Virgo is known for its attention to details, maybe even being overly concerned with them. Its energy can feel nit-picky and perfectionistic. But it likes to keep things pure. It wants to understand the essence of things. So when you’re looking to re-evaluate and reorganize with this new moon, do it in a way that will inspire you. Organize your closet so that you want to put together new outfits. Rearrange your kitchen so you want to cook more often. You get the picture.
We’ve all heard that we should learn from our mistakes; that we should fail forward.
Easier said than done, right? Why is it so difficult to not feel like our failures define us more than our successes?
Reshma Saujani gave a TED Talk about the evidence suggesting that girls are socialized to be perfect. This makes them less likely to take chances if they think they might fail. According to Saujani, it’s the reason there are so few women who code.
Coding requires a certain amount of bravery, a willingness to try and fail and try again. But when we’re afraid to fail we give up after one attempt. Or we don’t even make that one attempt.
Having been socialized to be perfect, we feel if we can’t do something like a boss right out of the gate, we don’t want to do it, even if it’s something inconsequential.
There have been times when I’m working with someone and her guides will tell me she needs to sing. Loudly. I’ll relay the message and I always hear, “I can’t sing!”
So what. The guides didn’t say to go get a recording contract. Sing in the car with the windows up. Sing when you’re home alone. Belt out some Robert Palmer in the woods when you’re out running. Make a loud and joyful noise whether or not it’s in key.
I love Sara Walka of The Sisters Enchanted. She has a six-figure business, well on its way to seven figures, while raising two small children. She says if you’re looking for blog posts and worksheets without typos, you’ve come to the wrong place.
Shouldn’t getting the message out be more important than wasting time on a comma versus a semi-colon?
Reshma Saujani wrote a book called Brave, Not Perfect. Fear less. Fail more. Live bolder.
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail? Steal George Clooney away from his wife? Rob the Denver mint? Run for president? Eat an entire key lime pie?
It’s all in how we define failure.
Failure is not the opposite of success; it is a part of it.
And what is failure typically? Frustration? Slight embarrassment? A bit of chagrin? A mild humbling?
I started doing Facebook Lives this week, pulling a card for the Morning Glory Facebook group, doing a mini-clearing for the group and leading a simple grounding exercise or two. (I wasn’t a success right out of the box in terms of figuring out the technology. And that’s ok.) We’ve had a stalker card from the Energy Oracle deck, Playing It Safe. It’s about being in a situation that is adequate but missing out on something more exciting; limiting our joy because we’re reluctant to take a risk.
In Alice in Wonderland, the Queen of Hearts says, “Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
This week, why not make your motto, “I’ll do as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
Or maybe just one thing that is possible but might be a little scary.
This is the second full moon in Aquarius which increases its energy. What were your intentions and goals from the last full moon? Did you realize them? How can you make them even bigger? Can they have a global reach? Here’s a spread to help you out.
I asked my deck which card I should blog about this week. I should have known better.
Temperance.
Two weeks ago, I had a session with a woman, Shantel Leigh, who does shamanic healing. In my line of work, it’s important to keep your energy in balance.
When I clear someone’s energy, I also get a mini-clearing. But clearing out too much too fast feels like a purge. It’s unpleasant rather than gentle; the emotional equivalent of Drano. Add to that the Lion’s Gate Portal we just had with the new moon back on the eighth and, well…
My sincere apologies to anyone who feels dealing with me was like reaching into a burlap sack and pulling out a rattle snake.
What did Shantel have to say? Nurture the inner child who’s never come out before. Allow my masculine side to integrate with the Divine Feminine within. Give myself an entire self-care day. Get into nature. Find the humor in life, lighten up. Detox. (I’m talking to you, sugar)
In other words, Temperance.
How do we get so out of balance?
We tip the scales when we put our focus on one thing, whether it’s work, our children, checking off the to-do list that doesn’t have self-care on it, or even spirituality.
Too much spirituality? Is there such a thing? I believe there is. We lose our sense of grounding when we constantly seek to have mystical experiences, when we spend too much time studying the magical, when we meditate for two hours a day. Our spirits came here to have an earthly experience. If we didn’t want to live in human form, we would not have chosen to be born.
Balance and temperance lead to alchemy. How can we create a purposeful blend that nourishes wholeness?
Make technology work for you. Set reminders on your phone. I knew someone who even set alarms to eat and get to the bathroom because he’d get wrapped up in something and lose track of time.
Easy, right? Stay away from all-or-nothing thinking. Take care of yourself and others. Do something to get grounded, but don’t forget to meditate. Live in the world of dreams and the world of waking. Eat with adult sensibilities without completely denying yourself little treats. Maintain a relationship with those you love—including yourself. Foster a dynamic flow through equilibrium.
And call in a professional when you need to. Even if you’re a professional yourself.
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Have you ever met someone and immediately knew you couldn’t stand them? Or maybe you didn’t meet them, you saw or heard them and knew.
My husband and I were on a cruise because I am lucky enough to be married to someone who is lucky enough to have worked for Oprah. She took her entire staff to the Mediterranean for the trip of a lifetime. There were fantastic restaurants onboard, parties in Barcelona and Istanbul, shore excursions, more than I ever could have imagined…
…and that one person who sucks the joy out of the moment by simply being in the same room as me.
What was it about her that got up my sleeve so fast?
I was talking to a fellow passenger about it, a woman named Donette, who beautifully embodied spirituality. I was griping, but also hoping she could give me some perspective if not a solution. I wanted to enjoy every moment of this wonderful vacation.
Donette said that what we dislike in others are the qualities we dislike in ourselves.
Am I loud? Do I say stupid things?
Um, sure, I guess, sometimes. I have a big laugh. And I look back on conversations from time to time and cringe. Don’t we all?
What Donette said never sat right with me.
I think it’s more likely that it’s not the traits that we have that repel us but rather traits we’re afraid we have. It’s not recognition but fear that drives us away.
Our inclination is to distance ourselves from these individuals, and that may be the best thing to do if possible. Then we can examine our feelings and confront internal issues in private. But what if we are forced to spend time with people who rub us the wrong way, say at work or on a two-week cruise?
We can call on our compassion. We can remember that although we don’t get to choose the challenges that come up in our lives, we do get to choose the way we meet and face those challenges. We choose how we respond.
We can consider our annoyance rationally, look for its root. Ask yourself if its their voice (breathy-baby voice) or speech pattern (not enunciating or a heavy regional accent) that makes you cringe. Are they deliberately unaware (racist or sexist jokes, for example)? Do they threaten your way of thinking (politically, spiritually, or otherwise)? Or maybe their world seems to work in a way that is incomprehensible to you (Who the hell does he think he is?). Is your irritation rooted in your childhood? A previous relationship?
Ask yourself why your reaction to this person is so loaded. Where are these with strong emotions coming from? Could it be that you fear you might come off the same way? And why would that be so bad?
I feel more shadow work coming on.
There’s nothing wrong with being incompatible with someone. But understanding our reaction is the key to coexisting with them. We may never like a certain person. They may always get our goat. But we don’t have to give it to them.
Actually, two.
Hafez and Rumi have been popping up almost everywhere I turn. If you have to have a stalker, a Sufi mystic poet and a Persian poet aren’t the worst. And they’re both dead, so even better.
“God and I have become like two giant fat people living in a tiny boat. We keep bumping into each other and laughing.”
When was the last time you bumped into God (Spirit, Source… insert your preferred word) and LAUGHED?
When was the last time you even thought about God laughing? Wanting to laugh? Wanting to laugh with you?
I keep a journal of “coincidences”. I have at least two entries every day. Sometimes they make sense. Sometimes they seem like an exclamation point, like pulling the same tarot card from two different decks in one day.
And others you know the synchronicity is just Spirit poking you in the ribs trying to get you to laugh.
We don’t give Spirit enough credit for being hilarious.
We take such a serious tone with spirituality. Everything has to be lofty and profound. Meditation, affirmations, prayer, chanting, rituals… Where’s the fun?
Rumi wrote, “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
He also said, “Respond to every call that excites your spirit.”
What excites you? What makes you happy? Dancing? Singing? Being with friends? Pets?
More from Hafez:
“One regret, dear world,
That I am determined not to have
When I am lying on my deathbed
Is that I did not kiss you enough.”
How are you kissing the world? For that matter, are you even kissing? Or has that joy gone out of your life?
Rumi again, “Stop acting so small. You are the universe in ecstatic motion.” Ecstasy is both overwhelming joy and an experience of mystic self-transcendence.
When we engage all our senses in our lives, when we open ourselves up to receive happiness, and yes, dammit, fun, the Universe delivers.
A universal insult is “You have no sense of humor.” Everyone thinks they not only have a sense of humor, but that they have a great one. Same with Spirit.
Maybe some days Spirit is encouraging you to pull its finger. Bump into God and laugh together.
Set your intentions to go bold!
What commitment did you make before you arrived? What soul contracts were signed? Have you ever asked what your life purpose is?
What is causing your soul to yearn? Do you feel a physical longing? Is there an intellectual or emotional hunger gnawing at you?
I invite you to do this meditation.
Lie comfortably yet somewhere you can remain alert and present. Close your eyes and take three deep breaths, allowing yourself to soften with each. Think about the most beautiful outdoor spot you’ve been in. Go there in your mind and drink it in from all angles.
Once you feel connected to the place you’ve chosen, lie down there. Sink into it. Become what you are lying on—moss, grass, sand, stone, whatever it may be. You are a part of it. There is no separation. You are one.
What do you need? If you are soil, what do you need? Do you feel longing for anything? If so, what are you yearning for?
Now, allow the water in you to evaporate and rise into the sky. Become one with the sky. As the sky, what do you need? Anything? If so, what?
Next, allow the vapor to turn to rain. Allow the vapor part of you to fall upon the part of you that is still one with the earth. Feel the nourishment you are giving yourself. Experience the oneness born of giving to yourself and sustaining yourself.
As you nourish and sustain yourself, call back all the parts of yourself that are elsewhere. The part that is with your family. The part that is with your spouse or lover. The part that you give to your work, your home, your community. Call back the part that is with your friends. The part that is with strangers you’ve spoken to. See all these pieces rushing back to your center. Gather them in fully. Welcome them home.
You are one with the earth. You are one with the heavens. You are whole. You are a seed planted in the ground, nourished by the rain and the sun. Plant yourself here and commit to this lifetime, to this incarnation.
Feel into your soul. Is there anything you need in this moment? Listen to your spirit. Is it calling for anything? Is there a thirst? A desire?
If so, identify it and commit to fulfilling it. What is your next step?
If not, then sink into this feeling of completeness knowing that when the time comes for your next right step, it will be revealed to you.
When you’re ready, find your breath again. Come back into the present and to the room. Open your eyes when your ready and plant your feet on the floor for a moment to reorient and ground yourself.
Adapted from a meditation by Jumana Sophia
Buckle up. This is a wild ride.
I’m in a group called the Society of Business Witchery. It’s a class for people who have metaphysical businesses and there’s a corresponding Facebook group, led by Sara Walka of the Sisters Enchanted.
You don’t have to identify as a witch to participate but believing in your magical self certainly helps.
A member, Lindsay, posted that she was looking for volunteers to practice her mediumship on. I’m always game for a reading, so I raised my virtual hand.
We met on Zoom. Lindsay seemed a little nervous. I remembered that feeling. When I was starting out, I’d feel anxious before each intuitive reading or energy clearing because the craziest stuff has a way of surfacing.
I felt like an idiot saying things like, “It’s a sunshiny day, there are diapers—outside–and you are SO happy.” Or “What do Chili Cheese Fritos mean to you?”
Despite her anxiety, Lindsay jumped right in.
“Jennifer,” she said. “It’s a woman named Jennifer. She’s holding a megaphone YELLING Jennifer. You went swimming or boating with her. She’s holding a green crystal. She’s showing me the Red Cross cross. There’s a winding road…”
I told Lindsay I’d do some digging and see what I could find out about the Jennifer I suspected it was.
I always thought I’d make a great private detective. If I can’t solve the mystery, I like to think it can’t be solved. The game was afoot.
I asked my high school graduating class if anyone knew where Jennifer was. I struck out.
I searched the internet. I googled some more. I dug a little deeper. I pulled out a booklet from a class reunion twenty years ago found an old email address. Would it work?
Bingo! I sent an email to see if she was alive. She was and sent a tentative reply. I then wrote to her hoping she wouldn’t think I was too far out there.
I sent another message.
“A woman in a group I’m in, it’s for people starting metaphysical-type businesses, asked for volunteers so she could develop her mediumship. I said she could practice on me. We got on the zoom call and she (Lindsay) said a woman named Jennifer was coming through. We weren’t born during the Jennifer epidemic, so I don’t know a ton of women named Jennifer, and especially not many (any?) who would be dead. Lindsay said it was someone I went boating or swimming with. It wasn’t ringing a bell. Lindsay said she was showing her a green crystal—which we both assumed meant healing of some sort. This Jennifer showed her the Red Cross cross, which seemed to confirm the healing. There was also a winding road and a blockage of the throat or throat chakra—Lindsay thought that might have been how she died. The only person I could think of that it could be was you because you’re Jennifer, we lived not too far from the lake AND went to Lakeshore Middle School, and you’re a nurse. The only problem is that you’re not dead. And that there’s no reason for you to be hanging around me if you were dead. I mean, I always liked you, even admired you, but we weren’t terribly close.”
Would Jennifer think I was a kook? I mean, everything fit except the being dead part.
Here’s what she wrote back.
“Well, this is not at all weird to me.
I am a channeler, and have been receiving dictations for many years. I live in a very small community in northern MN and don’t have many contacts with intuitive peers.
One of my Spirit Teachers told me to make a space, invite some friends, and she would invite some friends too. I’ve started a gathering at my house, we’ve only met a few times.
I think the Teacher might have invited you, too. XOX
It sure seems that we could be working together in another domain? I would love to make more direct contact.”
This would all seem bizarre and inexplicable, except it’s not the first time something like this has happened to me.
When we’re willing to open the door to the mystical, we never know what will fly in. But we can expect it to be from the realm of magic.
Full moons always bring the opportunity to release what no longer serves us. The full moon in Aquarius asks us to contemplate how we can best be of service to our community and to the wider world. You can journal on that question and pull cards using this spread for additional full moon insight.
