and opportunities. Focus on the possibilities and not the past. Remind yourself of that Magician card from last month – you still have all the skills you need, so use them wisely, not against yourself. Keep up your gratitude practice and finally, on a health note, if this card finds you feeling a little energy zapped, especially with the seasons changing, keep up your self care and allow yourself a bit of blanket time!

CAPRICORN – THREE OF CUPS

After a string of months where the energy for you has been much more focused on work than “woohoo!” November holds the promise of a more fun fuelled time for you Capricorn. The Three of Cups is here to remind you about, let me whisper it…f.u.n. I feel  you’ve been pretty full on in career zone for the most of the second part of the year and I doubt there has even been much time to relax, but this month if you don’t see time then you must make time. As with last month you have the number three, which is a number of expansion and creativity. With the Pentacles I asked you to share work ideas with friends and spread your knowledge as a teacher, and this month, with the Cups, the number encourages you to expand socially and get out of your solo routine. I feel you may have been in a bit of a you bubble recently and you will benefit from opening up your inner conversation with others. On the subject of stress, it will help you to put the world to rights with your closest friends, whether that means joining forces for a night out or having a massive catch up with your nearest and dearest over Skype. Let this joyous sharing energy uplift you and bring in elements of self care too. It’s a great time to join a group yoga or meditation class to get a blast of community (mind body) spirit. Of course the cups are also about feelings and if you are coupled up then this month expand your routine to include double dates, introduce your partner to a friend of yours they’ve never met before and be open to sharing new experiences together. If you are single then “mingle” is the word for you. Ever thought that one of your best friends could be hiding the love of your life? Go out and be seen. With a theme like this the main thing is to be open to new opportunities. You know the surrender practice, so this month use it to surrender to positive social experiences. Finally let this card remind you to look on the bright side, avoid doomsday thought processes and give peace a chance.

AQUARIUS – FOUR OF CUPS

You’re still on a personal development curve sweet Aquarius, and this November I want you to make sure you don’t shift to an apathetic frame of mind when you feel that things aren’t shifting as fast as you want them to. The point here is that you are ready for things to be different, and in a sense don’t want to be patient and surrender anymore! There is a little stubborn voice inside your head that sometimes says “well I may as well just give up just to avoid repeating a pattern again.” This card can pull you up on those moments when you head inwards, but in more of a punishing than productive way. Your message for this month is to just keep fighting the good fight, keep being open and celebrating all the great things you’ve got. As I was saying to Sagittarius, you must be viewing all ‘cups’ as half full, not half empty. It may be that you are entering a period of newness and it’s seems a little scary to you, feelings that could be a bit risky are making you want to take a step backwards to a ‘safe’ place. But sometimes that can be a negative space that has just become familiar. This is where it’s a good idea to view the unknown as something exciting, not fearful. Be careful of interpreting your own frustrations as an external negative energy. You may also have to practice patience a lot this month. This is only for your own good growth as you have plenty that you are working on and the stakes are high, with exciting times ahead. Focus on keeping your eyes on the prize and not giving up on your dreamiest dreams. Things can feel unpredictable around you with this card and again it’s about maintaining your own consistency so that others doings don’t shake you up. Focus on cultivating a steady flow within your life, and avoid other peoples drama queen moments because you are susceptible to joining in. Instead keep working on your own inner growth and you will get there. Health wise, nurture yourself and swot up on holistic thinking and how to bring about a mind, body, spirit balance. I feel you might be surprised at how quickly you take to this way of thinking. Your sign, although an Air sign has a lot of Water elements, and so healing on a deeper level will always be beneficial for you. Ground yourself by focusing on your highest intentions and a clearer mind will ensue.

PISCES – TEN OF WANDS

This card with its feeling of overwhelm is a common one for the water signs among us, who are very capable of feeling overwhelmed in general, what with all those feelings to confront! The Ten of Wands can often appear just as you’ve realized you have maybe taken on too much, or put too much pressure on yourself, when things are a bit of a slog and you are definitely aware of trudging uphill. However, I’ve grown to kind of love this card as I turn it over so often for myself and always get its message; which is really a little hint to say, ‘hey  workaholic, remember what it’s like to just go and call up an old friend or allow yourself an evening sitting in the middle of your floor painting or singing or staring at the ceiling? You’re allowed.’ This November make some time for YOU – which means less thinking of what you ought to be doing, and more time actually doing the things that you know feel good. If you sit and watch movies all day but then berate yourself for being lazy you’ll counter the act of self love. The Tens always remind us of the cycles in life and again with this card you are at a tipping point, the top of the hill is just there and breakthroughs are abundant if you are open to them. I always like to give you the energy of the Ace along with a Ten, and the Ace of Wands is about new projects, creative enthusiasm, gifts of passion from the Universe, things that make you ‘pop.’ I feel you are much more on the abundant side of this 10/Ace balance, so now’s the time to get ahead of the game. Dilute feelings of overwhelm with self care so that you are ready to start the new cycle that’s just around the corner. You’ve been working to be more open to opportunities and different ways of thinking, so honor what you have started and keep at it. I feel like I keep reminding you to meditate, and I’m going to say it again. Mantras and meditation are the key to calming your mind when you get overwhelmed or over emotional. You need to release your stress rather than run away, no swimming backwards Pisces, only forward fishing from now on. Ask for help, share creatively with other people, so seek out art parties and winter study groups. Change should appear with a silver lining, be ready to say yes. You know the drill. I love you.

ARIES – FIVE OF SWORDS

I’m seeing November as time for a little clear up after last month’s overwhelm. October was a bit of a wild one, hey? You have had a really complex year with a lot of change and a definite cycle of highs and lows. For you it’s been a series of great achievements with a spatter of healthy burnout, which you’re more aware than ever is just the cycle of life. So I see the Five of Swords as a piecing together of the self for you. November may still be a month of intensity, but instead of it feeling so jumbled, you have the opportunity to organize your chaos. Last month especially you became aware of where your thinking had become scattered, and now, with a clearer head, you want to collect yourself back together, but in a new and improved way. I’ve been waving the self care banner at you and this month we move on to you reclaiming your new and improved power pack. After a bit of a health wake up cal,l it’s likely that you might have reevaluated some aspects of your lifestyle so there is a sense of a ‘new’ you which might feel a bit strange to begin with, like reacquainting yourself with a part of you that has been swept under the carpet. Instead of feeling a bit defeated by life, use the Air energy of this card to get excited about expanding your thought processes, choosing to grab these Swords and use them to your advantage. It’s likely you might be in a position where suddenly everyone around you has an opinion about what you’re doing, some of which will be welcome and some very much the opposite. This card can give us a lesson in how we respond to tension in our environment and how to choose our battles wisely. I always will fly the flag for taking the high road, but that  doesn’t mean looking down on your ‘enemy’ and judging them, it’s more about staying aligned with your highest intention. Keep in tune with your intuition around other people and If you feel shaken by external energies in November, remember just that – focus inwards and examine your own potential reactions rather than throwing out whatever comes up first. I feel that you might surprise yourself this month by having a few ‘reactive’ breakthroughs where you suddenly realize that you’ve outgrown some of your negative habits. Now that’s what you call personal power.

TAURUS – FOUR OF PENTACLES

More earthbound lessons in November Taurus. With the Four of Pentacles we take a look at your attitude to change within your material world, and how to overcome fears associated with your relationship with.. gasp.. money! You have been successful with work projects recently or at the very least you know you have some damn good ideas! And there is a very Taurean aspect to this card, in that it’s here to remind you of your own ability to get a little stuck, purely out of fear of taking the next step. One way to read this card can be about becoming a little too possessive over your material gains, as if you’ve worked hard to gather together some comforts and you are worried that they might be taken away from you. Without your permission! A fear of risk-taking may be present this November and so that is not too hard to work with, because again it’s just a reminder for you to at least try and open the door to change. It’s not always easy as an earth sign to be fluid, but as a Taurus you actually have secret access to flow which you may not have realized yet. You know that saying – ‘The more you give, the more you get’? I feel this is relevant for you as a mantra this month is to keep things in a giving and receiving energy. You will become less afraid of loss if you keep sharing positivity with the world, which is about making friends with the material rather than letting it worry you. Make gratitude your only attitude this month and celebrate your friends and their achievements. Be thankful for all that you have achieved and keep cracking yourself open to a new you. This would be a great time also to take some positive personal power over your finances, so get a new filing cabinet, set up an online accounting system, or organize in another way that works for you. Don’t be afraid that a recent milestone was just a ‘one off’, and think of it more as a doorway for a whole new season of success. In fact, be ready for a new attitude this month across the board. In relationships, the same applies, so consider this; if one way of communication isn’t working, all you need is a new direction

GEMINI – SEVEN OF SWORDS

Ah November, November…the card I turned for you is full of many lessons and is so valuable for personal growth in the material world. The depth within this card is all about the energy of betrayal and what is hidden. On the surface it may be that you have recently been feeling let down by others, or discovered layers in situations that you had no idea existed leaving you faced with some unexpected changes. It’s important to remember you can use this as a time to reconnect inwards again, to hone your intuition so  you feel less unsure when you are taking on new projects or friends. If you have a feeling something just isn’t right for you then honor that. Within the realms of this hidden world you must also check in with yourself about your own motives for yourself and others. Have you been trying to take the easy road with a particular situation in your life, worrying about facing it head on? This procrastinating energy can be a way of pushing your fears to the back of the cupboard. Jut remember that covering up fears sometimes means they only end up coming back with more gusto. The concept of personal power is really the basis of the Tarot, and you must rise up and take charge of yourself again, don’t drift along with your own worries or other peoples’. We only feel a loss if somewhere we have allowed it, through a lack of self worth or a fear of moving ahead. This is an ideal time and place for you to work on your trust issues, and also ideas about how you view other people and yourself. Remember everyone is a mirror, so those people you feel free to judge or mistrust, what is it about them that is hitting a nerve with you? This can be a chance to practice forgiveness towards yourself in order to move forwards in a more loving way. Try not to refer to your skills or self with a sense of lack. Practice confidence by choosing to trust in yourself, and be your own cheerleader because this always heralds the start of new successes. Stay grounded, be practical but intuitive.

CANCER – MOTHER OF PENTACLES

I feel a blast of good vibes coming through for you sweet Cancer! The nurturing energy from last month is still around, but this November it comes with a boost of inner strength. The Mother of Pentacles carries with her all the wonderful aspects of the Earth energy. You feel more on top of the world than you have in a while, so revel in that strength, step into your personal power and allow yourself to believe it. There is quite a celebratory energy for you this month Cancer, with a very strong hold over your Water element too. This card shows a really wonderful connection between the spiritual and material world, career strength as well as social comforts. You’ve been practicing a better handle over your feelings, so keep at it. I’m encouraging you to keep balancing out your emotions with practical steps, this will keep your feelings from overflowing and getting the better of you. In your work life, know that you now have a place  to ground your dreams and that the key is to keep balance in mind. This means that you must continue making a place for self care amongst a calendar that is filling up with social engagements and meetings. There is time and space for everything, and you have the power to build yourself quite the success schedule. There is an aspect of expansion for you also in the coming weeks, use that to shout up and out about what you are proud off. Your love and social life can also benefit from this energy and you need to make sure you are ready  to connect with others. Make way for some surprising new friends and potential lovers, a meeting of minds may be imminent. Finally always remember the elements you are working with. The Mother of Pentacles is Earthy, while you are all Water. If you feel stuck or stubborn or weighted down, let creativity be your guide, your Water feeding the Earth. Thrash your fears out with music or painting. Try some Feng Shui decorating tips to reconnect yourself to a grounding and flow filled energy. On the subject of your environment, you might also feel ready to make a move, to a home that more suits your new ways of thinking. As a Cancer your home life is so important, it will forever be your grounding tool, so make sure that your space is safe.

LEO – THE LOVERS

Now this card is really a lot less about actual ‘Lovers’ than the name suggests, and we have to go way deeper into the meaning of connection than simply predicting a new relationship. I feel this November is going to take on the bigger energy of this card for you Leo, which is about choices and decision making. What is the real meaning behind the term ‘soulmate’? if you think about it,  it’s all about depth of connection, something that makes you shift your way of thinking and opens your mind. So think of that energy and apply it to all aspects of life, and you’ll see how it’s as much about your own inner strength to make choices that will work for you in a positive way. You just don’t have time to be conducting your day to day life from a place of anything less than optimum energy. You have to make a choice right now to let go of any low level ways of thinking, as you’ll only end up spinning in circles, blinded  from participating in the fun of your own life. Love, love, love, love, is the most powerful way of thinking! When you craft every thought and action from a place of love, your energy is then pure. I also feel a sense of ‘flocking’ for you, inspired by the imagery from this deck, and you might be feeling that you actually need a physical change of environment in order to make a few shifts. Moving house might not be totally out of sight over the coming months. Find comfort in familiar friends and trusted loves, let them remind you what a meaningful connection is and try to apply that to meeting new people going forward. Most of all, this November is about digging deep and remembering who you are and what you want – which is easy to say and so much harder to do. But let your past be your teacher and your healer, enable nostalgia to accelerate your progress by showing you what definitely hasn’t worked. That is the only push you need to move forward. I feel very strongly that if you focus on your own self worth and connection to your highest light, you will be way ahead of the game and on board to tackle and welcome any changes that may arrive in the next few weeks.

VIRGO – THE STAR

Star light, shine bright. You are glowing with the energy of this card over the next few weeks Virgo and all because you survived the past few months. Well done! I see a big leap forward out from the darkness and so much possibility and opportunity around you. This is a very magical card with a real focus on self expression. Any worries or concerns this month, work them out in a creative way. Let ideas flow, have pens, paint, thread and music at the ready, get it all out and you will see how things shift. You are upping your game too, you’ve planted loads of seeds and seen them grow and now you want more of that same. You know that the art of manifestation works so keep going. You also have a voice so be social, which is not about over doing it – but you will want to find the times and the places to get out there and feel part of something, whether it’s teaching about some of your biggest passions or sitting amongst like minds with your thinking cap on. I feel it’s really important that you’re open to see the change that you’ve been trying to manifest, as in November the Universe may be sending you some heavy winks and nudges. You are allowed to be proud of the life you have built and the things you have worked so so hard for, so give yourself recognition and celebrate this magical life. If you’re reading all this thinking ‘this is SO not how I feel,’ then at least have a go at working with the energy of The Star. This card is about inspiration and beginnings. You are encouraged to have your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. Know that even your biggest dreams are achievable by simply placing one foot in front of the other. I would love to you work on any struggles with your self esteem and know that you are worthy of the things you wish for. To regain your personal power you must allow yourself to have it! You know deep down that self punishment doesn’t get you anywhere, and it’s time to dust off that way of thinking and allow loving thoughts to flow through you. Keep practicing the positive and it will eventually outweigh the negative. You are the darling of the Tarot deck this month, so have faith.

LIBRA – FATHER OF PENTACLES

Snap. Out of a whole deck I have turned the same card for you as last month, so together, let us expand on the energy you felt around October. I spoke to you before about the dominant energy of this card and how it might be reflecting the opinions of others around you. This month I would like to work on you channeling the power of this card for your own personal advantage and strength! As I said before, confidence is a key word with this card and I want you to think about what this Father represents. He holds all the power of the Earth element. This means that he has learned to make the material world work for him, which is really something to celebrate. This is your lesson for November, and it comes with a need to be willing to accept material success and celebrate it when you have it. A lot of us have issues surrounding money, and it can be so easy to take on a lack mentality; thinking, for instance, ‘I can’t afford that’, ‘I don’t have enough’ etc. You can see how this way of speaking only encourages negative energy and gives away your personal power. By doing that you also invite yourself to feel trapped and fearful of the material world. There are practical steps to help with this. Don’t be afraid of organization! If you feel totally overwhelmed by the idea of instigating order and structure in your affairs, then teach yourself a way that works for you. Procrastination can be overcome by practicality, as step by step little shifts enable you to move forward. This is especially important for those of you with a very creative mind, where order can be your biggest friend and help you gain the success you deserve. See this card as also showing a continuation of what you have been working on over the last few weeks, including a second chance with some particular struggles. Keep pushing on with the ideas you were cultivating back in the end of Summer, I know you have things that you want to see come to fruition and it’s likely by the end of the month you really notice some changes. This card can really signal new stability and the fact that it has come up twice makes me feel that you are in a truly transformational time regarding this earthly plane. Keep reminding yourself what it is that you want, have your abundant life in your mind’s eye so that you can shape it around yourself. I’m excited to see how things develop next month. Go Libra go!

Cast using The Wild Unknown deck.

Like what you’re reading? You can connect with Louise at [email protected] to discuss a private tarot session, or a reading for your event or party! More information about her coaching and holistic therapy sessions can also be found at www.louiseandrolia.com.

@louniverse

PSYCHED! BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE WEEKLY WILLIAMSBURG SPIRIT SEANCE

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

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

TO THE FUTURE: A MYSTICAL JOURNEY WITH JULES KIM

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

New York jewelry designer Jules Kim views the world through a unique lens, where pixie queens and pop divas wear her creations like they’re living, breathing creatures. She talks self-expression, sweating it out and the beauty of imperfection with Ruby Warrington. Photos: Annie Powers. Styling: Raquel Griffin. Hair: Sayo Takegami. Makeup: Deanna Melluso. 

Cut-out t-shirt, Raquel Allegra; Rings, Bijules.

The latest collection is a re-birthing of your signature pieces – when was the last time you felt re-born? Why?
It was just a few days ago in Paris. I walked from the showroom I was based in in Palais Royal to Rue de Rivoli, where I saw my pieces on display in the Louvre’s retail boutique…none of my contemporaries were there to share this moment with me – none of my family, none of my friends – it was just for me…It was an overwhelming and humble feeling to allow a success such as this radiate through me…

How did that feel, physically?
I had been running from appointment to rendezvous, so exasperated, and my heart stilled and stopped racing when I stood in front of the glass jewelry case with the Bijules pieces shining beneath it. Like little emblems of hope, I was so proud.

You must feel very connected to your creations…
Bijules has been a passion project and always will be, and I believe that to have had developed something so heart-driven means it will grow into exactly what I intend it to be.

It strikes me that you see things with different eyes to other people. How do you maintain your unique worldview?
It has something to do with being an open and honest human being with a great compassion for others, almost to a fault…

How so?
I often find myself leading others to finding something they love, be it a person, a place, or even a job. But sometimes I can give too much and not ask for anything in return, and karma is not a single player game!  As an artist, I search for and absorb beauty 24 hours a day, any place I am…and I believe humility will always enrich my view of the world and allow for my original ideas to take shape.

Blouse, YSL.

Where did you ‘learn’ this – were you the same as a kid?
I’d like to hope so. My mom showed my sister and I how real beauty is natural and cannot be preconceived. I am half Korean and not one of my childhood friends could understand that, so most of my childhood I was searching for different looking things. Knowing they were different made them akin to me.

What is perfect about imperfection to you?
Classic…I say that alllll the time! I find perfection completely unattainable, just as success is always subjective. But it is the pursuit of perfection that gives me satisfaction. Even if the end goal is constantly evolving to suit the actuality of the pursuit.

Somebody told me that in New York, no-body will take you seriously until you’ve tried and failed at something. Because real strength of character comes from picking yourself up and trying again. What have been the most useful mistakes you’ve made?
There have been a combination of repeat offences when I’ve tried to work overnight miracles for celebrities. I guess I’ve learned that unwavering honesty and real originality are what lay the groundwork for true success.

What other major life lessons have you experienced?
I was raised by a single mother who struggled to find her own happiness and I saw very clearly that life is more complicated than one might ever assume. I feel gifted and blessed to have the capacity to love and expand my own experiences into a tangible product. In that way, Bijules is actually a platform for expression and altruism.

Necklace, Bijules.

Do you have a daily spiritual practice or touchstone?
There’s no definitive deity to whom I pray, but I look deep into myself to provide as much stability and reflection as I am capable of. It is my environment and those who I choose to populate that environment who provide the most support. I also hit the gym, Russian spas and saunas for a good sweat three times a week. I’m an extreme kinda girl! (Read Jules’s report on her Icelandic sweat lodge experience here).

And what about any sacred rituals you bring to the design process?
I am a storyteller, and I use both metals and marketing to weave these faceted tales of life, love, failure, success, and happiness. But my creative process relies heavily on exchanges with my staff, production team, and clients.

But do you meditate or do anything else to bring about your best creative ideas or state of being?
I have to sketch and physically record my creative sessions. The paper trail then serves as a relic to refer to as the ideas evolve. I draw when I’m in the air, on planes. Being disconnected is true bliss.

You’ve used your own body in your designs, is this so your clients are literally wearing a piece of you?
It is. Some might perceive this as an ego driven thing but in fact, it is the exact opposite for me. My body is just a human body. We all have one. So the idea is to celebrate that by making jewelry for each and every one!

Illustration: Sian Jordan.

You design for hipsters, celebrities and…elves?
Haha, cute! Yes, when I made my gold ear tip, I decided to sell it with a little bag of gold dust. I imagined a hot ass elf chick walking into a club before exiting to the bathroom to apply her party. She opens her black box of pixie magic and inside is a golden elf ear with a bag of 3 pennyweights (jeweller’s unit of measurement) of gold fairy dust. She dips her Bijules ear tip into the gold mess and as she slips it over her own. The dust falls around her shoulders and into her hair. Now she is ready to get a drink…

So which alternate realm are you incarnated from?
I’m not sure, but I do feel like an old soul whose ideas seem to be way ahead of the curve – and I thoroughly enjoy being first.

Il futuro is….?
Il futuro is Italian for ‘the future’….and mine is paved in gemstones, semi-opaque black diamonds flipped upside down and lots of crazy pieces, made for a few good people.

www.bijulesnyc.com
@bijules

WELLBEING 101: A LOOK AT NUMEROLOGY FOR HEALTH

Posted on by Felicia Bender

We all have our Achilles heel, that recurring something that seems to undermine our overall wellbeing. After a magic potion to fix it? Practical numerologist Felicia Bender has some insight into the underlying health issues that have got your number.

Beyond the ever-present headlines about the obesity epidemic in America and belly-blasting foods you shouldn’t eat, do you ever wish you could cut to the chase and focus on your own core health issues from a slightly different angle?

Looking into Numerology for health begins with the core emotional issues you may find yourself grappling with, which can in turn manifest in ongoing or recurring physical concerns.

There are many numbers that make up your Numerological chart, and yet if you only learn one, your Life Path number is the one to know. This number indicates your life’s purpose, while also providing you with some great information about the constructive and destructive qualities that you might work with along the way.

Here’s how to work our yours:

Write down your birth date.

We’ll use September 4, 1988 as an example.

So that’s 9/4/1988

Now simply add all the numbers together like a long addition problem:

9 + 4 + 1 + 9 + 8 + 8 = 39

The key to numerology is that you always digit down to a one-digit number.  So here we must keep adding until we get to a one-digit number.

3 + 9 =  12

1 + 2 = 3

This person has a Life Path number 3

*A note:  If you get a 10, 20, 30, you still digit down.  So 10 is 1 + 0 = 1 and so on.  You also must make sure and use the whole year, not just the last two digits of the year.  It’s not like writing a check!  You must use the entire 4-digit year for your results to be correct.

NOW.  Let’s look at a very brief description of how you might think about your health according to your Life Path number.

ONE LIFE PATH

  • Who you are:  You’re all about being #1. You’re independent and a born leader. Your Mantra: “I march to the beat of my own drum.”
  • The core emotional issue:  Struggling with self-confidence. Stress. You can become cynical and overbearing. You can be a workaholic.
  • Where you feel it:  Shoulders, knees, insomnia, addictions, blood pressure, heart, liver.
  • What you can do about it:  Be aware of addictive tendencies that allow you to build a wall around your ego self – like a fortress for one. The 1 Life Path is a thinker, so it’s hard to turn your brain off. Therefore alcohol or other addictive sedatives can feel especially soothing to you. You’d benefit from added cardio exercise, while relaxation is also key – anything to get you out of your head and help you release some of that pent-up energy of yours. So get into a regular routine with yoga/meditation and regular massage as well as something that makes your heart race and your body sweat.

TWO LIFE PATH

  • Who you are:  You’re all about balance and harmony. You’re emotionally sensitive. You live to give and receive love. Your Mantra: “I want you to want me!”
  • The core emotional issue:  Feeling everything deeply. You take things to heart. On the flip side, you can become overly aggressive and self-centered in your communication.
  • Where you feel it:  Depression (sadness), hypertension, joint pains, headaches, stomach issues, heart problems, overwhelming insecurity.
  • What you can do about it:  You benefit from Group Therapy (get it out!) or engaging in friendships where you can deeply express your feelings. You thrive with group activities (hiking, classes, and so on) because you’re all about service to group dynamics, so a choreographed dance workout where you become part of one big sweaty group expression, will greatly appeal to your energy. Also be aware that you can get caught up in emotional eating, and practise being really present about what your body actually needs to nourish you in the present moment.

THREE LIFE PATH

  • Who you are:  You’re all about emotional self-expression, communication, and creativity. Your Mantra can be borrowed from The Who:  “See me,  feel me, touch me, heal me.” 
  • The core emotional issue:  Under or over-expressing your overflowing emotions. You need to be heard!  You can become emotionally damaged.
  • Where you feel it:  Weight control, throat issues, intestinal tract issues.
  • What you can do about it:  You need consistent exercise to aid metabolism and stress reduction. Be aware of your intestinal tract, as this is the place you most often process your emotions you can suffer from gastrointestinal distress. You might consider using a probiotic for good intestinal health. Cultivate healthy outlets for your emotions.  Keep a journal! Learn to express yourself in healthy ways. Cultivate healthy emotional detachment. Anything that keys into verbal or written expression is perfect for you.

FOUR LIFE PATH

  • Who you are:  You’re all about stability and security. Your Mantra:  “Slow and steady wins the race.”
  • The core emotional issue:  Rigidity. You can become stubborn and rigid, both physically and emotionally.
  • Where you feel it:  Joint pain, lower back problems, weight issues, intestinal distress, migraines, depression.
  • What you can do about it:  You need consistent cardiovascular exercise for metabolism, stress reduction, and joint mobility. You benefit from a lighter diet because you often have more of a solid, Kapha-like constitution. You thrive in nature, so any time spent with your “feet in the dirt” is relaxing for you. You’re in heaven when you can cultivate your own little organic garden, eat your bounty, and bird-watch while you’re weeding. You would also benefit from counselling surrounding childhood issues because as a Four Life Path, you’ll be challenged with working through childhood issues as a major part of your life’s journey.

FIVE LIFE PATH

  • Who you are:  You’re all about freedom, fearlessness, and adventure. Your Mantra: “Don’t fence me in!”
  • The core emotional issue:  You can become overly emotional and scattered. Or on the flip side, you can become the fearful “anti-adventurer.” You need your space.
  • Where you feel it:  Adrenal burnout, joint pain (especially knees and TMJ), addictions, emotional issues.
  • What you can do about it: Focus on regular exercise, meals and hydration (drink plenty of water – you can get dehydrated easily). Be aware of a propensity toward addictions, and find ways to express your emotions in a healthy way without being a Drama Queen or King! You’re meant to find a way to master the constructive use of freedom in your life, so you walk the delicate balance between fun and fearless or wild and out of control. If you’re running in high gear all of the time, you have a tendency toward adrenal burn-out. Over or under eating is also a temptation.

SIX LIFE PATH

  • Who you are: You’re all about responsibility and nurturing. You’re a visionary; you see the bigger picture. Your Mantra:  “The world is perfect in its imperfection.”
  • The core emotional issue:  Self-righteousness and perfectionism. You can become a control-freak.
  • Where you feel it: Can experience weight issues – you often feel you carry the “weight of the world” and so that can become your physical reality; or alternately, you can over-focus on creating the “perfect” body. Also breast and/or reproductive health issues, accidents, migraines.
  • What you can do about it: You’re super-responsible, unless you’re working with the opposite end of your life’s purpose which  can lead to over-nurturing and meddling – so practice healthy emotional detachment in any way you can. Tapping, EFT, Byron Katie’s “The Work” are all good resources for separating yourself from your sometimes unrealistic expectation of yourself and of others. Because you’re The Nurturing One, you can have a tendency to take on the “weight of the world.” Limit sweets and dairy, as those are your comfort foods in times of stress.

SEVEN LIFE PATH

  • Who you are:  You’re all about seeking the truth about the meaning of life. Your Mantra: “If we’re spiritual beings going through a human experience – prove it!”
  • The core emotional issue: Fear of being vulnerable. You’re here to develop trust and openness, so this will be a consistent issue for you. You need space and time alone.
  • Where you feel it:  Depression, addictions, insomnia, headaches.
  • What you can do about it:  You’re highly analytical and also highly intuitive, so meditation is imperative for you. Time in nature or interacting with water soothes your overly-active mind. Your Life Path is about learning how to acknowledge and connect with both aspects of yourself – the left brain data analysis part of you and the right brain intuitive side to you, so you need to take time alone to process and contemplate. Although all of us do best with “clean” un-processed food, you’re particularly sensitive to food and thrive when you consume a simpler diet.

EIGHT LIFE PATH

  • Who you are: You’re all about financial abundance, power, and authority. Your Mantra: “Money equals freedom.”
  • The core emotional issue:  Aggression. You can become controlling and opinionated. You tend to be a workaholic.
  • Where you feel it:  Blood pressure, heart issues, stress-related illness.
  • What you can do about it: Laugh more! Dancing, comedy movies, a funny book. Anything that gets you out of your head and into the moment with some lightness and humor is great for you since you often are so hard-driving you don’t take the down-time. If you’re open to therapy, this could be a good way to achieve a more balanced view of yourself. If you struggle with the very real pressures of your Eight Life Path, you can default into drugs, sex or alcohol to escape the work and commitment it takes to forge your way to power and achievement. You would better benefit from some kinds of competitive group or individual sports activities that can help you move that energy up and out!

NINE LIFE PATH

  • Who you are: You’re all about giving to humanity. You experience a lot of loss in your life. Your Mantra:  “It’s better to give than to receive.” 
  • The core emotional issue: You can become overly responsible and enabling to those around you. You experience a lot of deep family issues.
  • Where you feel it: Shoulders and neck, heart issues, autoimmune issues.
  • What you can do about it: You need yoga for strength and flexibility. You will benefit from consistent massage and/or energy work for stress reduction. You literally feel as though the world rests on your shoulders, so the shoulders and neck need TLC. You would benefit by learning to ask for help and support when you need it. You rarely (if ever!) seek assistance. A consistent cardio routine is greatly beneficial to strengthen the heart. You will also get a great health benefit by supporting your most well-loved causes or organizations – either as a volunteer or financial benefactor.

Felicia Bender, Ph.D. is not a medical doctor. The information presented is provided for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, examination, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your qualified healthcare provider with any question you may have regarding a medical condition. Reliance on any such information is solely at your own risk.

www.feliciabender.com
@FeliciaBender1

BODY GLYPH: A CEREMONY FOR MOTHER NATURE

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

“Nature sustains us, and is a living force to be remembered and to be honored. She clothes us in sunlight and shadows, leaves and sand, flowers and geometry. This is the beauty of life off the runway and beyond seasonal trends.”

Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg as the credit line.
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg 

When I first saw Oliver Halsman Rosenberg at a party on the roof of the Standard Hotel this summer, I knew it was only a matter of time before we’d be featuring him on the site. The NYC-born artist and global nomad wore bones around his neck and silver paint on his face, and is the living embodiment of the consciousness-expanding message of his work, “body glyphs” which use the human form as a canvas for messages divined from the world of the unseen.

Described as; “vibrational mantras manifested on skin,” Oliver’s latest project, Ceremony, is a collaboration with the photographer Polina Sirosh. Begun in Tulum, Mexico, on the cusp of the Mayan calendar change in the winter of 2012, the project continued over the summer of 2013 in Berlin.

Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg

HOW DID THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS COLLABORATION START?
I was in Tulum as part of a Design Hotels’ “Pop Up Ashram” project at Papaya Playa, where Polina was living with her husband Claus and two kids (in an amazing home in the jungle right on the beach). She saw me doing my body glyphs at an event there, and proposed we do a shoot. At first it was for fun, but we got such magical results that I moved into her guest hut and we continued to work together for a few months; shooting on the beaches, in the jungle, on ruins, and in cenotes.

WHERE DID YOU SHOOT AND WHY? 
Polina lives in Berlin part of the year, and she invited me to continue working on the project with her there. We used her house as a base and a studio, and then we would drive out into the amazing forests and fields that surround the city. We both have an attraction to the purity of nature, and for this series we wanted to explore and be inspired by the landscape.

Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg

HOW LONG DOES EACH PAINTING TAKE, AND WERE THESE ALL PRODUCED ON SITE?
Each painting takes three-four hours. Because I never know how Polina will ask the models to pose, I need to cover practically every square inch. I used her rooftop as the studio. It had an amazing view of the city, and created quite a meditative space under the expanse of the Berlin sky.

YOU HAVE DESCRIBED TO ME BEFORE HOW THE PAINTING PROCESS IS ALMOST LIKE ‘CHANNELING’ AN ALIEN LANGUAGE – WHAT’S THE MESSAGE WITH THIS PROJECT?
The calligraphy I do on the body is a language, it’s poetry, it’s math, it’s energy, and it’s meditation all at once. It’s always unique and un-premeditated. Often I just sit with the model, and based on her vibration different patterns emerge on her skin. One model I started to paint with King Tut colors and patterns unconsciously, and it turned out she was part Egyptian. For me it’s just a precious gift I have that I am trying to take care of, and explore in creative ways with creative people. I think with this project, Polina and I both wanted to communicate to the world is that Mother Nature is precious, perhaps the most precious and magical resource we have. And that the body the temple where we worship her. So this project is a celebration of all things natural.

Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg
Photo © Polina Sirosh/Oliver Halsman Rosenberg

WHERE WOULD YOU LOVE TO SEE A WOMAN WEAR ONE OF YOUR ‘PIECES’?
Polina often talks about a fantasy she has about being able to wake up in the future, and instead of wearing clothes, just step inside some machine that prints a fresh pattern of mine on her every morning. As far as seeing women wearing my pieces, I am really curious to see what the designers ThreeAsfour come up with for their next season’s line, which will be based on some textile patterns I created before I went to Berlin in Aug. But I guess the ultimate would be to see my future beloved wearing an otherworldly bridal dress at an altar out somewhere in nature.

Catch Oliver’s body glyphs in person as part of NYC fashion group threeASFOUR‘s PERFORMA 13 event on Nov 10th at The Jewish Museum (RSVP only). The glyphs also feature in the threeASFOUR Fall 2014 collection, premiering Feb 2014

MY MYSTICAL LIFE: THE BAREFOOT DOCTOR

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

Stephen Russell, a.k.a. the Barefoot Doctor has been teaching the way of the Tao for decades. Based in Ibiza, the author and global happiness guru also runs ‘conscious’ electronic dance music events around the world. Here he shares the details of a life that is deeply mystical but rooted in the material.

DO YOU HAVE ANY RECURRING DREAMS AND WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY MEAN?
“I dream lucidly so I use the time to create adventures with happy endings – which probably indicates that I like adventures with happy endings.”

WHAT IS YOUR MORNING AWAKENING RITUAL?
“I’d call it post-awakening, as I’m always too excited to be alive when I wake up to ritualize it. But a short while after opening my eyes, I do an hour or so training session in my martial arts practice, with a whole raft of bizarre moves to wake everything up, lubricate the engine, strengthen the flow of juice (chi), and meditation to reinforce the connection to Big Barefoot. I finish by telepathically broadcasting my good wishes to humanity and then cement it by flinging out a message or two far and wide on the Internet.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FEELGOOD BREAKFAST AND WHY?
“I’ve learned to stop bothering with favorites of anything as it’s all relative to lighting, camera angle and priorities at the time, and don’t actually eat breakfast anyway as I can’t eat before I train. After that and a shower the day’s begun, I wait till I’ve done whatever the morning requires and eat lunch instead. But if pressed on favourite breakfasts, porridge with full cream milk and white sugar – another reason it’s probably good I don’t eat breakfast.”

WHAT MANTRA DO YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE WITH IN THE MORNING?
“I have so many positive notions running through my mind at any moment it’s hard to alight on just one, but if I had to it’d probably be that everything I’m experiencing, no matter how irksome or magnificent, is an expression of life’s absolute love for me and that everything I do, no matter how bumbling or adroit, is an expression of my absolute love for life.”

WHAT’S YOUR LUCKY CHARM?
“The planet Earth.”

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU MOST EMBODY THE TRAITS OF YOUR SIGN?
“I’m Virgo and aside from a caring nature and my work looking after multitudes of people’s states of mind on a daily basis, the writing aspect of the work involved, tying together an array of apparently disparate strands of knowledge and human experience into a single piece of fabric – that’s a Virgo trait more usually expressed as being fastidiously tidy at home (I’m not).”

WHAT OTHER ELEMENTS OF YOUR CHART DO YOU RELATE TO THE MOST?
“Leo ascendant, the performer on stage. Pisces moon, the psychic, trippy aspect. And it’s Venus in Scorpio that makes me sexy.”

WHO IS YOUR GO-TO GURU, AND WHY DOES THEIR WORK RESONATE WITH YOU?
“Me – I go to myself everyday as I don’t know anyone I relate to more or who has anything more pertinent to say to me than me. It’s a perk of the job when you’re a guru.”

AND THE HEALER YOU HAVE ON SPEED-DIAL?
“Me – for the same reasons as above.”

IN WHAT WAYS DO YOUR MYSTICAL BELIEFS INFORM YOUR WORK?
“In every way – that’s what my work is – sharing the Taoist cosmology, existential map, philosophy and methods that I practice myself.”

AND HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH NEGATIVE THOUGHTS?
“I don’t deal with them, I just think them and watch myself think them then choose the positive option instead. On the rare but occasionally inevitable times I’ve gone into a momentary spiral and fancy a bit of external bolstering, I call various friends and have a moan till I feel better. But I rarely think negatively these days or rather rarely let fearful or angry thoughts get the better of me – I’m having too much fun just being alive to waste a moment of it not enjoying the show.”

RETAIL THERAPY IS…?
“A momentary distraction from the existential process, and / or a gesture of appreciation for myself.”

WHAT’S YOUR POWER OUTFIT?
“Whatever I’m wearing – my power comes from within, not from my clothes.”

AND WHAT MAKES YOU FEEL BEAUTIFUL, WHY?
“My training each day because it settles my spirit, makes me fit, increases circulation, beautifies the complexion, brightens the eyes and makes every action feel beautiful.”

YOUR LAST CONVERSATION WITH THE UNIVERSE WENT SOMETHING LIKE…?
“I never stop having a conversation with the universe – my whole life is this conversation – but the issue we were just talking about was that I’m free to believe whatever I choose and that I have it all and have nothing to loose. And I told it I’d revel in the ambiguity of that.”

WHEN DID YOU LAST WITNESS MAGIC IN ACTION?
“I’m witnessing it all the time. This entire existence is magic in action.”

WHAT’S ON YOUR VISION BOARD RIGHT NOW?
“I don’t have vision boards – I just expect the best and surrender to destiny, knowing that given half a chance things tend to work out swimmingly.”

YOUR MISSION IN YOUR CURRENT EARTHLING INCARNATION IS…?
“To radiate the perpetual joy and delight I experience for being alive to as many people in the world as possible and to share as many of the methods that facilitated this state with as many people as possible, with a view to inducing the whole world to ease off a few degrees more. With just a bit more global relaxation, we all stand a far better chance of coming out of all this smiling.”

Barefoot hosts global ‘Magic Satsang’ meditation sessions online every Sunday at 7pm GMT time at www.barefootsatsang.com. Register at least one hour before, as numbers are limited to 200 globally. 

INTUITION 101: HOW TO BE YOUR OWN PSYCHIC

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

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

TAROTSCOPES: OCTOBER 2013

Posted on by Louise Androlia

According to the Tarot, October promises a month of personal growth and renewed self-confidence for every sign. Resident reader Louise Androlia reveals what this means for you.

Libra – King of Pentacles

Happy Birthday to you. I’ve been talking frequently about work for you Libra, and sorry to be a bore but it seems like your professional life really has been the focus the last few months. I wonder if this has been leading up to events coming to a head now. It’s always nice to feel like your birthday month brings you an extra surge of power and October is going to be very much about summoning this personal strength and inner courage. This is your fourth Pentacle card in a row, again calling on you to channel the earth energy, especially when you are tempted to be pulled away by the clouds. The King Of Pentacles is a strong force and gives you another boost of confidence to really ask for what you want this month. This is a card of abundance and I feel another “GO” signal for any projects you’ve been working on this year. If you aren’t out there pushing your talents, then what are you waiting for? October offers an evolve or evaporate ultimatum. Which will you choose? The King of Pentacles also brings to me feelings of someone with a dominant energy around you. In business you may find yourself reaching out to a collaborator, someone that could inspire you with their mentoring approach. Alternatively, you may have been on a bit of a power trip lately or putting too much pressure on yourself. In which case, watch out for a burn out. To be blunt, CHILL OUT! Don’t let your health suffer…holistic massage alert! Because of the strength of this card please also be aware of anyone in your life that you feel has a negative dominant energy over you. This could be a lover or family member, and if you feel sometimes like you’re under the thumb then this is your chance to stand up for yourself and reclaim your voice. Try some meditations for the Throat Chakra. You may subconsciously be living out moments from your teenage years, where you felt like you weren’t ‘good’ enough or ‘smart’ enough. Remembering that your past is not a blueprint is so important. And nor is it a holiday destination! You know that you can choose how you view your life and path right? Channel some love to your inner child, say farewell to those ‘I’m not good enough’ thoughts, pack your bags and move forward.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – With dominant energy surrounding you, choose not to be intimidated by that certain someone. Rather, use this time to observe and learn.

Scorpio – Page of Pentacles

Change is in the air Scorpio. If this scares you then realign yourself with the fact that you are the master of regeneration, and that being afraid of change is really redundant for you, like packing your superhero cape in the closet and throwing away the key. No, no, no! Stand strong in the face of flux but be as fluid as possible. You were so busy last month, and things aren’t going to slow down in October. With the Page of Pentacles the entrepreneurial spirit of last month endures, and you certainly aren’t short of ideas. This is still Scorpio hour. What this October is really about though, is getting to grips with combining your elements. For a sign that’s so intuitive and deep you have been really aware of practicalities over the last few months, and have been feeling a new connection to the earth energy. Usually you are all ‘feelings’ and this earthy grip is good for you, encouraging you to make decisions that are going to work well for you long term, less emotional quick fixes. And you feel guided towards people and places that spell out F U T U R E for you. It might be in your nature to look for spontaneous love affairs, but right now, shock horror, the idea of a joint bank account doesn’t seem so terrible. If this doesn’t resonate, then have a think about your intentions. Are you complaining that the world is against you? Is your Facebook page filling up with ‘this terrible thing happened TO me’? Have you forgotten about your personal power? Begin shifting the way you see things, return to your gratitude practice, and GO! Meanwhile, back to those brilliant ideas. The Page of Pentacles is a dreamer, and October will find you aiming for the highest heights but this time you have an agenda. The imagery on the Rider Waite deck for this card speaks great volumes, and I see you clasping gently the pentacle in your hand, like you’re letting a Chinese lantern off into the sky, honouring all your biggest dreams before you set off on your mission…to do list firmly in hand.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Don’t show off and don’t project aggression. Your voice is your expertise, so always use it with patience and kindness.

Sagittarius – The Magician

As soon as I picked this card I felt that October will be all about confidence for you, Sagittarius. It’s amazing how for someone who can be such a power house and a fiery force,  you sometimes have these little dips and start believing you have nothing to offer the world. They often come when changes mean you can’t necessarily see the way ahead, so you suddenly feel you could be failing somewhere. Good job I’m here to halt that thought and show you how to use this incredible card as motivation for the new season. The Magician is one of my favourite cards of the Major Arcana, helping you suddenly realise that you have absolutely everything you need to manifest your hopes and dreams, with all his mighty tricks at your disposal. Pretty cool, right? The Magician lays out the elements in front of him; mental strength, inspiration, feelings and practical skills. So what to do with your newfound toolbox? October brings a reconnection of the forces that drive you Sagittarius. You might find yourself digging back over the last ten years and making a ‘top ten’ list of the work projects you loved the most, or, linking to last months card, the times where you noticed the love around you the most. Writing yourself this kind of love letter is a great way to boost your self-esteem. Anyway, the reason you need this boost now, is that The Magician is a card that holds a strong force for success. Fame and success are very much in your energy sphere right now, which is why I don’t want you to miss out. Be social and communicative. This card shows you expressing your talents very well and really being heard. Anywhere you feel an imbalance then look to the elements and grab what you need. Feeling too emotional? Pull from the earth source and nourish your body with grounding root vegetables, or get outside for a run. Feeling burnt out? Pull from the water source and let a little of the hippie back in. You know your intuition is spot on when you tune in, and this could guide you back to your centre.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – The Magician is linked with Mercury so you can use this time to your advantage. Communicate kindly towards yourself and others, and practise your magic tricks ready to unleash them in your birthday month.

Capricorn – Three of Pentacles

You’re upping your game this month Capricorn, and I feel movement is finally coming your way. There have been a lot of stops and starts this year and something is about to click for you. The Three of Pentacles is an incredible card, with mastery and teaching being a key theme. I feel that you might need to be stretched a little, or a lot. You don’t work well if you aren’t occupied, you get bored easily and that can become a really negative space for you. And when you need a push, sometimes you have to push yourself. This card encourages you to step it up and always shows to me that the student is becoming the master. So I see you considering applying for a bigger role, or a promotion, somewhere with greater responsibilities that suits your specific talents better than recent times. There is a great teaching element to this card, and you may take on extra members of your team or employ some interns for your creative endeavours. Spreading your skills to a wider group will also give you a confidence boost that you might need. You often give off an air of complete fearlessness when inside you can feel totally directionless. So let others build you up. This card suggests that you should be open to receiving some mentoring yourself, who are your teachers? As they say a therapist always needs their own therapist, and this season it might be that you ask for some help to get you to where you want to go. The Threes are also always about expansion so socially this month you may find your best times are out with a gang of your closest friends, while sharing ideas and down time in a group setting will be very motivating. Collaborate with your nearest and dearest and you might be surprised with the awakenings that you have. And don’t dismiss anyone. The most unlikely person could be the key to unlocking an idea for you. In the love zone, more play dates! Think of your partner as your teammate and enjoy the feeling of duality. If you are single then meeting people in a group setting is likely to be a winner this October. Could be time to allow your friends to set you up on a blind date?

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Be open to letting people teach YOU, sometimes you take on the leadership role too strongly and don’t let anyone help you.

Aquarius – Nine of Wands

You were busy last month weren’t you? Run off your feet even. The Nine of Wands offers encouragement in the face of a long slog, and as much as I want to ask, ‘are you okay there?’ I don’t feel like things are terrible. You’ve just been all systems go – no rest for the wicked as they say. There have been so many opportunities for growth recently and this card is a reminder to just keep going. It’s here to alert you to your resilience and to remind you that you are almost through your current challenges. Think of this card as an army of cheerleaders pushing you towards the finish line. I want to talk more about your personal life, so in regards career, all I want you to take on board is that if you don’t look after your mind, body and spirit then you won’t be able to do the work you want. It’s a two way street, and if you totally burn out you’ll feel useless. So keep that at the forefront, and let balance be your mantra. Okay, so does it feel like the road to L O V E is paved with more stress than strength? Again, you are inching your way there, but it would be nice if you didn’t have to learn an army of lessons every date you go on. So often we don’t find out what we want until we see what we don’t, but how about you draw some serious lines in the sand. Keep attracting the same ‘wrong’ person? Redefine what might be right for you and grab your personal power back. Sometimes we sit and complain but haven’t taken the time to acknowledge what we really want. I feel like you will resonate with this, so how about a positive game plan? Energetically you can also boost yourself with the same tactic, shifting your focus onto only what is really important and necessary. Self love and consideration go a long, long way. When you are ploughing up a mountain you don’t want to involuntarily knock yourself back, so use ‘movement’ as your mantra. This is a positive month and rewards are coming. I believe that challenges are in place to move us to higher ground, so aim REALLY high Aquarius.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – You know all about Mercury and that old crossed-communication problem – so think straight talking, no games. They aren’t worth your time.

Pisces – Nine of Wands

The magic card for you this month Pisces! The Nine of Wands is often known as the ‘wish card’ and I’m happy to turn it over for you after what seems to have been a lot of ups and downs this year. A theme that keeps coming up for you Pisces is about the choices you make, and I want to keep pushing you towards understanding and really working with the knowledge that you get to and HAVE to participate in creating your own life. You can be swept away with feelings and your wonderfully intuitive nature means you sometimes get lost in dreamland – then find yourself getting upset about why nothing is happening the way you imagined…and blaming it all on the Universe. This card always comes up to let you know that you have power in your thoughts and actions and that the energy around you is very strong for getting what you want. Create some solid intentions, without them then we can float around a little. Manifesting is about making positive and practical daydreams and then surrendering them and getting on with acting on our ideas. So this October, really notice how you live your life day-to-day. Are you someone that focuses on the negative? Who weighs the ups and downs of every day so you can write off the day as good or bad? Try as an experiment to only give your energy to the good, no complaining about anything for a week. Actively switch out entertaining your negative thoughts with a daily gratitude practice. And let me know how you get on. Back to your card, which is a water card, and so made for you. Let a little magic in. If you’ve already been putting in all the above work, then this month is about you celebrating the effort you have made and actually stepping back and noticing the shifts, even the ones that seem tiny, and taking on this new mind-set as a permanent attribute. Surround yourself with those who uplift you, it’s a simple thing but how often do we act on it? Collect your nearest and dearest together and have a new season intentions hangout. Make mood boards or even just have dinner and support each other as you talk about your intentions for the next few months. Enjoy life.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Take a meditation class to fine tune your thought processes. Even if it’s totally ‘not you,’ do it anyway and thank me later.

Aries – Ten of Wands

Aries, I feel you might have taken all the excitement of The Fool last month, done WAY too much and now feel like you are wilting at the wayside? The Ten of Wands in a word is ‘Overwhelmed’ and I always find this comes up at that point when you feel completely burned-out. So as a theme for the month, try to use it as a way to just be aware. Often when we get to overwhelm, it’s because somewhere along our journey we haven’t noticed ourselves getting stressed, and then all of a sudden BOOM we drop like flies. This month I want you to ask for help, and I mean that. Spread your tasks out in front of you, because this card is about delegating, even when you don’t really want to. You have a team on hand, and so it’s a case of loosening your grip and not being such a perfectionist. Trust those around you and know that they can be of assistance, even if it’s just letting some boring tasks be done by someone else it will free you up to get your energy back. What you don’t want is to end up resenting your work because you are too tired. I feel confidence issues have come up for everyone this month, and for you, Aries, as much as you know you’re brilliant, sometimes you suddenly flip and freak out. Caught in the act, sorry! Once you get your health in check you’ll be back on track. I feel it’s time you re-introduced yourself to the term ‘rest’ – and remember, real rest isn’t running ten times round the block, it’s silence. True, positive nothingness. The thing I love most about the Tens is that they are always the tipping point back to the Ace energy, so if we look ahead to the Ace of Wands, we find a massive boost of inspiration and energy that can be your motivation. To be able to continue on your amazing journey you need your wonderful spirit! You know that if you are too worn out then you can’t get on with these stupendous plans and we need you on top form, Aries. It’s almost like you need to look at yourself from the outside, as if you were your very, very best friend. I bet you’d be reaching out with a hug, a dinner invite, flowers and love. This can be such a good way to realise what we really need. Your mantra this month? Nurture.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Seriously use this retrograde to climb to a safe place and get some energy healing, you deserve it.

Taurus – Ace of Pentacles

And back on with the action plan Taurus. I hope you used last month to recalibrate a little because The Ace of Pentacles is an amazing go-getting card, with efficiency at the forefront. This Earth card will give you new insight and inspiration into all earth bound areas. There is an emphasis for you on the home front, which means you may be moving, buying or selling, and if so this is a chance for you to align yourself with a new area or city that feels right for you at this point in your life. I feel a very strong sense of a ‘new you’ moment occurring this month! The Aces are very personal cards, encouraging you to really honor your self and leap back onto your path. If my hunch that September was a bit wobbly for you, you will welcome this chance to reconnect to your beloved Earth. Career wise, this could bring a new type of energy around your finances, a chance to get on top of your taxes or gain some new independence. If you are looking to start your own venture then this is the card with the green light as it shows that the Universe has your back. So be bold, get out there and start looking for investors and the right people to team up with. This is a positive action card, Taurus, and above all a chance to grow. Let the past be only a teacher, and be inspired by what lies ahead. You can occasionally get a little stagnant and stubborn so you have to be the person who pushes yourself forwards. Get some inspiration from your fire sign friends, how do they approach change? You have the amazing ability to get things done and maybe just need a confidence boost to believe it. Either way you are headed in a good direction, keep going. Please apply all of the above to your health too, as it might be time for a new direction with self care, which means finding something that resonates with you now instead of your familiar routine. If the Ace represents beginnings then we also have to honor what’s ending, and as we move into the new month you may have found yourself having to part ways with a long-standing cycle. Maybe you finally let go of that on-off relationship or left a job that was no longer serving you. If so then YAY, I’m proud of you. You will likely find things will suddenly move forward with a stronger velocity.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – In close relationships watch out for a judgmental attitude just so that you can feel on top. I guess what I’m trying to say is, don’t be a pain in the ass just for the sake of it 😉 Practice fluidity with your stubbornness.

Gemini – The High Priestess

I love the journey you’re on this year Gemini. I feel you have been more in tune with your self and your intuition than ever before, and this month will be no exception. The High Priestess holds so much energy in the Tarot deck, and she is an amazing character to resonate with. It’s likely that you have made some changes in the past months to do with really getting yourself ‘together.’ By that I mean that as a Gemini we all know you can switch from this to that, and from feeling to feeling quite easily, but lately you’ve been craving a oneness, something solid and familiar, an inner home and I feel you’ve been making progress here. With this card, October will mean some more work on the balance of your subconscious. Maybe in recent months you’ve felt a little more confident in your work and relationships and now you want to curl up and redefine your inner self. I’ve been touching on self-confidence issues for everyone this month, and for you this is about learning to trust your own decisions and intuition. You are the unexpected psychic gem of the zodiac in my opinion, and always have the correct ‘feelings’ about things, which sometimes comes as a surprise to you. This card can come up if you have wildly shifted in the wrong direction recently, so if you are reading this feeling completely off balance then you are being called back to yourself. Make sure you are surrounding yourself with those whose energy supports you. Don’t feel guilty for not wanting to spend time with people who you have come to recognise lower your mood, but at the same time acknowledge why those people exist. If we are all teachers for one another, why is it that that one person gets to you? This is the kind of work you can do with this card. She is the perfect mentor to meditate with, and meditate you must. Check out this simple breathing exercise – even a couple of minutes makes a difference, promise.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Make sure you don’t use this energy to turn your self love switch off and start negatively judging yourself. Only good intentions for you sweet Gemini.

Cancer – The Empress

Hello lovely! We had this wonderful, nurturing card for you back in March, so you must flick your mind back to then and see if you are feeling a similar energy. There may be a lesson that still needs to be learned or a project that is completing. Last month I encouraged you to watch and wait and surrender a little. It’s likely you found some movement happening in the last couple of weeks especially, and The Empress is calling on you to remember to TAKE CARE! Now I know it’s not rude of me to say you are a fan of life beneath the duvet, and I feel right now you’d rather like to crawl there for the entire winter. Go for it! Well at least, a little. You need some TLC and The Empress brings this in, as well as balance. It’s okay to slow down a little. I know you have things to do, but you definitely feel change in the air, a recalibration even? And you know that for that to happen you need to calm the buzzing in your ear. So what to do when you feel like you can’t stop? Rest can happen in just a moments, if you let it. Know that you won’t be able to do anything at all if you get sick, stressed or overwhelmed, so a day off will actually pay for itself because of the energy boost you’ll get. This card will encourage you to find the balance everywhere, in relationships as well as in matters of work and health. Check in regularly and notice the highs and lows. Then think to yourself, who can be released, and what stresses don’t really deserve your attention? The Empress is the mother, the Earth mother, the spiritual mother, so may usher in something as simple turning the love you give to your own children (or friends) back to nurture yourself. Let others help you, surrender to moments of joy around you, and keep your eyes up with the sun and the stars. Beauty is with you and within you, so get lost in the moment, be present and believe in Love.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Watch out for emotional retrograde, and don’t cry over spilt milk as they say. Use the energy to close doors that should have been shut a long time ago and welcome in the new.

Leo – The Sun

How did the surrender practice go? I feel like you learned some lessons last month Leo, and now you deserve a little celebration. This will likely arrive with a renewed sense of self-confidence, and I definitely feel that roar about ready to come out. The Sun is a card representing total joy and positivity, and you’re encouraged to take those new intentions you set in September and act on them. Speak out, using your voice to spread a positive message. The difficulties of your past can be your strength this Winter, and there really is a new wave of power coming through if you let yourself really connect to life. I also feel it could be an awesome month for a detox or cleanse, to remember how your body feels in it’s natural state. You are prone to over indulging of course, so get your addiction on in the form of a positive attitude. Get totally dizzy over moving forwards and be energised by the spirits of those around you who inspire you. The Sun card always carries a little of the midas touch, and so your gab may be gifted let’s say. Energy is high and you want to get out there. You may end up packing a case and seeking this card out for real – remember travel can be physical and metaphysical, so what sun-kissed journey might you go on? This card will always link back to the inner child too, reminding us of the pure joy we arrived on the planet with, and you might want to do some work on your past to clear yourself of moments where you didn’t feel so loved. This might mean a solo journey, or experimenting with a visit to a hypnotherapist. If you can’t feel this sun energy in your life, then I encourage you to hang out with the most positive people you know. Look at their attitude to life and how they make things work for them, and don’t be too proud to attempt a change of attitude. It’s incredibly brave to start out fresh and be willing to look at things in a different way, and it’s never to late. Healing is abundant.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – If your ‘gab is gifted’ try not to get burned out, which means balancing your work with some serious sofa time.

Virgo – Five of Wands

Another Five for you this month Virgo. This number teaches us many very ‘human’ lessons, and if last month you felt a lot of energy around financial worries then this month we are addressing your energetic and creative side. As with all the other signs, self-confidence is a factor too. I always look upon this card as a tangled up ball of wool with you in the middle pulling at all the strings, feeling it get tighter. The trick is being to step back and pause, surrender, then allow yourself to really ‘see.’ This is when you find that suddenly the space is clear. Remember this analogy if you feel this way this month. The Five of Wands brings about elements of competition and mixed messages, maybe not the perfect combination for a month with Mercury going retrograde, but I know you can keep on top of it. I feel it’s more likely that this mix up will be in your surroundings. It may feel like you’re shaking your head back and forth in the office and feeling frustrated with other people. You might be observing conflict amongst your friends or family and it could feel draining. There might be a few difficult conversations to be had, but don’t be afraid. I know that you can move forwards if you manage to articulate what is important for you. This card also brings in some change. Nothing crazy though, all you need is to be fluid and excited about something different, even if it’s a faux excitement at first! It’s time to recognising the power of your own voice, and speaking up rather than sitting back and knowing you what you have to say has value but not being quite sure how to acknowledge it. Having said that, there are elements of this month where it’s actually just going to be better for you to slither on out of there. You can sometimes put a lot of pressure on yourself Virgo and there’s really no need. It’s more a case of not paying attention to the thing that feels a bit ‘meh,’ as there are 500 positives surrounding it. Cozy up with your loved ones and enjoy your favourite season, but just remember keep moving forward, step-by-step.

October 21st Mercury Retrograde Tip – Don’t be tempted to get involved in other peoples dramas, you have better things to focus your energy on.

Cast using the Rider Waite Tarot Deck.

www.louiseandrolia.com
@louniverse

36-HOURS IN LALA LAND: YOUR SPIRIT GUIDE TO L.A.

Posted on by Raquel Griffin

Sun, sand, palm-trees and organic produce as far as the eye can see… yep, it’s L.A. baby…and we’re hitting it fast & hard. Welcome to 36 hours in L.A. Numinous style. By Raquel Griffin.

Okay before we even get started with our Los Angeles travel guide: TIP #1. As lovely as L.A. is her traffic is legendary so to beat the gridlock blues we suggest you make like the locals and plan your pleasure-seeking based on what side of town you’re on: which means EAST SIDE (Silverlake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, Hollywood) vs. WEST SIDE (Culver City, Venice, Santa Monica, Topanga, Malibu, Pacific Palisades). Though not a hard and fast rule it definitely beats having to endure a 2-hour round of car karaoke while you’re stuck on the 101. Trust us on this one.

SATURDAY – EAST SIDE

10AM: Tarot Reading at HOUSE OF INTUITION (Echo Park)

Billing themselves as “space of love and light specializing in spiritual guidance,” set yourself up with a stop at The House of Intuition. Located in a sweet cottage nestled above a busy street in Echo Park what the House lacks in size it makes up in services…from Astrology, Aura and Chakra Balancing, Reiki, Animal Communication, Sound Therapy and Meditation all your spiritual needs promise to be met within its walls. Need to know why Fido won’t cozy up with you and your new beau? Crown chakra feeling a bit off-center? Grab a session with any of the reputable readers & practitioners here and get it all taken care of. Easy.

www.houseofintuitionla.com

11AM: VINTAGE SHOPPING @ TAVIN (Echo Park)

1970’s Bohemian Vest by TavinShop on Etsy.com
1970’s Travel Bag by TavinShop on Etsy.com

For every gal who has ever dreamed of raiding Stevie Nicks’ wardrobe, this one’s for you. Steeped in 70’s Cali goodness, TAVIN stocks an impeccably curated selection of boho-gypsy gear perfect for your witchy-woman-festival-girl-tour-de-force look…tambourine not included.

www.lifebytavin.com

12PM: Lifestyle porn @ DREAM COLLECTIVE (Silverlake)

A slice of lifestyle heaven…
Kathryn Bentley’s designs

There’s teepee inside. It’s a clothing store ANNNDD there’s a T-E-E-P-E-E inside…only in L.A. and gosh darn it we LOVE that. Filled with a gorgeously curated selection of hand crafted items from local artisans like the shop’s owner, jewelry designer Kathryn Bentley, the Dream Collective aesthetic is all about embracing primordial forms and influences from indigenous cultures. Whether choosing an evil eye cuff from Kathryn Bentley’s collection, a card from Thunderwing Press or a pair of Cali-cool handmade leather sandals from Beatrice Valenzuela, at Dream Collective curating a magical, mystical lifestyle lair is all in a day’s work.

www.dreamcollective.com

1PM: Natural product junkies @ ECO APOTHECARY (Silverlake)

Handmade essential oils
Re-fills available here

A cute little sliver of a shop in Silverlake, The Eco-Apothecary is a stroke of brilliance. Filled with handmade Sulfate Free, Paraben free, Vegan and Organic home, bath and body products, the store’s large selection runs the gamut from detergent to hairspray and everything in between. Products are sold in bulk and you can bring a bottle and filler’ up or you can purchase one of the hundreds of colorful glass and BPA free plastic containers sold at the shop. And if that weren’t enough you can even take a whirl at creating your own signature fragrance with the extensive selection of handmade essential oils on hand…Ooh la la.

www.ecoapothecary.com

2PM: Thai Massage Yoga @ THE RAVEN SPA (Silverlake)

If you’re in need of some LA style pampering The Raven Spa & Healing Center is the place to go for the Thai yoga massage of your life. Guaranteed to melt stress and leave you feeling like a blissed-out bowl of jello, this signature treatment gives new meaning to the term “afternoon delight.”

www.theravenspa.com

4PM: Retail therapy @ SHAREEN VINTAGE (Downtown LA)

Housed in a gigantic nondescript warehouse, Shareen Vintage is one of the most glorious vintage experiences ever. Actually the words vintage orgasm come to mind. Lined wall-to-wall with dresses, skirts and blouses from the 1950’s through the 1980’s, a knowledgeable member of Shareen’s sales staff will be assigned to you to will commence whisking you thorough their extensive collection while piling clothing up as you go along based on their sharp style assessment. Once you have your goods you’ll be given a “spot” to disrobe in what looks like a giant vintage living room. Since this place is strictly ladies only, the act of playing dress-up quickly turns into a party, with fellow customers randomly coo-ing and ahhing over each others wares. A couple of things to know before you go: 1) There are no “dressing rooms” so if you’re a little shy about stripping down to your skivvies we highly suggest you bring a slip 2) There are no price-tags. Each item is priced at the moment of sale by Shareen but fear not, prices mostly range from $20-$80.

www.facebook.com/shareenvintage

7.30PM: Dinner @ Shojin (Downtown L.A.)

Just a little light tempura…
Organic, vegan Japanese heaven

This amazing in-the-cut organic/vegan/macrobiotic Japanese hotspot tucked away on the third floor of an indoor mall in Little Tokyo is the perfect place to re-stock your tank while showing your tastebuds just how much you really care.

www.theshojin.com

SUNDAY: WEST SiiiiiDE

9:30AM: Morning worship @ AGAPE SPIRITUAL CENTER (Culver City)

If you you’ve ever watched the film “The Secret” then you’re familiar with Dr. Michael Bernard-Beckwith, founder of Agape Spiritual Center. Described as a “trans-denominational” church all are welcome at Agape, even atheists. Agape is all about “creating a community and a practice that is the embodiment of evolving consciousness” or what they like to call “new thought-meets ancient wisdom”. With pre-service meditation time, guest speakers like Marianne Williamson and “sermons” that often focus on our role as infinite beings co-creating reality, to say that Agape is not your momma’s church is an UNDERSTATEMENT. Add in a house band that serves up some serious guitar riffs and a choir that covers the Rolling Stones and you have the quintessential “church” for the new age. Hallelujah.

www.agapelive.com

11AM: Brunch @ CAFE GRATITUDE (Venice)

Eating the dream…
…at the only place to be seen.

Imagine a sleek, gourmet vegan and raw restaurant, now plop it down in the middle of a hip locale like Venice or Larchmont and what do you get? CAFE GRATITUDE. Created in Berkeley and recently expanded to Southern California, CAFE GRATITUDE is all about delivering dazzling dishes with a side of positive affirmations – plates are printed with statements like “I am Humble” and “I am Open Hearted.” With a menu that’s beyond healthy and a waitstaff that’s beyond attractive, it’s no wonder this has become THE PLACE for the kale and green smoothie set. And did I mention they have coconut bacon? A couple of tips on the menu: 1) Make sure to order a cup of “I am Immortal”…STAT. Made with Reishi, Shilajit, Ormus, coconut milk, raw honey & cinnamon..it’s a Cafe Gratitude love affair in a cup 2) Be prepared to want everything placed in front of you including their beautifully decorated “hamsa” water jugs and “What are you grateful for?” dishes. 3) Save room for dessert. Now, this might seem obvious but it’s easy to get side-tracked here. Trust us on this one. You’re welcome.

www.cafegratitude.com

1PM: Some reading time @ THUNDER BOLT BOOKS (Santa Monica)

Make friends with store manager Bobby
Everything from the Voodoo to the Vatican

Thunder Bolt Books is by far one of the best spiritual bookstores we have EVER set foot in. Though a small-ish space, Thunder Bolt  is packed ceiling to floor with every spiritualist book you could imagine…from obscure titles you could swear were “only available on Amazon” to newly released must-haves. What’s also refreshing is that works from all traditions are welcome here, so expect a great range on everything from Catholicism to Voodoo. And if that weren’t enough they’ve also got a fabulous $5 used book bin AND the biggest single cut crystal in the WESTERN HEMISPHERE. Yep. It’s pretty awesome. And if you’re nice, the super sweet and knowledgeable store manager Bobby might just pour you a cup of tea and you two can just kick back and shoot the breeze.

www.thunderboltspiritualbooks.com

** Not open Sunday, but worth checking out if you’re in Santa Monica: THE HOMEOPATHIC PHARMACY 

Staffed with amazingly knowledgeable homeopaths, this place is an alternative health junkies dream. Got something that ails you? From herbs to salves, to standard & hard to find homeopathic products they’ve got a remedy for EVERRRYYYTHING.  **RECOMMENDED PURCHASE: Net Remedies #9. Like Rescue Remedy on steroids, it’s a super potent homeopathic cure-all for everything from cold & flu, to overexertion, neuralgia and anxiety. It’s like the perfect first-aid kit in a bottle that’s also small enough to fit your purse….and who doesn’t need that, right?

www.smhomeopathic.com/

3PM: More vintage shopping @ HIDDEN TREASURES (Topanga Canyon)

Kate Moss has shopped here!!
And so has Lenny Kravitz!!

Tucked away in the hills of Topanga Canyon, like something out of a dream HIDDDEN TREASURES is a vintage lover’s Shangri-La. In a time when the term “vintage” has become almost synonymous with unbelievably high prices, Hidden Treasures is an anomaly…an amazingly well-stocked (Kate Moss & Lenny Kravitz are fans), fairly priced vintage-store where you can still find pristine 20’s dresses and gorgeous buttery 60’s leather jackets attrue vintage prices (items range from $20 -$150). But don’t expect the “curated” 5-items-on-a-rack experience here. The selection and the space are expansive so be prepared to dig. It’s also worth checking out the $10 bin out in front – a quick look might yield a serious score. And don’t forget to ask Mary Bee, the store manager, about the “back room” because what you see in there might just render you speechless.

www.facebook.com/hiddentreasurestopanga

4:30PM: Meditation @ LAKE SHRINE RETREAT SELF-REALIZATION FELLOWSHIP (Pacific Palisades)

Sunset overlooking the Pacific Palisades?…Umm, yes please. Add beautifully landscaped grounds and the serene sound of birds chirping and you’ve got a meditation station triple-header.

www.lakeshrine.org

6PM: Kundalini yoga @ GOLDEN BRIDGE (Santa Monica)

Gurmukh: she rollerblades too

A sweet intimate spot and the newest outpost of the L.A. Kundalini mecca that is Golden Bridge (yes Demi Moore’s studio of choice), this is the perfect place to get your good vibes on. Plus it’s Gurmukh, people…It’s G-U-R-M-U-K-H.

www.goldenbridgeyoga.com

8:30PM: Dinner @ MATTHEW KENNEY’S – M.A.K.E. RESTAURANT (Santa Monica)

Home of the pitch-perfect fine dining / raw food  experience, super-star chef Matthew Kenny’s M.A.K.E. Restaurant is as good as it gets. Can’t get enough M.A.K.E. in your life? Well there’s an app for that. Matthew Kenny’s got an “Everyday Raw Detox app” featuring 100 recipes for healthier living. Now how smart is that?

www.matthewkenneycuisine.com

10pm: Cocktails poolside @ the BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL (Beverly Hills)

Seal in the high vibes of your visit with a nightcap at the Beverly Polo Lounge, not only the epitome of old school Hollywood glamour but meeting point of some seriously positive ley lines. According to L.A. psychic Aiden Chase; “There’s an energy field in the land here that supports wishes and dreams. The city’s natural ‘good vibe’ energy, from the Hollywood Hills to the ocean has supported people’s dreams from actor to entrepreneur for over 100 years…” And, interestingly, Chase pinpoints the Beverly Hills Hotel as “a huge power center” of this energy. In fact, “if I’m having a bad day, I will go there, meditate in the gardens and feel much better. I always have my meetings at this hotel, and they always turn out successful.” So kick back with a mojito and get your manifestation station on. A whole City of Angels will be listening.

Raquel Griffin is founder of Granola Glamour.
@granolaglamour

BIRTH CHART FOR AMMA THE HUGGING SAINT

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

As Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī, a.k.a. Amma, celebrates her 60th birthday today, the Astro Twins Ophira Edut examines the chart of the Hugging Saint – a woman who was born to heal the world.

Walking through New York City’s East Village, I recently spotted a red bumper sticker plastered to the curb bearing the words “Love is telepathic.” Groovy sloganeering aside, there’s one person on this planet who would probably agree. Her name is Amma, and she’s hugged 33 million people all over the world. That’s right—hugged. Ordinary people like us, from all walks of life, stand in line for hours for a magical if momentary embrace from the woman whose name, given to her as a teenager, means “mother.”

With seven planets forming a six-pointed star in feminine signs this July (a grand sextile, in astro-terminology), there’s no surprise our world is crying out for mother energy. The planet and its inhabitants need nurturing, compassion and connection like never before. So when The Numinous asked me to analyze Amma’s chart for her 60th birthday, I couldn’t say no.

I myself have never been hugged by Amma. I came to the Manhattan Center while she was in New York City, saw the long line, and my impatient Sagittarian nature overrode my desire for a spiritual squeeze. Full astro-disclosure: with my stiff Capricorn rising, I was secretly relieved. I once became notorious for being a “one-armed hugger,” and if I can get out the door with a wave instead of an embrace, I’m good. Yet, I also think it’s because I’ve spent too many years trying to be “serious” and responsible, trapped by my own stoic body language. I’m probably starving for affection, and will be the person who bursts into tears the second I meet her.

After hearing raves about Amma’s healing touch, I came to regret my moment of impatience and uptightness. I have certainly felt her radiant love telepathically since then, just seeing the glow she’s given friends, hearing about her incredible presence, and of course, by looking at her astrological chart. Now, I’m gonna have to let go of my silly stance and let myself experience Amma up close. Until her next visit, it will just be through the planets in her horoscope wheel…which is kind of an esoteric embrace in my world.

Here’s what stands out in Amma’s birth chart to me:

All you need is love: Sun in peacemaker Libra.
Amma, not surprisingly, is a Libra. In fact, she has four planets in the sign of unconditional love, peace and harmony. Libra rules relationships and interpersonal matters, and perhaps this is why Amma can stay awake 22 hours on an average day, giving hug after hug. In my experience, many Libras don’t really like or need to be alone—in fact, they thrive on the energy of other people.The planets Amma has in Libra are the Sun (her identity), Mercury (communication and touch), Neptune (healing and compassion) and Saturn (authority and stability). No surprise she can radiate sacred, comforting Neptunian energy but also has the dignity given by heavyweight Saturn. The combination of glamorous Neptune and serious Saturn has the marker of someone who is, in essence, a professional healer or empath. Naturally, she’s so much more than that. While she’s got her arms wrapped around the world, Amma also runs a huge, largely volunteer-run non-profit that serves orphanages, hospitals, programs for widowed and elderly people, and builds homes for the homeless worldwide. Since Saturn is also about building and structure, no surprise that she her giving also takes on concrete form.

Amma’s moon sign is steady, salt-of-the-earth Taurus.
The moon governs our feminine energy, and shapes the kind of mother women will be (even if they are spiritual mums, like Amma). Set in sensual Taurus, the most grounding and affectionate zodiac sign, Amma’s moon sign gives her the power of healing touch.

Playful, yet dignified: Amma has a regal Leo rising.
According to her sources, Amma was born at 9:09 am, which dictates the ascendant, or rising sign, in the chart. The rising sign rules the “face” you show to the world, the first impression you make, or your appearance. Amma has the beauty, presence and passion gifted by a Leo ascendant. Her expressive face, radiant smile and protective Leo hugs are all part of this chart factor, too. Leo is ruled by the Sun, the giver of vitality and joy. As a result, Amma’s “hugs” are probably more an exchange of life force energy—or a transmission of her own abundant supply of it, awakening people from feeling separate, isolated or alone.

Energized by giving: she has Mars and Venus in Virgo, the sign of service.
Energizing Mars and love planet Venus are both in Virgo, the helper and healer sign. Perhaps this is also why Amma stays awake for the majority of the day giving. With Mars here, she’s energized by her acts of service—and says as much herself. Venus adds palpable love, beauty and harmony to the equation. Both are in Amma’s first house of fame, making her a public figure for her work.

Mother to society: revolutionary Uranus is in Cancer, the mother sign.
Uranus is the cosmic liberator, in Cancer, the sign of the mother and nurturer. Nestled in Amma’s eleventh house of groups, humanitarian work and social reform, she has indeed become a virtual mother to the world.

A karmic destiny to serve: North Node in Aquarius, sixth house of service.
The north node (destiny point) in Amma’s chart is Aquarius, the zodiac’s humanitarian sign. It’s also in her sixth house of service. Her south node (past life karma) is in regal Leo, in the twelfth house of compassion and healing. This indicates that she’s had fame and fortune in past lives, and doesn’t need to live a life of luxury this time around. However, she carries the energy and fullness of having experienced the pleasure of material riches in former lifetimes. She is abundant, rather than lacking—although she spends her life hugging, the residual Leo energy also helps her avoid lapsing into the “martyr mother” role. Amma is not quiet, invisible and suffering silently. She’s the buzzing center of all the action. Aquarius is the sign of groups and communal living, and Amma lives her entire life in a crowd. She’s a leader, the hub of her many charities that run without her being present.

So here’s a 60th birthday hug, 33 million strong, to Amma. I hope one day to experience an in-person hug from her.

Read The Numinous interview with Amma here. 
www.amma.org

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@astrotwins

AMELIA POWERS: HOW WE REALLY HEAL

Posted on by Ruby Warrington

When handbag designer and shamanic healer Amelia Powers was diagnosed with the most aggressive form of brain tumor, she rejected conventional treatment in favor of treating her cancer with CBD. Ruby Warrington hears her story. Portraits Philip Volkers.

Next Sunday, it will be 18 months to the day that Amelia Powers underwent “debulking surgery” for the aggressive brain tumour that had manifested, seemingly overnight, on March 28 2012. She had gone to bed alone that night, sobbing, “that deep, quiet crying that you don’t do very often,” upset after an argument with her then boyfriend. Waking in the middle of the night with what felt like a migraine coming on, she discovered, to her distress, that she had vomited in her sleep.

The sickness persisted, along with the headache, both of which she attributed to the “migraine.” It wasn’t until she woke up in an emergency room in Bologna, where she had travelled on business for her luxury, bespoke handbag line (despite having difficulty reading the departures board at the airport) a few days later, that the full force of what might be happening to her hit. Confused and alone, she travelled home to face the worst possible prognosis – this was a grade three anaplastic astrocytoma, the most dangerous form of brain cancer, from which the median survival time – with treatment – is 18 months.

And yet, here we are on Skype, where we have been meeting regularly across time zones since March this year, for me to document her story, and; “there’s nothing wrong with me!” she cries. “I do the Royal Ballet workout every day, I eat no meat, sugar, wheat or dairy. No alcohol. My body is rocking. I was told 100 percent I would die from this, but I feel in perfect health, perfect alignment. I feel…” she drags a hand through her shiny black hair, cropped short after her first round of chemo “…beautiful. According to them, I should be at death’s door.”

Instead, she is up late, preparing to display her latest collection of handbags in the window at Fenwicks for London Fashion Week – alongside names like Rupert Sanderson, Preen and Richard Nicoll. The bags are starting to really take off, but; “I just want them to be a platform so I can talk about this,” she turns her head to show me the bald patch she refuses to cover up. “I want to be able to talk about how we really heal.”

Because, having repeatedly refused further chemotherapy and radiation to treat her illness, Powers is the latest figurehead in a groundswell movement towards alternative therapies for cancer. In the States, “cancer thriver” Kris Carr has built a mini empire on her story (she is winning her fight against a rare strain of liver and lung cancer through diet alone), while here in the UK Lord Saatchi presented the House of Lords with his Medical Innovation Bill in December last year. Following the sudden death of his wife Josephine Hart from ovarian cancer, he described chemotherapy as “medieval, degrading and ineffective”, and wants doctors to have the choice to offer alternatives.

At present (speaking about his wife); “what you have is a situation where a woman is first tortured and then dies. Why? Because that is what’s required by law.” Not that it’s the doctors’ fault. “Everybody’s doing their level best. But they are inhibited by the prospect of a trial if something goes wrong.” This despite the fact that one doctor admitted to him that an estimated one in 10 people are killed by their cancer treatment.

Powers says she knew “their way” would kill her after one round of chemo. “My skin crawled like it was alive. I lost my hair, had two epileptic reactions. They also put me on steroids because my brain was swelling through my skull.” Met with only more of the same from her doctors, she decided to seek her own alternative. “I found a video on the Huffington Post of a man whose eight-month-old had the same tumour as me. He had treated it with Cannabis oil, and the tumour shrank in four months. Side effects? All it did was make her sleepy.”

More internet research led her to a man she calls the “Wizard of Woodacre,” a 70-year-old healer based in California manufacturing the cannabinoid tincture CBD (the psychoactive constituent THC has been removed) which she’s been taking daily since. Over email, her “Wizard” explains the legality of what they are doing; “In the State of California it’s legal. However, it to the Feds it remains a schedule 1 drug, in the same category as heroin – and supposedly with no medicinal value. Hopefully I’m a small enough operation that I’m under their radar.”

With over 500 clients, including one 37-year-old oncologist, the Wizard says inquiries rocketed after Sanjay Gupta’s CNN documentary on medicinal marijuana aired last month. He has faith that his treatment – which is harvested and blessed in the light of the full moon – “we work on an energetic and spiritual level in addition, and give thanks to the spirit of the plants in the Native American tradition” – will be made legal in his lifetime.

On a very practical level, nutrition is coming to be seen as key in cancer treatment – and prevention. On the Wizard’s recommendation, Powers has switched to a completely alkaline diet, while Laura Bond, who’s blog, Mum’s Not Having Chemo, is being made into a book that’s out in November, says that all her research has shown quitting dairy to be “the final piece in the healing puzzle” for many people. Having interviewed over 60 experts around the world for the book; “sugar and dairy are known as the ‘cancer accelerators.’ Your doctor won’t necessarily tell you that, which really shocked me, but it’s just not in their remit.”

“It can be difficult, because most physicians do not have specialist knowledge of alternative medicines and so may not feel able to supervise,” says Professor Susan Short, one of the few oncologists who would talk to me for this piece (Powers’ own doctors declined to comment). Again, this leads to “fear of litigation,” says Bond – meaning it’s safer to stick to the company line, despite the fact; “the standard treatments we offer are not as effective as we’d like,” admits Short.

She thinks only around five percent of patients refuse chemotherapy, and that while “alternatives provide hope for a better outcome, few have proven benefit. But this approach can make patients feel more in control.” And yet, as ever, she wants me to know that “the agents we use offer the best known approaches to treatment.” People like Powers and her Wizard would disagree. “About 25 percent of my clients have complete healing, 40 percent a moderate healing. These are approximate numbers, but I think they are better than the numbers for most chemo treatments.”

Of course, very limited clinical trials into medicinal marijuana have been done. Conversely, according to Cancer Research in the UK, any type of chemotherapy is tested for ten years minimum before it’s used on patients, while they also point out that the reason clinical trials of medicinal marijuana are limited is because its effectiveness can’t be proven.

But after an MRI back in April appeared to show that her tumour had been stabilized (i.e. there had been no further growth) Amelia was positively floored by her doctor’s reaction; “her answer was, ‘if you’re not going to take our treatment, then please carry on with what you’re doing. I’m really sorry that I can’t give this to you’.” In her eyes, this represented a major victory.

But when a further scan, in July this year, suggested that perhaps there might have been some growth, the prognosis left her reeling. “My doctor said; ‘in our opinion the chemo and radiotherapy didn’t work. But we think you should have a proper go with it.’ Here I am, with my hair gone, my teeth in a mess, periods which are just coming back. They all agree with me – the chemo is palliative. He even admitted; ‘Most patients chose it because they panic’.” Rather than upset, she seemed angry. “In hospital all I hear is negatives; ‘this isn’t working, it’s growing, you are not going to live from this, nobody does, we can’t do anything for you, we don’t know what to do…What the hospitals offer isn’t healing – it’s fear.”


Watch Amelia’s video diary. By Charles Bayliss.

Following an abusive 14-year marriage, Amelia has done extensive research into the theory of quantum healing – in simpler terms, the power of positive thinking. And this represents another important aspect to what she is still convinced is her recovery (she has decided against any more MRIs, preferring to base her decisions going forward on how she feels). Working with the Shamanic healer Wendy Salter (“I call her my Yoda”), she has developed her own connection with spirit and says she has undergone deep energetic healing of this and past lives to try and treat the root cause of what she believes now has been a self-inflicted illness.

“I know that this was my body’s reaction to the negative emotion from my marriage, as well as unresolved issues with my family. My brain exploded from it,” she states. And it was only finding the strength to contact her ex-husband (“I hadn’t spoken to him since I walked out”) and send a “stream on consciousness” plea to her family to stop sweeping their issues under the carpet (“they have since all started coming forward”) that she feels the deep healing that needed to happen has begun. “I need love to heal,” she tells me, awash with emotion. “And what I’ve also realised is that this love is in ME. It’s not the love that comes from a man. Here I am, alone at 40, no children, dealing with all this, and I feel like I’ve found…nirvana.”

And it obvious to me that the woman I have come to know in some ways intimately over the past six months, embodies her next statements fully; “I’m not afraid of anything. I’ve accepted death. I don’t know how long I’ve got, but I’m at peace with that, I’m not in a desperate place.”

When Laura Bond was doing the research for her book, she found several common traits among the people who had managed to beat cancer on their terms – the ability to overcome the fear around death and dying being one of them. “Which is easier said than done,” she admits. “There are practical steps, like mindfulness, being rooted in the present and not getting caught up in catastrophic thoughts about the future. Also, being out in nature, where you always feel part of a bigger picture.” She also found one doctor who told her that the simple faith that what they were doing was working “creates a sense of relaxation, and that’s when healing occurs. If you’re living in a place of fear, being pumped full of adrenalin and cortisol, these conditions just aren’t conducive to healing.”

Essentially, many of the alternative therapies people are experimenting with (and let us never forget that this is only experimentation, a personal choice, taking your life in your own hands), are not about the same “military measures” we find in hospitals. More often, it becomes a case of learning to live with cancer, but to build up the immune system to manage it – the opposite of chemotherapy, where the immune system is destroyed along with the malignant cells, to be rebuilt again.

This also means that many of these measures – from changes in diet, to the massive doses of vitamins that help some people find relief – can also been seen as preventative measures. “Cancer is presented to us as such a shot in the dark,” says Bond, “but there are so many thing you can do to lessen the risk – meaning your genes don’t have to determine your destiny.”

Last week, the morning after our last Skype session, Powers sent me a text message; “Bergdorf’s and Neiman Marcus want to buy my bags. Guess I will be seeing you in New York!” And I remember the other thing that linked all Laura Bond’s cancer thrivers. “It’s unbelievable the pressure people have been put under, and so a lot of survivors share a tendency to rock the boat. They were unafraid to question what the doctors were telling them, and not be intimidated.” To the doctors who want to tell Powers there’s no proof what she’s doing will work, that there’s no way she’ll be coming to visit; “they also told me I shouldn’t be here now. So I’m your proof, aren’t I?”

This story also appears in the UK Sunday Times Style magazine.

www.ameliapowers.com
@Amelia_Powers

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this piece are those of the people quoted. Do not seek an alternative course of treatment for cancer or any other illness without first consulting your physician.

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