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Navigating June’s Astrological Transits: Venus Square Jupiter, Sun Square Neptune, and Cancer Season

Change is coming… are you ready? This month, we are faced with multiple transits that are challenging our patience, courage, and tenacity. At some points being asked to slow down and take a breather, at other times being asked to embrace quick shifts in energy and circumstances.

But isn’t that life, really? Always feeling like we have to prepare for the uncertain, but in the end, only being able to do the best we can with what we have available to us.

If that sounds a little down-hearted, I’m not meaning it to be. Yes, things are always changing. But what doesn’t have to change is how we respond to what we are faced with.

Note, these are not all of the transits that are happening this month, but the ones I believe will be most impactful on us.

June 2-3 – Venus Trine Neptune

This aspect is one that will make us all feel more generous, compassionate, and selfless. In two Water signs, especially, you may be feeling more nostalgic during this time. Note that your relationships may benefit during this transit, especially now that Mercury is slowly moving out of retrograde and our communication is able to feel more productive and clear.

One downside of Neptune in Pisces is that we often feel a lack of motivation; we’d rather have our head in the clouds than our nose to the grindstone. And that’s ok. Our society is so hyper-focused on productivity and action, every second of the day. It’s important to slow down every once in a while. And this transit is asking us to do that.

What planets do you have in Pisces or Cancer? This may tell you how this transit will impact you.

June 4-5 – Mercury Conjunct Uranus in Taurus

Flashes of insight. Downloads seemingly out of nowhere. A quick wit and an even quicker decision-making process. When these two planets of the mind join, our creativity and thought-processes are on overdrive!

Be mindful of the desire for impulsive decisions. You *might* feel like there are too many opinions living in your head “rent free” at the moment, making it difficult to discern the decision that may be in your best interest.

It might be best to take an “advice detox” over the next few days so you can get in touch with what YOU really want. Especially because, just as your brain is quick right now, so is your tongue. Eek.

Where is Taurus in your astrology chart? What house rules this sign? It might give you some clues about what you might be over-analyzing at the moment. Take a deep breath and give yourself some time … it will all work out.

June 5-6 – Venus Opposed Pluto

You may feel like you’re having trouble expressing yourself in your relationships over the next two days. There is a veil of secrecy with Pluto that makes feeling safe and secure a little elusive right now. Don’t take it personally – and don’t take it out on the people around you.

Guard your energy over the next few days, as any tense aspects of Venus and Pluto could bring out those energy vampires (you know who I’m talking about). Know your worth, stand your ground, and trust your instincts. Just don’t get so wrapped up in conflict with the people already in your sphere that you burn something to the ground before it’s even had a chance to sprout.

If any of your Big 3 (Sun, Moon, Rising) are in a Fixed Sign (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, or Aquarius); you might be more impacted by this transit.

June 9-10 – Mercury Sextile Neptune

This is the first of many transits this month that is basically telling us all to slow tf down and smell the roses. If you thought Taurus Season was for luxuriating, just wait for the next two weeks.

Neptune is the planet of dreams and spirituality, while Mercury represents our thoughts and how we communicate them with the world. You might find that your dreams take more form during this transit, or that you are more curious about what chasing them might actually mean for you.

You’ll also, most likely, feel an extra boost of compassion and empathy when interacting with others during this transit.

June 10-12 – Venus Square Jupiter

Of all the tense aspects in astrology (squares and oppositions), Venus Square Jupiter is, perhaps, the easiest to learn and grow from. That’s because these two planets are generally the most good-natured and happy-go-lucky of the zodiac.

That’s not to say it’s all sunshine and rainbows. The one downside to this square is that we may feel an intense lack of motivation. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, unless you have a deadline.

But that’s where preparing for this transit comes into play. What can you do right now to prepare for those days when you know you may not have as much energy?

Those with prominent Venus and/or Jupiter placements (for example Taurus, Libra, Pisces, or Sagittarius Rising) might find this transit especially impactful.

June 18-19 – Sun Square Neptune

Take it slow over the next two days. Just as the Universe has given you the gift of taking your time over the last 10 days or so, you’ll now see that in slowing down you were able to identify some things in your life that might need a tune up.

Perhaps your ego took a bruising when you slowed down long enough to see that yes, in fact, you are the problem with a situation that’s been plaguing you for some time.

It can be very easy to get down on yourself during this time, as our ego (Sun) is making a tense aspect to our compassion (Neptune). But just because you’ve identified that you need to make some changes doesn’t mean you’re a failure, friend.

It’s ok to wallow in a little bit of self pity, but remember, you have what it takes to get back on track.

June 20 – Cancer Season Begins

June 25 – Mercury Square Neptune

It’s time to “dream the impossible dream” (any Broadway fans out there?!) WIth this transit, there is almost a suspension of reality. While our thoughts might feel hazy or confused, we are being asked to open our eyes to ideas and inspiration that may have felt out of reach until now.

It’s a great day to dream without making any plans, as Neptune can sometimes cloud our judgment. What would be possible if we opened our minds and asked, “What’s in here waiting to be unleashed”?

June 25-27 – Mars Square Uranus

Have you ever heard of a quick-change before? It’s the concept – in the theater world – of a person doing a quick outfit change from one scene to the next. It usually happens at lightning speed and is something that must be rehearsed multiple times in order to ensure nothing goes wrong.

That’s kind of how I see this Mars Square Uranus transit. If you jump too fast, you might be running out on stage half-naked. On the other hand, if you’re not fast enough you’ll miss your entrance and the entire show could go sideways. Yikes.

While this can feel like an intense transit, I think the idea of “practicing” is what we are meant to take away from this.

Change and innovation is good – and absolutely necessary for our growth. But we need to practice our “change muscle” in order to get to a place where we are ready to accept and grow with the changes we are often faced with during difficult times.

Where is Mars in your birth chart? This could point to how you view motivation and change – and the techniques you could use to embrace them with excitement rather than fear.

June 28-29 – Sun Trine Saturn

Being halfway through the year (and at the end of Q2 for those of us in the business world), this transit is a beautiful time to evaluate all that you have accomplished in the first 6 months of the year… and to plan for the last 6. Saturn is the planet of hard work and long-term planning. The Sun is shining as a supporting actor to Saturn’s starring role during this time.

June 30 – Mercury Trine Saturn, Sun Sextile Jupiter

Mercury Trine Saturn is a good aspect for conveying any difficult or serious news. Because the planet of communication and comprehension is touching the planet of long-term goals, this could also be an excellent day to extend the planning and reflection you did the previous two days and – perhaps – fill them out your ideas a little bit.

Do these goals excite you? Make you light up with enthusiasm? The Sun Sextile Jupiter transit is bringing a bit more ease and expansion to the Mercury/Saturn transit.

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Navigating May’s Astrological Transits: Pluto Retrograde, Lunar Eclipse, and More

Spring is in full swing and the energy of the world around us is reflecting just that. The volatile weather. The new growth of the trees and plants. The warming temperatures. We are in a period of transition, as a new energetic year has begun.

For most of this month, we will be in Taurus season. Themes you may want to reflect on as you journal include stability, finances, values, hard work and tenacity.

Note, these are not all of the transits that are happening this month, but the ones I believe will be most impactful on us.

May 1 – Pluto retrograde in Aquarius

As the last of the generation planets, Pluto is impactful on not just a personal level, but on the functions of society in general.

Over the last 20 years, we’ve been dealing with a lot of Capricorn Plutonian themes, as the Great Alchemist has been transiting in and out of the last degrees of this sign. Governments have been failing and/or showing their shadow sides. Wealth has become more and more centralized, with entire communities disenfranchised on a monumental scale. Working hard at all costs has come to a head, with people finally beginning to question why we continue to run ourselves into the ground at the expense of capitalistic values we may never benefit from.

During this Retrograde period, Pluto will leave Aquarius and head back into Capricorn, yet again. This dance between the two Saturnian signs over the next two years will be INTENSE, to say the least.

The last time this happened, both the United States and France went through revolutionary changes (literally!) where communities rose up against the tyranny of their oppressors in order to bring about lasting, systemic change. Will this happen again? Aquarius says, “Power to the people”.

For how this Pluto transit will impact you, look to the house(s) where the end of Capricorn and beginning of Aquarius fall in your chart.

May 5 – Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Scorpio

We are currently in the heart of eclipse season, which began with the Aries New Moon on April 20. During eclipse season, it’s wise to take it easy, as major shifts tend to occur. Especially during the Full Moon in Scorpio, the zodiac sign of transformation and major change … look out!

You may find that you are feeling extra emotional during this time, as the fixed water sign Scorpio brings a depth and intensity to our emotions (the Moon). That’s why, in general, it’s best to steer clear of any rituals like meditation, crystal cleansing, or manifestation during eclipses. Just noticing its energy is enough.

Look where Scorpio falls in your chart to see how this Lunar Eclipse is impacting you. Additionally, if you have any major placements (like your moon!) in a fixed sign – Scorpio, Leo, Taurus or Aquarius – you may feel this eclipse energy hit you more deeply.

May 7 – Venus enters Cancer

Lady Luck transitions into the house of the divine mother today. As the Great Lover transitions into the sign of compassion, nurturing, home and safety; you may feel yourself getting more sentimental, or at least more emotional. We may find that our interactions with those around us become more thoughtful, tender, and compassionate.

Look to the house where Cancer exists in your chart to see how this transit will impact you, as well as any planets that may be there. If you are a water sign, like Cancer, Pisces or Scorpio; you may also feel this transit impact you more deeply.

May 14 – Mercury direct in Taurus

Mercury goes direct today – thank GOODNESS! For the last few weeks, we’ve been struggling with miscommunication, overworked technology and transportation issues. With the Great Messenger retrograde in the sign of values, beauty and equity; we’ve been given the opportunity to revisit what we truly find valuable – and how we communicate those values to those around us.

There is still a post-shadow period, where Mercury moves a bit more slowly, so you’ve got some time to integrate any lessons you learned here.

Look to the house where Taurus is located to see how this transit has impacted you, as well as where your Natal Mercury is placed. Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) may have also felt the impact of Mercury Rx more deeply this time around.

May 16 – Jupiter enters Taurus

The Great Expander heads into the sign of values, beauty and equity today! As the sign most associated with opulence and luxury, Taurus asks us to bring the excitement and energy of Aries into a more grounded and practical existence.

Jupiter expands everything it touches, making the next year-ish a time where more of us will be interested in feeling into our bodies, rather than dissociating and detaching from reality.

At the same time, we may notice that our value-system begins to expand, perhaps our tolerance for a particular way of life, or set of ideals, begins to show signs of cracking open.

Where is Taurus in your birth chart? This will help you understand how this transit will impact you.

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The Great Expander is squaring the Great Alchemist today. Being in two fixed signs, there might be some friction today, particularly if there are situations that have felt stuck or stubborn, today things might break free.

Unfortunately, because Pluto often causes uncomfortable, systemic change; this break might feel disagreeable at first. But, don’t worry, with Jupiter here as the most benefic planet in the zodiac – and Pluto often bringing change for the better – things are all working out for your highest good.

The opportunity during this experience is to allow yourself some time to integrate the lessons before judging them as good or bad.

If you have any placements in fixed signs (Taurus, Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio) you will most likely feel this transit more than others.

May 19 – New Moon in Taurus

It’s time to stop and smell the roses. Taurus – the sign of opulence, pleasure and values – is connecting with the darkness of the moon today to help us ask ourselves: “What is it that makes me feel stable? How do my values inform the way I show up in the world? How can I find beauty in the world, even when I’m not looking for it?”

For the next 6 months, beginning with this New Moon, we could all benefit from reflecting on our money and material possessions – and how they may or may not make us feel fulfilled.

May 20 – Sun enters Gemini

Just as we round out the month, the Sun enters the curious and capricious sign of the Twins. Here, the Sun delights in shining a light on our communication and comprehension. Some questions you might ask yourself during Gemini season:


– How do you remain open to the mysteries of the world around you?
– How do you take that information and synthesize it for your own comprehension?

There’s a kind of brilliance in the Sun entering Gemini just as Mercury is coming out of its retrograde period, as Mercury rules Gemini. Communication and connection is getting easier!

Overall, this month, there is a sense of introspection. With two major planets going retrograde, along with eclipse season, it’s a time to do the work you’ve been wanting to do for a while – and to get more curious about what YOU value and find beautiful in the world.

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How to Anoint Your Tarot Deck

Video Transcript:

Learn how to anoint your tarot deck!

You’ll want to anoint your decks to create a stronger connection with them. This is not something that I’ve always done in my practice, but my guides encouraged it recently and it has completely changed the game within my divination and tarot practice.

My friend has tried this ritual and it has changed how she works and connects with her decks as well. In her words, one deck of hers in particular was kind of a bitch to her (energetically) before she anointed it, and after she anointed it, it completely changed the trajectory of how she worked with that particular deck. It changed the personality, it changed the connection, it changed the answers in a way that felt resonative to her.

Start your ritual with cleansing your deck—removing any unwanted energies. For this example, I am using the Pagan Otherworlds tarot deck. I am smoke cleansing with white copal on a charcoal disk.

You’ll need an oil of your choosing.

Things to Consider for Your Anointing Oil

  • Should be personal to you

  • Could be a perfume

  • You can buy it at a store

  • Red Tiger Balm*

If you choose to make your own oil, use an oil base of your choice, and mix with whatever herbs you want! You can use herbs that are magically associated with divination, herbs you just like in general, or even herbs associated with your spirit team or guide/deity of your choosing. Here is a recipe to make your own divination oil.

The term or action of anointing means:

To smear, rub, or apply a substance, like oil, in a ritual for divine purposes and/or connection. It’s an act to declare that this item is sacred and connected to the person using it and/or the divine.

Anoint your deck to connect it to yourself, so you can receive better, easier answers that you can understand and have a deeper connection with the deck.

How to Anoint Your Tarot Deck

  1. Cleanse your tarot deck; you can use smoke, sound, or any other cleansing modality of your choosing

  2. Apply a drop of your anointing oil to the palm of your hands, rubbing between your palms

  3. Rub all four edges of your deck into your palms, where the oil is located

  4. Take a deep breath to ground you energy and center yourself

  5. Recite your anointing ritual script (see below)

Script for Anointing Your Tarot Deck

“I anoint this tarot deck with this oil that is personal to me. Tarot deck, I ask that when I work you, you connect to my energy, the energy of my guides, and the Divine. May the answers you provide be clear and easy to understand. May the cards pull quickly and resonate quickly to the questions presented. I thank you for your service. You are now connected to my energy through this sacred anointing ritual.”

That’s it! Your deck is now anointed!

If you try this anointing ritual, please let me know if you notice a difference before and after your ritual—I’d love to hear! And let me know what oil you use, what herb blends you use!

 

*Red Tiger Balm is usually used for sore muscles and can be found at your local drugstore. The main active ingredient helps connect with divine energies/high consciousness.

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Are You Disassociating?

Video Transcript 

How to Tell and Shift Your Response

How would you know if you were disassociating or if you were in a place of security through tough times?

The act of dissociation and escaping can look like:

Procrastination
Running away from the problems at hand
Leaning into drugs or alcohol, or any other addictive habits that alter your state of being
Filling your schedule with tasks in order to make yourself busy
Moving your mind away from the things that actually need to be done and hyper-fixating or focusing on things that make you feel like you might have some control
Just ignoring what’s really going on

On the other hand, living in a secure place—a place of processing and self-regulation—is knowing what needs to be done and being able to take the action needed, while also knowing and understanding that you have feelings and emotions that need to be heard and processed. Think of it this way: when you’re in a secure place, you take everything in digestible pieces. This helps you move through each facet with a sense of certainty. Being able to slowly compartmentalize one task at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed by the big picture or everything that might be going on in your life. 

Underneath dissociation is typically a fear or a sadness. For some, it can feel unsettling and restless, while to others it can feel hollow and numb. This is due to the fact that we are human beings and we all handle things in very different ways. The construct of being human is such a spectrum of emotions and feelings, that sadness to one person may feel different to another. Just like escaping for one person could be alcoholism or addictions that alter the mind, whereas addictions and escapism for someone else could look like shopping or obsessive gaming.

What it Means to Act from a Secure Place

On the other hand, the feeling of being secure even through darkness, is anchored in clear introspections. You’ll know you’re in a secure place when you can organize your thoughts and manage your hardships in a way that is honoring where you are, your environment, and staying grounded in what you know to be true. And also grounded in the uncertainty of the fact that you may not know what is going on, the confusion around all of it. It’s also a place where you can allow yourself to feel the challenging emotions that want to be validated. This can look very different for different people. One of the most common ways is when you’re dissociating, you may not be able to feel things. You may not be able to really access your feelings, because it can be a lot. Right? However, when you’re in a secure place, you can still choose to recognize that these feelings, these emotions you’re feeling, need to be regulated at a different time and place. For instance, let’s say you get into a car accident. You need to make sure that you’re safe, you’re okay. You’re parked at the side of the road. You process everything in tandem. Someone who is in a really secure place, at that moment, will be able to do everything that they need to do. And then as soon as they get home or as soon as they have the mental capacity to process what happened, they’ll let all of their emotions and feelings out to be recognized and be validated. It doesn’t mean they ignored them (their feelings), it just means that they recognized there were things that needed to get done right now, and they can’t break down because they have safety-checks and processes that need to be attended to before they can really settle in and process everything that’s happened emotionally.

Your Emotions and Levels of Security Will Flow

All that being said, when things are really heard—like really hard—these feelings that we hold within our bodies begin to move in waves. Meaning that no one is in a secure place all the time. That same person who may have been able to be really secure during that car accident, may be completely unregulated and unable to feel secure a few days later when they are triggered by something else. It’s a spectrum of how you move towards and away from our security and into dysregulation. And some people spend more time on one side of the scale than the other, but regardless, we are human so it’s a very fluid process for everyone of having things come up allow coping mechanisms to come forward to protect us.

The point is, if you are escaping from the world around you…there are these parts, these aspects of the self, that do this to protect you from harm—whether it be emotional, physical, irrational or rational. It’s a coping mechanism meant to keep you safe. Our minds do this all the time unconsciously. Some of the protection mechanisms are productive while others are dysfunctional. The purpose of escaping is to remove ourselves mentally from stressful situations in fear of an outcome or experience. So if you’re someone that struggles with escaping through things like shopping, cleaning, or playing video games just remember to notice. Pay attention to your body. Pay attention to your coping mechanisms and ask why. Why do I want to be somewhere else right now? Why doesn’t it feel safe to be in my body right now? What am I running from?

These questions will open up the door to self-exploration as you uncover truths about yourself that you may have never known existed. Dissociating and escaping is not something that is bad or wrong. It’s something we do to protect ourselves, and it’s rooted in trauma.

So if you’re someone who wants to learn more about your coping mechanisms or learn more about how to understand how you process things—or just be more aware of your emotions and your states of being internally, go to my website at mysticrosemedicine.com to learn more about my offerings.

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Make Your Own Divination Oil

Are you looking to enhance your connection to yourself and spirit while doing divination activities? Make your own divination oil to use while divining! You can add a drop or two of this divination oil to your hands and third eye before dropping into meditation or using your tarot deck, pendulum, or other divination device.

This divination oil recipe was made with ingredients that have properties to help you connect to your inner wisdom, your higher self, and your psychic abilities. You can use whatever ratio you want, really (witchcraft can be flexible in that way), but it doesn’t require a large amount of dry ingredients—depending on how large your jar is, of course. I typically recommend selecting the jar you want to contain the oil in first. Here are some options: 2mL amber glass vials, 10mL amber glass bottles.

Clear Divining Oil Recipe

Ingredients

  • Organic jojoba oil

  • Almond, flour or 1 crushed almond

  • Bay leaf, dried

  • Dandelion, dried

  • Hibiscus, dried

  • Lilac, dried

  • 1–2 drops of jasmine essential oil (optional)

Directions

  1. Start with cleansing all your ingredients in your preferred method. Example: I like to cleanse my dry ingredients, oil, and jar/container in incense smoke.

  2. Note that your herb to oil ratio should be about 1:4. Put another way, your jar should be about 25% filled with the herb ingredients and then filled to the top with oil.

  3. Combine your dry ingredients with a mortar and pestle, while concentrating on activating the ingredients with the powers they naturally hold. I typically will speak aloud why I am adding each individual ingredient (see below). For example, I’ll say aloud, “Almond, I add you to this divination oil to connect me to and increase my own wisdom.” And continue in the same manner with the rest of the ingredients.

  4. Add the dry ingredients to the jar, until it’s about 25% full.

  5. If you want the oil to hold a fragrance, you can add 1–2 drops of jasmine essential oil to your mix (note: look for essential oil, not fragrance oil).

  6. Fill your jar to the top with jojoba oil, being careful to not overfill if you need to leave room for a dropper.

  7. Let the oil sit for 3 days in a dark space so the herbs can steep before using.

Why You Want to Use These Ingredients for a Divination Oil

I’ve suggested these ingredients for a divination oil specifically for their magickal properties.

Almond = wisdom

Bay leaf = psychic abilities, divination, and wisdom

Dandelion = psychic abilities, intuition, spiritual and emotional cleanser

Hibiscus – divination

Lilac = psychic abilities

Jasmine = divination and prophecy

 

Now that you’ve made your Clear Divining Oil, you can Anoint Your Tarot Deck—an additional practice to get clearer answers while divining!

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How to Find the Root-Cause of an Emotion and Rewire It

We’ve all been there. The feeling of overwhelm; maybe it’s anxiety, frustration, or general unease. Everything above the surface seems to be the cause, but more often than not, there is a baseline core wound activating this “random” blast of emotion that is vigorously affecting your ability to reason and disrupting your nervous system, causing you to be completely dysregulated. 

Now, you may be thinking, “What if I just get frustrated at traffic” or “dealing with tech stresses me out”; and I’m here to tell you, yes, these too have core beliefs and wounds around them that activate you; otherwise, you wouldn’t get overwhelmed. Want some examples? Okay, we’ll get into it, but I want to preface that I will speak to sub-personalities and parts in this article. If you haven’t heard of these terms, don’t worry, I got you. I wrote an article on the topic last month; to view it, you can click here. Just know that it will help you make sense of the terminology if you have non-clue what I’m talking about.

Judgment Wound

Okay! To start off with an example, let’s go with the traffic one first. This person, let’s call them Teddy, is obviously upset. They are yelling, honking, or cussing, or maybe all three at the people around them. They are showing judgment (belief), and now they are all wound up and irritated (a consequence of that belief), which can stem from several different places. Maybe they grew up in a household where the adults around them exhibited judgmental behavior (this would be your wounded child), or perhaps it was shadow. They judge themselves so harshly and have rejected that part of themselves that they then project that judgment onto others. Still, the root cause of judgment is low self-worth. Whether judging someone else (putting someone down to make yourself feel better) or judging yourself (showing your subconscious you are lacking in some way), both come from a place of lack. The goal is to feel your emotion, notice where the wounding is coming from (which sub-personality/part of you), follow that to the belief that created it, and then discover the root cause of that belief. Let’s look at another example that’s a little bit different.

Imposter Syndrome

Say you are dealing with imposter syndrome in your career and are struggling to show up for yourself. What is the core belief here? Is it that you aren’t good enough? Is it that you feel unsafe taking up space? Is it that you feel powerless? The next part of this thread is discovering what part of you has this wounding. Is it your inner child? Is it your inner critic? For the sake of this example, let’s say it is your inner child. Now, what is the outcome of this belief? Maybe you don’t ask for a raise when you should, or perhaps you let other people walk all over you because you believe they know something that you don’t, or better yet, that they HAVE something within them that you do not. Following this back, you can discover when this belief originated. Process who you grew up around; was this behavior modeled to you? Or did you pick it up as a coping mechanism?

Resolution

The threading process starts with an emotion and, with practice, leads you to the foundation of why you feel this way. Yes, some things are just stressful, but more often than not, they are stressful because of our beliefs around them. Once you understand this core belief, you can go back in time to the memory/memories that implanted this belief in your mind (this is best done in trance with a hypnotherapist). The idea has made you feel like an imposter in your career. It’s in this place that you reframe the narrative by either standing in your power and changing the memory in a way that you stand up for yourself and speak up for your needs or, reparenting your younger self from the wisdom of your secure adult, or maybe you bring in a safe person to help soothe them and give them everything they needed, or perhaps you put yourself in the shoes of the person who hurt you. This can help you understand their own limiting beliefs and realize that you are not singled out in their handouts of pain. It wasn’t personal, and you no longer need to hold onto it. Each person’s healing journey is different, and each person will need a unique formula to process these emotions and limiting beliefs, but how you get to the core wound is always the same; without fail, you will find the root cause of the issues.

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Tests From the Universe

If ‘tests from the universe’ is a foreign concept to you, you’re in luck because we are about to dive deep into what tests look like and how they show up just when you feel like you can’t take them anymore. 

The first time I realized I was being tested by the universe, I was 21. I had failed every test that came my way, from shitty partners to being manipulated by a best friend, choosing to go to a college based on a high school boyfriend, and then dropping out of college by leaving for spring break and not going back. I was sleeping on my best friend’s couch and living day by day, trying to emotionally survive the toxic life I had set up for myself. It was this rock bottom that made me realize all of the tests that had been given to me, and one by one…I failed them, bringing me deeper and deeper into my dysfunctional behavior and unwavering anxiety. 

But one day, I noticed as an opportunity came through, I realized the pattern and how I had reacted in the past to a similar situation…playing small…and choosing not to see the red flags. This was when I did something different…I said no to dating douchebags and women full of toxic masculinity… I moved back in with my parents and fessed up to my immature actions…got two jobs working as a barista during the day, and a cocktail waitress at night. Within a year, I moved into my own place and began unraveling the woundedness within me and the shadow I had rejected. Eight years later, I am still learning, growing, and untying the generational knots and societal burden. During that period, I began to notice the patterns in my life, the rock bottoms, the glorious highs, and the opportunities that took me from one end of the pendulum to the other.

Opportunities are Test

Let’s look at a few examples ranging from relationships to career to finances; hopefully, you will understand what I am speaking about.

Relationships

Okay, starting with relationships, imagine a woman; let’s call her Ginny. Ginny has been in terrible relationships her entire life. Moving from one loser to another, all her partners are judgmental, shallow, and have a tendency to get really angry when they drink. Now imagine Ginny breaking up with her partner and saying good riddance, and a year later, she decides to jump back into the dating pool. The first person she meets seems friendly and open-minded, but after the third date, she notices they drink a lot and care too much about having a nice car and designer clothes. RED FLAG. Sure, they are nice and open-minded, but they still hit on two past patterns of partners that have not worked out. Now, let’s say she notices this and moves on; I would call this “passing a test.” Now, will she be tested again? Maybe, most likely, until she is in her worth. However, passing these tests and choosing not to settle will eventually always bring in an aligned partner.

Career

Alright, let’s look at career. Imagine someone named Alba. Alba has been working for crappy cooperation for four years and is underpaid, overworked, and has to deal with discrimination in the office weekly. They believe they cannot make more money anywhere else and convince themselves of this, which is why they stay and sacrifice their worth. One fine day, they decide that they have had enough and start looking for new job opportunities in their area. To their surprise, they find several jobs that offer them more than what they were making. Now, Alba could have taken any of these jobs, and it would have been an upgrade. Still, they interviewed their potential bosses to find out what they value in an employee and how they keep up company morale and asked them to give a higher wage than what was listed on the job ad. Alba passed this test. They went above and beyond to find a job that suited them rather than trying to suit someone else. Because of this, they got the desired job and were paid $10 over the initial starting wage for the position.

Finances

Now, there are many different ways we can look at finances, but for this example, we are going to use the topic of scarcity—someone who struggles with a fear of not having enough, coming from a place of lack. For this example, we are going to talk about Benjamin. Benjamin has tests come up constantly, always in a whirlwind of scarcity; he finds himself with a car that has been broken into, the next week, he has an unexpected medical bill, and the week after that, his water heater goes out. He is in constant fear that he won’t have enough money. Living paycheck to paycheck, he fears getting a new job that he may like because he believes he will have to take a pay cut; he also worries about going back to school because he can’t afford to pay it off. Do you see the vicious cycle? Benjamin is faced with tests every time an unexpected bill comes up; the difficulty is two things; trust and grace. Will he trust that something good is coming and that the universe will always provide him with what he needs as long as he is active in going up against his fears? Will he find ways to get more income, either by getting another job or selling something that he creates? He could also look into high-demand careers willing to pay for the education. When Benjamin looks outside his fear, he finds opportunities to grow and trust in his future rather than withering away in scarcity.

All of these stories are true from both myself and people I know who all rose above their limiting beliefs and found their worth on the other side. Tests get easier to pass with practice, and the surefire way to notice you are being tested is to look at your triggers and see the patterns around them. The ones that keep coming up ask you to look at them with kind eyes and find a new solution that resonates with your soul’s expression. Be kind to yourself, and do the things that scare you. Through this, you will always find peace on the other side.

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Hypnotherapy & Parts Integration

We all have parts within us—an inner critic, a rebel, a rescuer, just to name a few. These parts are created for one reason or another…most are created by the time we turn 8 years old. They are the product of our environment, and our authority figures; how they nurtured us, or didn’t; the examples that they showed, and the actions that we copied. Some are protective defense mechanisms, cultivated out of survival, others are wounded children, acting out in immature ways to get their needs met. Join me as we explore sub-personalities (parts) and discover how hypnotherapy helps this process move more smoothly with ease; but first, if you don’t know what hypnotherapy is or how it works, go up to the Kind Publishing Co. search bar and browse some of the hypnosis articles available. Although they are all on different topics, each one will give you different backgrounds into insights and information on the mechanics of how and why it works, because today, we will strictly focus on parts integration and hypnotherapy and why the two together make the best pairing since PB&J.

Recognizing a part of you that is acting out, will help you understand why it is coming up, and once you know the why, you begin to unravel the how and when it started. This beautiful thread of discovery will lead you to the origin of the issue. It’s in this place, you can reframe the memory into something empowering as you soothe your wounded self, and heal your core wounding. 

These processes are based on mixed teachings of Jungian psychology and the author Bill Plotkin and his book, Wild Mind. Each of these parts is a sub-personalities of the self. Think of yourself as completely whole in your entirety when you are born, and then something terrible happens, and you become fractured, altering the lens through which you see the world. When these fractures compound on top of one another, your authentic self becomes hidden, buried under trauma. You are now running on trauma reactions 24/7. This is what it looks like when someone has suffered tremendous instability in childhood or had a life-changing event in adulthood. All humans are fractured to some degree or another, because we live in a universe of duality. It doesn’t mean it’s bad; it just means it simply is. Our job as humans is to heal our fractured parts, integrating them wholly, and rediscover who we are, what we stand for , and who we stand by. So let’s look at what parts exist within you and how you can recognize when one is running the show.

The Wounded Children

These are the parts of you that never grew up and use their immature tactics to get what they want in every situation. They are prone to feeling hurt, sad, anxious, and angry. They are born from neglect, abuse, and abandonment. These parts act up to get their basic needs met in the most immature way possible—likely because it worked for them at some point, so they kept on doing it.

The conformist fears rejection and abandonment. They don’t have their own sense of fashion, they make decisions based on the input of others, they morph into the social groups they are a part of, and they mirror those who they believe “have it together.” Perhaps you knew this person in high school or college, maybe it’s someone in your family, or maybe it’s you. The conformist is created out of safety. It believes it is “safe” to fit in. They believe in what society says is “beautiful.” They would rather be sheep, moving along slowly and just getting by to fit into the unattainable standards of society.

The victim wants to be rescued. They are also motivated by a fear of abandonment. Deep down they feel fearful, unsafe, undeserving, and any sign of confrontation, discipline or trouble sends them into an anxious state. They truly believe they do not have the ability or capability to overcome their problems (Note that this is just one kind of victim). Some people’s victim simply refuses to take any responsibility. They claim they are doing everything they can, that they put everyone above themselves, yet their actions show otherwise. These parts are unique to each individual, and a victim in one person can look slightly different from a victim in another.

Outlaws, born from the conformist, or from a family environment that had low means of income. Perhaps as a child they tried to fit in, and then in teen years or college they got tired of masking, so they rebel against anything and everything, just because they can, or perhaps they were born out of anger towards a society they feel has disregarded them and feel that they are unable to obtain the life they want in an ethical manner. You will find the outlaws protesting for the sake of protesting, arguing for the sake of arguing. They enjoy drinking, sex, and self-sabotaging behavior. Think of the movie bridesmaids, this is a great example of what the rebel thinks it wants; “let’s get fucked up and everything will turn out great…” except it doesn’t because you can’t drink and thrive day-to-day. You can’t destroy your friend’s wedding and have your friendship become stronger. I mean, I guess anything is possible, but it’s highly unlikely. Just because your outlaw thinks it’s fun, doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. Another outlaw can look much darker; a life of crime and punishment. They rebel against any and all authority figures and are full of anger due to their shortcomings in life.

The princess/prince is also fueled by their abandonment (catching onto a theme here?), however they carry an entitlement due to their wealth, or authority figures who showered them with privilege. However, I do want to add that those where were born without wealth or privilege, can still be entitled. 

Loyal Soldiers

Have you ever heard of the theory between your left and right brains? The left brain is analytical and the right brain is creative. Well, if the loyal soldiers were put into a category based on this theory, they would definitely be in the left brain. They are protectors of the self. In fact, they are created to protect you from your wounded children. Everything they do is to help you not get hurt. Now, it is subjective as to whether or not they are actually helpful. Still, their only intention is to keep you from suffering, even if that means causing a different form of suffering in the meantime.

There are 4 main subpersonalities in this container; the rescuer (the enabler), the inner flatter (which keeps you emotionally detached from others), the tyrant (craves having power over others), and the inner critic (it’s exactly what it sounds like, they want to keep you small). These parts of us want to support us small and safe as they avoid risks and attachments.

The rescuer does so by showing their value by putting others first. They are codependent by nature and will conform to fit in so that they go unnoticed. However, from the outside, they seem to always contribute; some rescuers are manipulative. For example, one may feel completely helpless and unworthy without someone else to take care of. Usually, these folks get taken advantage of. Whereas another type of rescuer will first want to dive in and help, and once they have, they may begin to see an opening where they can manipulate you to get something in return. These parts are not “defined” in one manner; they can alter and change based on the person and their trauma.

The inner flatterer strives to boost your ego so that you need no one else. They keep you from having intimate relationships and vulnerable conversations due to a fear of rejection. So rather than allowing you to be authentic, they push you to hide behind emotional walls, a prison of sorts that doesn’t allow you to get close to anything that would render you vulnerable, thus making it difficult for you to meet your truest potential.

The tyrant wasn’t given the love they needed as a child. Therefore they create a sense of internal authority that puts them first above anyone else; exploiting others and controlling every situation makes them feel safe and powerful in their role.

The inner critic is judgmental of the self and others. It finds ways to “protect” you from taking up space, from being noticed. It wants to control everything in its surroundings so that it is “safe”. Think of someone who has been through WWI and lost everything. Perhaps the inner critic would judge themselves for living in luxury, as though it would all be taken away, and there for anyone else who lives in luxury would be wrong and looked down upon; this is the role of the inner critic in this example. Now, you could have a variety of these. You may have an inner critic who needs to keep things clean and organized to stay in control, or you may have one who judges you for how you spend your money. These parts will vary based on your internal programming and the narratives you were taught as a child.

All of these sub-personalities at their core are controlling; some more than others. Their survival instincts come from protecting you from further harm. As a child, you may have been abandoned or neglected; these parts are your loyal soldiers, ensuring you are safe from further damage. According to Jung, these parts provide structure, control, and service as they go to war, defending you from any other harm. These parts believe they are secure; they believe in the ego-centric way that they are the most honorable adult, taking care of the different parts of you. Unfortunately, no secure adult acts this way. Trustworthy moral adults act from a place of compassion and wisdom. These parts act as immature versions of a genuine secure adult, and trust me, they will try to trick you and make you think that they are just and righteous in their actions; that’s how you know; they are a protection sub-personality, rather than part of the secure, whole self.

The Escapists and Addicts

Jung called these parts the path to a spiritual journey, because of how much you must overcome to live a life of authenticity. These are the parts that come out when the immature tactics of the wounded children don’t work, and the protection from the loyal soldiers feels more critical than helpful. Those who have a strong will to dissociate have a skilled escapist. They leave their body and have holes in their memory from days, sometimes even years, at a time. Whereas someone with an addict, simply want to numb out all pain and are willing to sacrifice anything in order to meet their need for bliss and serenity, even if the cost is their family, job, home, or integrity. The amount of pain they feel is so excruciating that they feel that numbing the pain is all that they can do to get by.

The Shadow

These are the parts of self that are unknown to us, hence why they are called the shadow. They live in the darkness of our subconscious, hidden away in shame. A great way to depict a shadow is to look at what areas of life you feel ashamed of. These are things you are not consciously aware of. For example, let’s say someone always judges those who make a lot of money, and they have beliefs of this or that for why that is. Yet they “think” they are great with money and live from paycheck to paycheck—this is a shadow. They cannot see that their judgment of someone else’s wealth is holding them back from creating their own abundance, because by having this belief, they inherently don’t believe they should be rich. However, they do not see this at all. Make sense? Bill Plotkin speaks of these as the heroes, those who think they are undoubtedly saving the world, yet under their success is great judgment and toxic ego; the gurus, the teachers who believe their teachings are the only ones that can save you, and the devil/monster, the parts that must be bad so they have to be hidden away for no one else to see.

Hypnotherapy & Integration

None of these parts are inherently bad, and the key is not to punish them or scold them for causing a ruckus. The real healing lies in integration; accepting these parts for who they are, and honoring the hard work that they have done. This is where hypnotherapy comes in.

The process of hypnosis allows you to get to the root cause of a core belief. Whether it is “I am not enough”, “I am unsafe”, or “I am broken.” It can also help you uncover your shadow and the limiting beliefs that live behind statements like “rich people are evil”, “everyone is a bad driver but me” and “all people who eat meat are bad.” We are so indoctrinated by society to have limiting beliefs about our worth, finances, abundance, weight, nutrition, religion, spirituality, the government… the list goes on and on.

Remember that thread I spoke about in the beginning? About starting at a single point and unraveling the truth? That is what hypnosis does. It is a deep uncovering of limiting beliefs and programs that do not align with your authenticity and wholeness. It helps you get to the core of who you are, what you love and value, your truest expression and creative vibrance. Imagine being happier, healthier, and thriving in your everyday life. Imagine manifesting everything you could ever want, discovering your worth and breaking generational trauma, this is what hypnotherapy does. It unravels the false narratives in your mind, it negotiates with your sub-personalities (parts). It helps you step into your security and worth, so that all the other wounded parts can heal, release their obligations, and let your authentic self run the show. This is integration, and it starts with a simple thread. So where will yours lead you on your journey to healing?

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Protecting & Clearing Your Energy

I was a sensitive girl growing up. Easily affected by the energy of others, my energy often shifted quickly. As I eased (or was catapulted?!) into adulthood, I couldn’t quite grasp why my energy would shift in what felt like an instant. With my energy changing in ways I didn’t understand, my emotions seemed to be up and down as well.

It wasn’t until my 20s that I began to understand energy was more than just how much sleep I got a night or the food I fueled my body with. My energy was impacted depending on how I took care of myself, of course, but the people I surrounded myself with also played a huge role. The way I spent my time was drastically affecting how I felt. It became clear I needed to set boundaries and learn how to protect my energy.

With this realization I began to honor my energy. By honoring my energy, my body, and mind started to feel a bit more at ease. I developed practices and rituals that allowed me to protect and clear my energy. Protecting my energy allowed me to stay connected to myself. Clearing my energy opens the space to come back home to myself when I feel out of alignment or need to reconnect.

Try These Practices When You Need an Energy Reset

1. connect

Sit on the floor or ground, connecting your sit bones to the surface beneath you. Feel your root chakra connect to the earth below you. Connect back to your center.

2. ground

Stand or sit on the floor or ground outside, barefoot. Feel your foot burrow into the surface beneath you, connecting to the earth and absorbing its energy. Allow your body to give the energy you no longer desire back to the earth.

3. cleanse

Cleanse your body with a shower or a bath. Watch the water wash away all that is no longer yours. See all the excess energy escape as it goes down the drain.

4. Crystals

Protect and clear the space with crystals. Protect with crystals such as black tourmaline, obsidian, amethyst, hematite. Clear your space and energy with selenite, fluorite, clear quartz, smoky quartz.

5. Visualize

Visualize a protection bubble. Imagine a white light of energy surrounding your aura that protects your energy. Anything you do not desire bounces right off and doesn’t enter your energetic field.

6. Clear

Clear your space and your body with smoke cleansing. Clear with ethically sourced palo santo, incense, candles, lavender, sage, cedarwood, juniper. Find the type of smoke cleansing that you are drawn to. Cleanse with an open window or door to let the energy leave the space!

7. move

Get out of your mind and into your body. Practice intuitive movement and clear the stagnant energy by going for a walk, shaking it off, moving the energy up and through you.

8. Feel

Feel the emotions coming up. Emotions are energy in motion. Allow yourself to feel whatever is present. Write it out to get it out of your mind and onto the paper and let it go.

9. Space

Move to a new space and change the scenery. Change the room you are in, get out of the house, go outside and get some fresh air.

These are just some of the simple and quick practices you can tap into to protect and clear your energy. Utilize these when you are holding space for others, when you get back from a big gathering, after you’ve had a long week, or just need some space just for you.

Honoring one’s energy looks different for everyone. Finding what works best for you can take time, so see what feels best as you try these different practices and rituals and lean in.

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Developing a Spiritual Practice

Over the last 7 years, I’ve learned a lot about myself, my spirituality, and the wellness community. When I first felt a shift within myself, I didn’t understand it. The notion of ‘spirituality’ didn’t cross my mind, and while I was exploring spiritual practices, the wellness and spiritual communities felt foreign to me.

When you are starting to dip your toes into a new practice, community or modality, it often feels intimidating. It may feel as though everyone is more advanced than you. It’s like that first yoga class after a few months back—you think everyone’s looking at you, when really, everyone is thinking the same thing about their OWN practice.

It took many years, exploration, and endless scrolling to begin to understand that what I was developing was a spiritual practice. I was adopting spiritual beliefs, and as my twenties went on, I was shifting and changing. The shifts felt ‘wrong’ because most of my friends from childhood didn’t have the same interests, besides a yoga class here or there. Some similarities intertwined, but I began to feel like I was the only one changing as I got older, and wasn’t sure how to deepen the practices I felt connected to.

If you’re reading this, it feels safe to assume you’ve gone through some similar shifts in your life, no matter the age. As time went on and my purpose in life became clear, I let go of the fears of being misunderstood. I declared who I was with clear conviction.

There are a few things I learned over the years that helped me deepen and develop my spiritual practice. These tools helped me connect to myself and became rituals in my life.

Rituals for Developing a Spiritual Practice

  1. What feels good for YOU:

    The most important ritual. If someone suggests Breathwork and you hate it, you don’t have to do it! Explore what feels good to you. Try different things and incorporate them into your life. When things feel good, they will stick.

  2. Meditation and Visualization:

    Simple meditation and visualizations can drop you out of the mind and into your body. They can put you into a parasympathetic state and allow you to slow down, practice mindfulness, and connect you deeper to yourself.

  3. Practice Gratitude:

    We’ve all heard it before, but it’s true. While it’s important to acknowledge how we are feeling at any time, acknowledging the good in our life helps us recognize what we already have.

  4. Journal/Write:

    This seems simple, but writing is important for many reasons. Journaling to get things out of your mind alleviates stress and anxiety. Writing also sparks creativity. Free-write or write with prompts. There is never any wrong way to journal and write.

  5. Notice your Energy: 

    Start to pay attention to your energy. What makes you feel energized? What drains you? Begin to do more of what lights you up. When you feel connected, energized and immersed in the moment, keep doing it.

  6. Take Inventory of What Feels Aligned: 

    Similar to your energy, what in your life feels aligned? Start to take note of the things on this list, and in your life that feel good and the things that don’t. If it brings you joy. Keep doing it. If it doesn’t let it go. You can always come back to it later. This goes for people, places, things, and practices.

  7. Listen to Your Body: 

    The last thing I will tell you to do is how to eat or move your body. However, listen to your body. Intuitively move and nourish it in the way that makes it feel good. Rest when you need rest. This sounds simple, but it goes such a long way. I promise you.

  8. Connect with your Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit: 

    Connect with all parts of yourself. All four parts of you are deeply connected and make up your whole self. Honoring these parts of yourself allows you to listen to what you need and how to best serve YOU.

I could keep going and going, as there are so many ways we can deepen our connection to ourselves. I truly believe that is the way our spiritual practices begin, but these tools and rituals are what supported me in diving into my journey years ago.

My last piece of parting wisdom is this: trust yourself and lean in. You know yourself best, and if you feel drawn to something, trust that nudge. Try it. Interested in Kundalini? Do it! I waited to try it for years. Listen to the whispers. Let go of the fear, and follow your soul’s desires.

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