It may be time to shatter any illusions you have of yourself or others. Peel away these misconceptions about your life and see yourself for the amazing being that you are and how you were intended to be. There is nothing wrong with you. Break those illusions they are not true. You or someone you love may be suffering from something painful confusing or unpleasant. You must endure and push yourself through these moments in life. You should know that you are strong and it may be incredibly hard to know that in this moment you will move past this into better times. You are not alone. Think about what it is you sincerely want out of life and whether you’re showing people your true self. Align your different personas into one and doing so you will conserve your energy. Think about situations where various personas work together to support your authentic self. Release the excess baggage from those personas so that you can find a free pass for your spirit and soul. Plan your next steps with an eye to the long term. Have patience; there are more good things to come. This is a time to end those addictions or codependencies. The difficulties are lifting. Information is coming to help you. It may be a bit uncomfortable to hear, but be present in your emotions and speak your truths with kindness Letting go of the belief systems that no longer serve you. Important life changing events and situations that will lead to significant opportunities of assistance in the forms of money, advice, and career. The outlook is bright when lead with your passion. Take a breath and know the stability you have been seeking is near.New friends will arrive and romance will flow. Take a break from society and commit to your spiritualgrowth. You have the potential to make life great!
Category: Spirituality
Tarostrology | Aries Season
March 21 – April 19, 2022
by Anna Ervin
Welcome to my favorite season of the year, Aries season. Every March, whether the sun comes out or not, I crawl out of my winter slumber and come alive once again. The cards I pulled for my own placements this cycle seemed to carry an overall theme of stepping into my own power, taking time away from society’s hustle and bustle to focus on inner strength and growth, and continuing that theme, stop caring so much about what other people think. Easier said than done, right?
Remember that you can use your big four, or even the entire birth chart to give yourself a more in-depth reading. For a quick four-card spread, read your cards using the following placements:
Sun: Ego, the core of your being
Moon: Emotions
Ascendant: Mask, surface value
Venus: Love, intimate relationships
Aries – King of Swords
Mental clarity, intellectual power, authoritative thought patterns. Firm and traditional ways of thinking.
Which comes first, the thought or the action? For most of the human race, the answer to this question is quite simple, but for Aries (myself included), it’s almost reminiscent of the old chicken-egg riddle. The king of swords, however, invites us to slow down and give a little more consideration to our thoughts. Perhaps they do come first, we’re just too hasty in our reactions to even notice them. Perhaps… they have a little more power than we realize. What can you learn this season from the role your thoughts play in dictating your actions? Could you afford to discipline the workings of your mind? Try taking control of your reality by shifting the narrative you feed yourself to one that boasts authority and power. “I am the protector of my thoughts, my goals, and dreams.” “I am in charge of the thoughts I allow to flow, the actions I allow to manifest, the reality I create.”
Taurus – Five of Wands
Conflict in energy and ideas, confusion, lack of understanding.
Something in your life isn’t quite flowing, Taurus, and it’s likely it involves the ideals of the people that surround you. This card is a clear indicator that the people and situations in your life are challenging your ideas. This could look like unsolicited opinions from those around you, opposition in the pursuit of your goals, or a sudden disruption of energy created by someone who just doesn’t understand you. It’s possible that those around you are not able to clearly communicate their feelings at this time, creating a lot of confusion around the conflict. Now, more than ever, stay true to your beliefs. If something in your life is working for you, it shouldn’t matter what anyone else thinks.
Gemini – King of Wands
Leadership, strong vision, authoritative energy.
Dear Gemini, this is your season to get sh*t done. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to finally tackle that project, take off in your career, or fully embody your own entrepreneurial spirit, this is it. The king of wands is a clear indicator that you have tapped into your inner boss, and you may find that your leadership skills have been fine-tuned for the endeavors that lie ahead. The people in your life might look to you at this time for direction, and the universe is inviting you to share your unique vision with them. Right now, you have the determination and foundation to not only follow through but to create opportunities for those around you.
Cancer – Ace of Swords
Blessings in the form of intellect, a new perspective, mindfulness.
Have you ever heard the quote, “change your thoughts, change your world?” The ace of swords reminds my sweet Cancer friends of the empowerment they can find through mindfulness. New perspectives and thought patterns should flow into your life with ease at this time, inviting you to shift the narrative of your external reality as well. The only challenge here is asking yourself what kind of perspective and thought patterns you’re willing to entertain. What are those patterns trying to teach you? What sort of new information becomes available to you when you’re able to shift your perspective? There is something to be learned from everything right now. Keep your eyes and ears (and mind) open.
Leo – Queen of Swords
Boundaries, independence, intuition.
The queen of swords’ quiet, cold nature may not feel the most natural for fiery Leos, but I’ve never known a lion to back down from a challenge. This season brings lessons in the responsibility you carry to honor your limitations. While being the warm, inviting, happy-go-lucky character in everyone’s life has always been your pride and joy, you are now being called to take a look at the standards you hold yourself to. If you’ve been feeling taken advantage of, depleted, or overwhelmed, it may be time to reinforce some of the boundaries you hold within your relationships, home life, and career.
Virgo – Nine of Pentacles
Material abundance, success in home and career through spiritual awareness.
This month is all about enjoying the fruits of your labors, Virgo. We all know you’ve worked hard to earn the abundance that now flows into the areas of your life that earth signs covet the most: home and career. The nine of pentacles can also indicate success correlated to spiritual awareness and growth. If this has been a season of enlightenment for you, that newfound relationship with the Divine could be playing a beneficial role in your material world.
Libra – Ten of Pentacles
Wealth, inheritance, support through family
The ten of pentacles is always a good indicator for your material well-being. This month should bring financial blessings and abundance into your life, Libra. Sometimes an indicator that these valuable resources could come through your family or community, you can certainly expect to see you, and those in your life, finding a bit more comfort within the home when this card comes up. At the same time, you may feel a responsibility to help those in your life or give back to your community. You worked hard to achieve this success, Libra, and in my opinion, you’ve earned the right to share it however you choose. Never let anyone tell you what to do with that big heart of yours.
Scorpio – The Hermit
Solitude, stepping away from society, quiet
The hermit is a card that should feel familiar to many Scorpio placements. Stepping outside of society’s norms, taking time off for the sake of self-improvement and growth, and keeping a quiet, reserved attitude when necessary can be your greatest strengths. This month delivers an ideal time for you to step into a season of solitude and self-reflection, in order to improve yourself and your state of life. It’s okay to take some time for yourself, just don’t get too cozy in self-isolation. This is just a season.
Sagittarius – Six of Pentacles
Community, giving back
Fiery Sagittarius, the cards this month place emphasis on your community work or the energy you give to others. If you’re someone who always looks out for others and plays a major role in giving back to the community, are you ensuring that the scales are balanced? On the other hand, if you’re someone who hasn’t invested much time or resources in others, can you find a cause that piques your interest? Energy (time, resources, money) works best when it finds a healthy flow, so take a step back and ask yourself if any of these areas in your life have become stagnant.
Capricorn – Four of Swords
Meditation, reflection
Sometimes we get so involved with the thoughts and worries occupying our minds, that we find ourselves overwhelmed and anxious. The four of swords reminds Capricorn placements that a little bit of quiet reflection can go a long way. Take a step back if you’ve been trying to tackle everything at once, and try to take it one step at a time. Practicing intention with your thoughts will help you build strong intellectual foundations that help you process and handle the hurdles life throws your way.
Aquarius – Four of Cups
Discontent, closed-heart, stubborn
Aquarius, the universe is offering you blessings in your love life and relationships, but you’re refusing to see them for what they are. If you’ve been praying for one specific outcome to happen, try to detach yourself and open your heart to new possibilities. These blessings may not look quite as appealing at first, but they offer important lessons and growth in love, intimacy, and emotional connection nonetheless. Perhaps the love or connection you seek can be found within you, rather than from others. Of course, it’s okay to expect and strive to achieve more in your relationships, just make sure you are still practicing gratitude for the little things you receive and learn about yourself along the way.
Pisces – The Chariot
Clear direction, intention, willpower
Sweet Pisces, this month the chariot invites a season of progress and potentially great success. Now, more than usual, your energy is perfectly focused and your vision is clear. Pair this wave of intention and determination with your natural ability to dream big and you’ll be unstoppable. This is a good time to really charge forward with your goals and plans, take action on a new project or life path, and trust your vision. The chariot reminds us that direction, discipline, and follow-through can help you build momentum and set you up for success.
Read more by @cannabanana__
Busy Work
Busy Work
By Carisa Rowe
The art of dialing in your mind and body to chase your thoughts to their inevitable ends. We meditate, we make art, we garden, we dance, we run…
We run after the void, seeking the end of understanding or to quiet the noise so that we can feel the static of oblivion. La petit mort – or the little death – is the release of energy that untethers us from all that we know. These little deaths are the endorphin rush from a great work out, the high of closing a big deal, the crashing waves following an orgasm. All we are chasing is that burst of pent-up energy that allows us to bask in our afterglow or the silence of the expulsion.
As philosophical beings, we explore our comprehension of reality. Its heady work. Work that drives exceptional minds beyond the void, some driven to madness. Philosophers have influenced the evolution of the human consciousness for millennia by sharing their personal understanding of reality with any listeners who will receive them.
Socratic philosophers believed the world was only as real as we universally believe. This gave birth to Western philosophy and innumerable philosophical disciplines.
Over the two and half millennia, since Socrates spun his thoughts into the web of consciousness, Western philosophy has discovered and developed into countless iterations of reality, each tethered to one another through an invisible network of consciousness. As we outgrow our collective understanding, the energy that we have built for growth must be absorbed until the collective conscious achieves a reset. Every time we condense enough energy to affect change, we’ve progressed into a deeper collective understanding of who we are. The duality of being both The observer and the observed catalyzes many of us forward into the void. We are wanting to understand more of ourselves. This inevitably leads to a desire to understand those around us and how we are all connected. 
The limit of understanding is set by our connection to our consciousness. Within the conscious mind exists ego, which brings awareness of self and within that knowledge we can only understand the world. In that regard, we can only understand our non-existence. We as individuals are nanoscopic in comparison to all that binds us. The dissolution of self, or ego death, as it has come to be known, is where we achieve the realization of everything and nothing. These realizations are fleeting because the conscious mind seeks constantly to understand beyond its own knowledge. At this juncture, gleaning knowledge becomes a compulsion, a subconscious fixation to find the next unknown and know it.
How we achieve that state of absolution from reality varies greatly. For some, bliss comes simply. These people are capable of walking with the void and granting the grace of eternity to those around them. For others, the disconnection is harsh, causing them to reverberate chaotic energy.
To best tap the collective consciousness, our energy must be flowing in the correct direction and there must be no interruption to the flow of that energy, such as the limitation of our own consciousness. Being that individual consciousness is a mitigating factor to collective consciousness, we must first identify the channel of energy that we are seeking to join and then dissolve our ego into the ether. We must know how to achieve la petite mort.
Preceding Western philosophy are the concepts of karma and balanced chakras. These provide a mission and a legend for Vedic philosophers. They are seeking to achieve ultimate knowledge through good intention, balance, and discipline. Vedic practices include Yoga, Tantra, and Ayuverda which prescribe routines for physical and mental fitness. These routines could direct followers to fast or meditate until they enter a state of altered consciousness. Somatic practices in the Vedic traditions included plant-based concoctions and relied heavily on cannabis in the development of Taoism, or so it is understood.
Even earlier in human consciousness, at the dawn of civilization, Mesopotamian philosophy centered on living a life as laborers for the gods so that the world would not spin into chaos. Early human developments such as these relied heavily on the leadership of spiritually gifted individuals who were tasked with knowing, understanding, and responding to the needs of the people in their collectives. In an article titled “Psychedelics and the Ancient Near East”, author Diana L. Stein describes the plant-based medicinal practices of third and second Millenia Mesopotamians. Stein further explains that “the resulting concoctions were applied as salves, ingested as potions, powders, and pills, or inhaled as fumes in order to treat all manner of ailments, both real and imagined. Certain drugs were prescribed for their mind-altering effects. Some of these brought about sedation, anesthesia, or analgesia. Others were administered in order to relieve or overcome inhibition, fear, panic, and depression as well as, in the odd instance, to induce hallucinations.”
Heralded as sages, healers, and prophets, these guides would utilize plant medicine to journey beyond consciousness seeking communion with the gods, ancestors, or with trapped spirits. Many of these ancient philosophers understood that hallucinogens could remove the barrier of consciousness. In some civilizations, as evidenced by Mesopotamian anthropology, the guides would utilize hallucinogens to improve the health of a particular individual. Shamans in northern cultures administered mushrooms and mushroom teas to raise moral during brutal winter months. This evidence of plant-based medicine to induce hallucinations in the earliest known human civilizations indicates an innate understanding of entheogenic nutrition.
Those little deaths, the quiet moments – those are the place where sanity is found. The shuddering breath after finishing a marathon or the roar of a crowd so connected to the music on stage that they move like so many birds on the wind. That is where we remember that we are more than one; it is the only space we can hold everything and nothing. In every documented explosion of human evolution, psychoactive compounds are evidenced to treat illness, heal communities, and explore the limits of human understanding and innovation.
Lotus Letters: Mysterious ways
Lotus Letters
Mysterious ways
By Kathy Long-Barker
Before you towers the most mind numbing physical conjuration of terror, your own personal brand brand of fear. It cackles dark inky tendrils, certain of your demise to come. Much to the nightmarish consciousness’s dismay, you simply shrug at it and wait for it to do whatever it claims it’s going to do. Gone are the days of your near instant submission. You function in trust these days. You will not be moved. Begrudgingly, it ceases its theatrics and produces a battered looking envelope for your viewing.
Dearest Daring Divine.
If you are reading this now, you’ve traversed many levels of consciousness to arrive here. You’ve done ‘the work’ and faced many a demon, only to realize that in truth, they are reflections of you. You are nothing to fear. You are everything to love, and as pouty as they look, your demons hold the highest gratitude for listening instead of shrieking. So on behalf of the darkness, thank you. After all, we both know they can’t break character to tell you themselves.
I’m sure by now you’re catching on to the fact that the simple phrase ‘everything happens for a reason’ isn’t just some vague excuse to have you give up on asking general questions. Nay, everything really does happen for a reason. Whether it be to acquire understanding about something, or to deliver you to better ground amidst your challenging terrain.
Let’s have an example. Take the Typist for these letters, Kathy! Yes, she was a prime example of the saying ‘everything happens for a reason.’ She’d been transportationally challenged as of late due to issues with her car. Times are tough I hear, in the year 2021 when it happened. She was doing her best, but not enough to afford the repairs on her car let alone acquire a new one. SO the universe, or in Kathy’s case the ‘herniverse’ got clever.
She was using Uber for a short time, when things went nearly as badly as they could go. Her driver took her to a cul-de-sac instead of her destination and informed her she would need to pay more money if she wanted to be taken to the proper place. Afterwards he spoke to someone who approached the car in a few creepy sounding words. Kathy tried giving him the address 3 different times to put into his GPS. Instead he asked her for her phone. You can imagine how badly this could have gone if she had given it to him. Or for any younger and more naive individual who would comply out of fear. What really made this sink in was the fact that when the driver finally delivered her to her destination she came to realize the back doors were child safety locked.
Oddly enough, the fear and gravity of the situation hadn’t sunk into our dear typist until later on in that day. She had remained calm and mindful. What came out of this encounter? What was the reason? Her mother and father in law bought her a cash car the very next day. No questions asked, no payback required.
The experience was frightening in hindsight, but she was divinely protected all along. Her family needed to see her in real danger to offer a helping hand.
Now I challenge you dear reader, the next time you find yourself up against your own personal brand of fear, ask it point blank: “what’s the reason?”
Fairfarren love,
- The YOUniverse
My heart goes out to all the individuals and families who were not as lucky as I was and have experienced loss to the human trafficking system. I could never presume to give you a definite reason for such pain. Only you can illuminate your reason for your experience. Being a human can be beastly at times. I love you, and It is my deepest hope, your loved ones find their way safely home if they can.
Tarostrology: February 15 – March 15, 2022
Tarostrology
February 15 – March 15, 2022
by Anna Ervin
The universe never fails to amaze me. Though I have pulled these cards for February 15th through March 15th, I am presently sitting underneath an Aquarius new moon. I can already see how some of the cards I’ve pulled here today might relate to everything we’ve been going through over the last few weeks.
For me, the last month was all about uncovering the mysteries of my own existence, seeking a healthy flow of energy in my material world, and taking some time away from my day-to-day worries to find a little inner peace. Meanwhile we can acknowledge but also ignore the knight of pentacles in my Venus placement.. for now. Moving forward, I might find myself mourning the loss of those attachments while also untangling myself from the limitations that I allow to hold me back. 
Because I’m beginning to see the flow of energy between the cards I pull each month, I’ve decided to touch on the things that came up for us during the last cycle. As always, if something resonates with you, claim it. If it doesn’t, write it down and come back to it later. And if you’d like to use your “big four” astrology signs for a deeper reading, remember to consider the following placements:
Sun – ego, identity, the root of your personality
Moon – your emotions
Ascendent – surface value, how you’re perceived, your “mask”
Venus – love, your intimate relationships
Pisces: Ten of Swords
As we get ready to enter Pisces season, the ten of swords indicates that these sweet water signs may be feeling a bit down and out. If this applies to you and you’re feeling like you can’t take another hit from the universe, trust that this difficult time will soon be over, and things can only look up from here. If it’s helpful, tap into the new ways of thinking and intellect that you managed to pick up during last month’s cycle. Bad things don’t happen in our lives for a good reason, but they do carry the potential to help us learn and grow. If nothing else, this month will soon help you realize just how unbreakable you are.
Jan/Feb: ace of swords
Aries: Five of Cups
Aries, last month the seven of cups invited you to read behind the lines and uncover hidden truths that might surround you (and during a mercury retrograde, bless). Perhaps you were able to reveal someone’s true colors, or see a situation in a new light. Though not always a negative experience, shining light on shadows can create a call for change. Today, the five of cups reminds you that it’s okay to mourn the loss of the things you once loved (or maybe still do), just keep in mind that you still have so much life and love to look forward to. Allow yourself to grieve because it’s an essential part of your journey, but don’t lose hope in all of that sorrow. Consider taking some time to journal and reflect on the lessons that heartache can teach us.
Jan/Feb: seven of cups
Taurus: Page of Wands
Lovely Taurus, the knight of pentacles last month gave you an opportunity to examine and get serious about your income, finances, and home. I’m sure that you’ve been hard at work curating a healthy home and material world for yourself and those you love, but you may be feeling that it’s time to step a hair outside of your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to be a little more playful with the way you allow energy to flow in your life this month. The page of wands asks that you approach ideas, both new and old, with a childlike sense of curiosity.
Jan/Feb: knight of pentacles
Gemini: Page of Swords
After what might have been a month full of difficult lessons in both accountability and surrender, hopefully my Gemini friends have been able to pick themselves back up and dust off the debris from the tower’s wrath. However, now is not the time to let your guard down. The page of swords invites Gemini placements to heed caution surrounding the energy that feeds your thoughts. In some cases it can be explorative and insightful to allow your thoughts to take on a curious or playful nature, just make sure you aren’t being reckless or hurting anyone else in the process.
Jan/Feb: the tower
Cancer: Nine of Swords
Cancer, last month invited you to evaluate the way you give and receive energy; time, money, and resources. Were the scales balanced? This month, the nine of pentacles indicates that perhaps you’re being kept up at night by anxieties that are bigger than you. It’s okay to acknowledge your fears and concerns, but ask yourself if the energy you feed those anxieties is helpful or proactive. Be cautious of worrying about things that don’t actually effect you, taking on other people’s tension, or letting fear paralyze you. I’m not here to preach that any of that is easy, but your sanity will thank you later. Deep-bellied breathing is a good place to start.
Jan/Feb: six of pentacles
Leo: Eight of Swords
Feeling trapped, Leo? Perhaps you missed the memo on last month’s cue to avoid stagnation, and now you’re unsure of how to move forward. Either way, the eight of swords invites you to unbind yourself from the limitations and boundaries that you allow to tie you down. It’s time to clear the smoke and open your eyes to the reality of your situation– the only person holding you back is you. What kind of limiting beliefs have you allowed to occupy your headspace? Do the people and energies in your life support your best interest or limit your mobility? It’s not always easy to face the truth, but you and I both know you can’t stay stuck here forever.
Jan/Feb: four of pentacles
Virgo: Five of Pentacles
Last month the six of cups invited Virgo placements to face people or memories from their past. If this is true for you, it’s possible that some of those influences brought opportunities or blessings into your life. This month, the five of pentacles indicates that you may be feeling isolated or alone in any struggles you’re currently facing. I’d like to invite you to consider this: are you feeling alone because others refuse to help, or could it be that you refuse to receive help? Sometimes it feels like you’re drowning while the whole world keeps swimming around you. It’s not that your friends and family don’t care about you, they might not even realize the weight of the burdens you carry. Open your heart, virgo. It’s okay to ask for support.
Jan/Feb: six of cups
Libra: Ace of Swords
After a moment of reflection over the craft or trade you’ve built for yourself, my sweet Libra friends might be seeking just what the ace of swords is intended to offer. This month brings blessings in the form of intellect and new ways of thinking. Communication should flow effortlessly, your studies may suddenly become more appealing, and brain power seemingly limitless. When it comes to the inner workings of your mind at this time, your cup overflows.
Jan/Feb: seven of pentacles
Scorpio: Ten of Pentacles
The ten of pentacles is always a good indicator for material wealth and a happy home. Scorpio placements may find that family (whether chosen or not) bring opportunities and blessings into their lives at this time. After a month that called for reflection and solitude by the four of swords, comforts coming from your nearest and dearest should make you feel warm and fuzzy– unless you’re a November Scorpio, in that case I’m not sure you feel anything at all. Kidding. Kind of.
Jan/Feb: four of swords
Sagittarius: Eight of Cups
Sagittarius, while last month invited you to embody the emperor’s authoritative and disciplined presence, hopefully you can use that sense of entitlement and foundation for this next card. The eight of cups indicates that it may be time for you to walk away from something that no longer serves your greatest good. It’s possible that you’ve built strong emotional attachments to whatever this is, and walking away won’t be the easiest choice, but it’s the right one. If you’re feeling uneasy about leaving a situation behind, remember that closing some doors can help others open. Tap into the emperor’s courage and strength that you were encouraged to develop in the last cycle.
Jan/Feb: the emperor
Capricorn: The Fool
Last month, Capricorn placements were invited to have a little fun with the way they handle money, career, and the material by the page of pentacles. Keeping that same lighthearted theme for this cycle, the fool invites my Cap friends to take a literal leap of faith into a brand new adventure. The journey that lies before you may not reveal itself just yet, you may never know if it’s the “right” move to make, but now is the time to put your faith in the universe, lean into your childlike sense of wonder and exploration, and jump in anyway.
Jan/Feb: page of pentacles
Aquarius: Ace of Pentacles
Another beautiful cycle of blessings for sweet, dreamy Aquarius placements. Last month the focus was love and relationships but today we’re shifting into the material. The ace of pentacles indicates that blessings and opportunities in the form of income, career, or material wealth will flow into your life with ease during this time. You may feel especially connected with the earth, something that may not always come naturally if you spend a lot of time in your own mind. Investing a little energy in nature could help you feel even more grounded in the tangible, physical world, and potentially help you manifest more abundance from the universe. Gratitude, always.
Jan/Feb: ace of cups
Lotus Letters – “ITS TIME”
Lotus Letters
By Kathy Long-Barker
Reach for your stars
“ITS TIME”
You jolt a bit, opening your eyes after hearing the strange voice. You were certain it was real. Blinking once or twice you find the hour is early, still. But how could you retire again after such a proclamation? Maybe a bit of light reading to relax you would be best.
Dearest Daring Divine,
It’s time you began making strides of your own for contact. Do not wait for a bright beam to appear outside your window, nor a saucer in the distance. Though time isn’t linear, it’s still a concept you yourself are operating in. You’re not running out just yet, but let’s begin sooner rather than later!
Who you ask? Your star family of course. It’s time to phone home.
Being a star seed typically comes with a pull to explore “what else is out there” deep within you don’t have to wonder, you know. Even if you can remember fully in this ‘now’ moment. TRUST yourself and all will fall into place.
The veil between dimensions is thinning. Kind of like the barrier that keeps Midgard and Asgard from running together. We have the same barrier for now. All one needs to do is reach out with your thoughts. Your heart. Some call it praying, others call it meditation. Ask for guidance and you will receive an answer if you know how to listen.
Signs your star family (guides, angels, passed loved ones) are communicating with you may come by way of ‘angel numbers’ they don’t always have to be triples of the same number, but that is very common for those who are just beginning to tap into otherworldly correspondence. When you become more familiar and trusting with your abilities, any sequence of numbers that are meant for you might spark a pulse, a nudge, or a gut feeling. If you feel called to google it, DOT IT! 💚
Another way they may choose to contact you is by audio waves. Maybe you walk into a room with a song on and you catch lyrics at the perfect time that speak to something you’ve been asking. The same with a movie or tv show. Maybe you turn on the TV and there is a character saying something you just feel was meant for you.
It could be your dreams, strangers at the grocery store that are random AF but speak to your recent ponderings.
I suggest you simply use your voice in private moments. Start with your thoughts if you’re shy. If you need something physical, tarot cards are an excellent choice. Pendulums are also very helpful. But for these tools, you must trust yourself, lest the consciousness of ‘doubt’ tell you ‘it’s just a coincidence.’ There’s no such thing.
If you’re not sure what to ask, start with this: “Dear family, I’m reaching out hoping you’ll reach back. Please only love based interactions for the highest good of myself and all earth”
Fairfarren my love, until we read again.
- The YOUniverse.
Tarostrology: Tarot for the Signs
Tarostrology
Tarot for the Signs
by Anna Ervin
Welcome to 2022! Congratulations, you’ve survived another year around the sun. While the astrological new year doesn’t happen until March 21st, I thought we’d kick off 2022 with a fun new feature for our tarot and astrology lovers.
Because I’ve only just begun to dip my toes into astrology, I’m going to leave the interpretation of stars and planetary alignments to the real experts. Tarot, on the other hand, comes much more naturally to me, so I decided to pull a card for each of the zodiac signs as we venture into the first couple of months of 2022. If you know your whole chart, you can look for your sun, moon, rising, and venus signs to give yourself a reading that offers a little more depth.
Remember, each of these entities reigns over a different area of your life or personality, so pay close attention to where they fall in your chart. Here’s a quick refresher:
Sun – ego, identity, the root of your personality
Moon – your emotions
Ascendent – surface value, how you’re perceived, your “mask”
Venus – love, your intimate relationships
For example, I’m an Aries sun with a Leo moon, so the Seven of Cups might indicate that curiosity and exploration are hyper-present in my personality right now, while the Four of Pentacles suggests that an emotional response could be causing me to hold on too tightly to the material rather than allowing energy to flow. When I take a closer look at how those two influences work in conjunction with one another, I can further identify how and where they apply to my life.
So without further adieu, here’s what we can expect from the first 6 weeks of 2022:
Capricorn – Page of Pentacles
As we approach the end of Capricorn season, Cap placements may find the coming weeks an opportune time for shifting the handling of finances, property, or career, into methods that are a bit more playful. Depending on the other placements in your chart, this could either feel like an incredibly exciting task, or your worst nightmare. However, at this time this energy could feel more natural than usual. The page of pentacles is all about taking a childlike approach to our relationship with the material world. Let yourself be curious, take a class on finance or something you’ve always wanted to learn, get creative with the way you interact with money or within your career– while still being mindful of your responsibilities.
Aquarius – Ace of Cups
It’s no surprise that the Ace of Cups appears as we prepare to head into the season of your sign, Aquarius! This happy, hopeful card indicates an abundance of new love, relationships, and blessings coming into your life. You may find yourself pleasantly surprised by lovely new emotions, bonding with new friends or love interests, or potentially gaining a deeper connection with a partner. The best way to embrace this period in your life is to allow yourself to feel deeply, practice gratitude for this happy time, and reciprocate that same loving energy back into the universe.
Pisces – Ace of Swords
Sweet, dreamy Pisces, the Ace of Swords invites a season of intellectual abundance and mental stimulation for you. This may be a time when you find yourself invested in higher education, adopting a new thought process or pattern, or simply gaining mental clarity over a situation in your life. It isn’t always easy for an emotional creature such as yourself to allow your thoughts to reign over your feelings, but you may find more ease in such matters over the next month.
Aries – Seven of Cups
Aries, the Seven of Cups indicates that you may feel empowered or influenced to take a deeper look at certain energies in your life at this time. You aren’t tapping into any kind of psychic wisdom or magic here, though at times this energy can feel mystical and alluring. This card simply means that using your curiosity and wisdom to uncover hidden truths surrounding the energies that approach you in the coming weeks will come naturally. If you aren’t already feeling this energy, this is your reminder to dig deeper when your intuition is asking for more intel.
Taurus – Knight of Pentacles
An earth card for an earth sign, the Knight of Pentacles invites Taurus to do what Taurus does best– move with careful deliberation and intention in the areas of their life that involve finance, career, or material possessions. This could be a time where you find yourself taking extra consideration before making any decisions that could affect your material well-being, or one which leads you to study your current financial or professional situations and potentially look at new ways of dealing with those aspects. Either way, you should feel right at home in this energy.
Gemini – The Tower
The Tower is a card that most Geminis with experience in Tarot likely find themselves familiar with (let’s be honest, anyone with experience in tarot has become well-acquainted with this card at some point). Gemini, however, seem to manifest The Tower and her crumbling of foundations just for the fun of it. This card indicates that if you’re currently feeling like the world is crashing and burning around you, it likely has a lot to do with the thought patterns you’ve allowed to grow so out of control, you’re now being faced with their destructive consequences. You may or may not have been aware that the ground you built your faith upon was shaky, but The Tower is here to remind you that this is of your own undoing. The best way to embrace this period is to allow yourself to let go of any patterns or behaviors that continuously hold you back or lead you astray (you already know what they are).
Cancer – Six of Pentacles
Cancer, the Six of Pentacles invites you to take a closer look at how that deep-seeded empathy and compassion within you plays a role in the way you give back to your community or those around you. If you’re currently invested in taking care of others, are you ensuring that you have taken care of yourself first? Alternatively, if you’re feeling betrayed or hurt, this card could indicate that giving back may be just the medicine you need. This card typically rules over the financial, professional, and material aspects of our lives, but time and energy are equally as resourceful as money. Make sure you’re maintaining balance in any type of energy exchange at this time.
Leo – Four of Pentacles
Leo, your hard work is beginning to pay off and you’re seeing the beginning of a foundation form in your material/financial life. It may feel tempting at this time, especially coming out of Capricorn season, to hold on tight to everything you’ve built thus far. However, the Four of Pentacles would like to remind you that money and energy work best when they flow. Does this mean you should spend every penny at the nearest mall? No, no, no. But finally making a reasonable investment in that stock, or property, or software that could help you advance your career/financial gains? Go for it.
Virgo – Six of Cups
Cups rule over watery emotions, so when it comes to earth-sign Virgo, things can get… muddy. The Six of Cups deals with some kind of emotional influence returning from your past. This could be an old friend returning to your life, childhood memories resurfacing, or even an old attachment planting itself in your line of vision once again. It’s likely that many of my Virgo friends will approach this energy with some reservation, but you need not worry as this card indicates that opening yourself up to these gifts from the past could bring blessings and opportunities into your life.
Libra – Seven of Pentacles
Sweet Libra, the Seven of Pentacles invites you to slow down and take stock of your material world, specifically your craft or trade. This card indicates a period of pause and reflection, which isn’t a foreign concept to the thoughtful Libra. With that in mind, if you have been stuck in this energy for some time, this card may be reminding you to get out of your head and back into your work. Either way, the way your thoughts interact with your material world during this time will likely bring clarity into your life if you allow it to.
Scorpio – Four of Swords
The Four of Swords brings my Scorpio friends (and my own ascendant/stellium) into a season that will require quiet reflection and meditation. Swords rule over our thoughts, and fours are all about creating stability, so you may find yourself doing a bit of foundational work in your own mind. This is a great time to tend to a regular meditation practice, record a dream journal, and focus on tuning out the noise projected by the external world in order to tune into your own inner peace. People with Scorpio placements are often drawn toward divination practices, so this energy may feel very natural to you.
Sagittarius – The Emperor
I won’t lie, I laughed a little when I pulled The Emperor for Sagittarius. I don’t mean to tease, but to be fair, most Sag’s I know could use a little Emperor energy from time to time. The Emperor symbolizes the father of the tarot, he radiates authority and power in tradition. He is rigid, while Sagittarius are… flighty. The Emperor’s influence can bring stability and structure into adventurous, restless Sagittarius life. The thing is, as much as you guys love new experiences and constant motion, there’s something appealing about the potential to buckle down and find that same rush of excitement by settling into a comfortable life. It’s not impossible, so if you’re feeling the need to slow down and create a little more structure, now is the time to lean into this authoritative and disciplined energy.
For more information on Tarot, or to book a personalized reading, check out @cannabanana__ on instagram.
New Year Numerology
New Year Numerology
by Anna Ervin
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One year ago I wrote an article titled “building foundations,” which explored the overall theme for the years 2020 and 2021, according to a practice called numerology. Numerology is the belief that the numbers 1-9 each embody their own unique vibrational frequency, and these energetic properties manifest to have very real influences over our personalities and life experiences. You can find the energetic property of any number by reducing it to a single digit. For example, my birthdate is 04-19-1994. If I reduce that date down to a single digit by adding each of the numbers together, that digit is my Life Path Number.
4 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 9 + 9 + 4 = 37
3 + 7 = 10
1 + 0 = 1
Life Path Numbers can teach us a lot about who we are as individuals, but what I find even more interesting is the “Universal Year Number,” which affects the inhabitants of our planet as a collective. 2020 was a “four” year. During this time our collective focus as human beings (whether conscious or subconscious) was on building stability and strong foundations to prepare us for 2021, which was a “five.” Five years bring up unexpected shifts and, furthermore, plenty of opportunity to come to terms with unrealistic expectations. 
In case you haven’t yet begun to connect the dots, 2022 is a “six,” which indicates a universal focus on family, compassion, and responsibility to those we love. It makes sense, really… When I think about the shifts I faced both in my own life last year, as well as some of those I shared with the vast majority of souls on the earthplane, I’m reminded of the bond that is forged between a crew of coworkers in a stressful work environment. You know, the kind that can only happen within a group of people who share a battlefield together (whether literally or metaphorically).
2021 was hell for a lot of people. It seemed as if nothing went according to plan, and many were forced to re-evaluate their values and ethics as individuals, businesses, markets, and even governments took on a season of turbulence and insecurity. Hopefully the foundations we built the year prior were sturdy enough to weather the chaos, but don’t beat yourself up if some of the structures in your life still managed to crumble (it might have been exactly what you needed in the bigger picture).
When things were at their worst for me last year, I was reminded who my family are, and reassured that I could always lean on them if life became too much to bear. This year, my focus is on showing up for those people. At the same time though, I’m asking myself why, if family are often the people we choose anyway, don’t we choose to treat more people as such? After all, could the world not use a little more compassion, empathy, and sense of responsibility toward others?
Happy New Year, sweet friends.
December Lotus Letters
Lotus Letters
By Kathleen Long-Barker
The cat was nowhere to be seen as you gulped down deep shuddering breaths in an attempt to regain yourself from the grips of searing radiating red. Hand comes to chest as you glance about the room. Books shudder in their shelves, fine china shivers behind glass. They do not feel any safer than if they were directly before you. For you see…the aggressor in question isn’t a physical one. Rather an energetic pulse that can not be avoided.
Guilt blooms somewhere, enough to make you ease just a little. Just then, off of the shelf, a book leaps and crashes before you; opening to a page marked with an envelope. A red one. 
Dearest Daring Divine,
Another lesson in the alchemizing of shadow is in order, I think. After all, books don’t often throw themselves from precipices. You must be in dire need, look at all of this miasma.
‘Did this letter just gesture vaguely to all of me?’ you wonder, squinting at the words.
Oftentimes when we are having problems with another being, or a situation, what’s really happening is our individual cells are trying to inform us that we have been holding onto the very same energy that is currently jarring us. The annoying truth is that this particular lesson takes several reviews before it really sinks in for most of us. I’ll share an example:
I know a Daffodil and a Dog that are the best of friends. They’re quite fond of one another despite being very different. The dog is ferrall, prickly, very loud and barks at quite a lot of things. The Daffodil is wild, soft, and bright while becoming fussy less frequently.
One day the Daffodil bobbed its little face, telling the Dog how tired it’s become of it’s barking. She was miserable at times because of it! Or so she thought. Nevermind the autumn leaves had been falling all around her bed, cramping her. Also nevermind the wind, which was chilly! Even the Sun began visiting less and less. ‘But it must be the barking’ She thought.
Some time later, more than three leaves toppled over onto her stalk. She shuddered before becoming enraged. Concerned, the Dog trotted over to see what was the matter. The wild little flower wasn’t feeling herself. She spewed and shrieked, flinging her poisonous pollen to and fro. The dog’s ears went back and he retreated a few steps, wishing he hadn’t inquired.
She wished she could stop, she knew she was overreacting, but she kept on.
The dog sat, waiting for a lull.
‘You know, not too long ago, you fussed at me for barking in general. Here you are barking at me for checking on you.’ The dog stated.
The sunny little flower let out a tiny gasp and felt ashamed. He was right! Over many seasons, the dog never sneered at her fits or told her she was tired of them. He kept her company until the anger passed. ‘I’m so sorry,’ she wisped.
She could see now her rage had nothing to do with him, just as his barking had nothing to do with her. She had behaved most hypocritically. Anger resides within, and it’s our responsibility to navigate it when it arises, not spew it about. In turn it is also our responsibility not to take on other people’s emotions. We can not control what others do, only how we respond.
[This Lotus Letter is dedicated To Johnny Barker Starglass]
I Promise My Story Gets Happier (but it’s ok if that takes some time)
I Promise My Story Gets Happier (but it’s ok if that takes some time)
by Anna Ervin
“I get paid again in three days,” I think to myself as the noises around me condense into a low hum, “and that should be enough to cover bills and groceries, but what about gas? … can’t forget to find a dog sitter for those Saturday events… do I have anything to wear for work—”
My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of my own name. “Anna? Are you okay?” My mom is staring back at me, confusion and concern flood her expression. She’s been telling me about a conversation she had with, well… I couldn’t actually tell you. I’ve been dissociating like this for weeks now. As hard as I try, I can’t seem to focus my attention on whatever’s happening right in front of me. My mind is clouded with anxieties bigger than I have ever imagined for myself.
I have been avoiding my friends and family, isolating myself for fear of disappointing those I love as I find myself seemingly stuck in this lower vibration. The notifications on my phone begin to stack up as weeks go by and I haven’t quite found the courage to open them— is it ever the right time to come up with an authentic and thoughtful response? Not being able to be a patient, mindful, and present companion for my friends and family makes me wonder if I deserve them at all.
The fear and concern that I have adopted over the problems in my life are now seeping into my relationships, the way I communicate with the world, and more importantly, the way I communicate with myself.
I don’t write this to look for sympathy or make excuses for myself, but to be honest about a chapter of my life that hasn’t been quite as eloquently written as many of the others. I know that I can’t go on like this forever, and I think that a truthful analysis of where I find myself today is a good place to begin shifting the narrative.
This isn’t easy for me, I typically try to focus my attention on the positive energies in my life, and I think that this character trait has served me well in a lot of ways. When gratitude is the focal point of my perception, I’ve noticed that I manifest more abundance. However, that gratitude has to be genuine, and in hindsight I’m beginning to question whether it has been recently.
Life threw a series of major shifts my way this year. Through everything, I think I was so hell-bent on focusing on whatever felt happy and safe that I glazed over crucial pieces of my journey that begged for tenderness and healing— pieces that required a little more bravery and depth.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not implying that a positive mindset isn’t courageous. At certain times in my life, looking for something positive in my reality felt like the most empowering thing I could do for myself or those around me. In those moments, I recognized the need for that mindset through self-awareness. At other times, though, that same awareness has invited me to take a closer look at some of my darker feelings, and I haven’t always embraced the challenge. Lately I have made a bad habit of ignoring those feelings, which has inherently led to an even nastier habit of allowing my focus to drift away from the present moment and into some inauthentic, fairytale reality.
–
This lack of awareness has caused a mountain of problems in my life to pile up around me as I have allowed myself to tiptoe around them, focusing solely on the glimpses of light I might find in their valleys. But as the mountains grow bigger, the light that reaches those valleys becomes sparse. I realize that now, the most abundant light exists on the peaks that surround me, those that will require a lot of dedication and hard work to reach.
–
I think I’m not alone in feeling that sometimes the whole self-help/self-love movement tends to focus more on “love and light” than the dark, scary shadow work that is sometimes required for deeper healing. I know I’ve been guilty of this in my own writing at times. The uncomfortable truth is that in order to embody the highest versions of ourselves, we have to be able to acknowledge the darkness just as much as the light. Finding a way to balance the two as our lives constantly shift into new planes of reality is half of the challenge.
I think that for me, taking accountability for the role I play in my own healing looks like moving through life with a lot more intention. Rather than making gratitude and positivity my sole focus and mission in my life (which I now realize became a bit of a reactive tactic I used to avoid difficult feelings) I’m now shifting my mindset to one of unconditional awareness, and challenging myself to sit with my observations, no matter how uncomfortable they may be.
Affirmations + Journal Prompts:
I acknowledge and lovingly release feelings of inadequacy, fear, and frustration.
I maintain a mindful awareness of all of the feelings my soul is asked to process on this journey.
I embody my most authentic truth.
The Source of Santa’s Magic
The Source of Santa’s Magic
By Carisa Rowe for Herbage Magazine, December 2021
Before you read this article, Google “old school Christmas cards”. Use retro, vintage, or even Victorian as descriptors. In fact, Google “Victorian Christmas cards” because – well, I don’t wanna spoil your trip. When you return from your journey through the Christmas Absurdia, I’d like to call your attention to a theme you may not have noticed. When I close my eyes and imagine one of these relics of Christmas past – a card lovingly stowed in my grandmother’s memories box, I picture a rosy-cheeked Santa, standing to the left of his cart and reindeer. In the background, snow covered spruce and pine trees line the horizon. In the glow of the vignette, woodland animals like frolic. On this card, and many others like it, scattered in the sparkling frost are small, red mounds flecked with white specks.
Closer inspection reveals the mounds to be mushrooms – Amanita muscaria to be accurate. The realization recalls the assorted mercury glass ornaments familiar to my childhood. The red and white mushrooms are recognizable to folks familiar with entheogens and hallucinogens and their image is the one most associated with psychedelic mushrooms. A sudden memory of dangling fungus ornament, with hundreds of colored lights glinting off its metallic finish, drives my curiosity to uncover the relationship between hallucinogenic mushrooms and jolly, ole St. Nick. 
Psychedelic Santa isn’t all that far-fetched considering the guy believes reindeer can fly. The legend of Santa Claus has been traced back nearly eighteen centuries to a monk known as St. Nicholas who lived in what is now Turkey. Saint Nicholas of Myra was a benevolent monk who traveled the countryside helping the poor and sick, all the while gifting his inherited wealth as he went. St. Nicholas’ legend stretched across countries and continents for centuries. Each rendition of the revered do-gooder evolved with the re-telling of his great works until the legend of St. Nicholas eventually landed in New York, New York in the 1770s with Dutch immigrants who had gathered to honor “Sinter Klaas”.
Saint Nicholas was an early Christian bishop and is often depicted with short hair and a low beard, wearing ceremonial robes and habit, adorned with crosses. As the lore of the Grecian saint was adopted throughout Europe, the visage of the philanthrope evolved to the fur-flocked, bearded hippie we all know and love. When Christianity spread into northern Europe and the arctic circle, crusaders were forced to adapt their stories and legends to align with the deeply engrained pagan beliefs and practices of these regions. Much of the traditions we uphold in modern Christmas celebrations are continuations of pagan practices that were adopted by early Christians in order to integrate their faith with resistant civilizations throughout Nordic and tribal civilizations in Europe.
The most familiar décor in modern Christmas harkens on pagan beliefs about nature, winter, the sun, and the moon. In particular, the practices that integrate parts of the hardy natural world into everyday life are of note. Guided by shamans and sages, northern Europeans of the era honored nature, the moon, and the sun with traditions surrounding winter solstice. Modern Christmas practices include evolutions of these Saturnalia celebrations. Feasting and gift-giving in these cultures lasted for days and combatted the harsh winter nights with community gatherings and rituals believed to please the g-d so that it would renew the cycle and bring bountiful agriculture in the coming seasons. Wreaths of evergreen are a tribute of Yule to show the promise of spring. In fact, the integration of much of the plant symbology familiar to Christmas comes from these Scandinavian and Germanic civilizations. Decorating evergreens, Yule logs, holly, and mistletoe are all relics of winter solstice celebrations. It reasons then that the small red and white mushrooms that have inconspicuously appeared in Christmas imagery for centuries must also hold some relevance to the etymology of Christmas – and Santa Claus.
The Pagans of northern Europe and the Arctic circle were deeply spiritual. They revered nature as a manifestation of the favor the g-ds. Shamans were the leaders of settlements and guided people to participate in rituals that played tribute to and incorporated elements of nature to please the g-ds. Evidence of hallucinogen use by spiritual leaders is well-documented in civilizations across the globe so it should not be controversial to suggest that Amanita muscaria, the small red and white mushrooms of Christmas fame – which happen to grow symbiotically with spruce and pine trees, bare some significance to Santa Claus and Christmas rituals.
During the northern winters, shamans were tasked with upholding the morale of the community through the short days and long nights in harsh conditions. Freezing temperatures and deep snowfall would drive people into their shelters for days on end, to venture out only when necessary or compelled. Ensuring that people stay sane and well-connected to themselves, each other, and the natural world, shamans would guide their communities to model after the g-ds. Norse g-d Odin was known for his ability to take spirit-journeys, where he could disconnect his spirit from his body and travel great distances incorporeal to carry out his intentions or the errands of his dominion. The Koryak are Siberian people indigenous to the coast of the Bering Sea (between Russia and Alaska) who venerated the red and white fungus as a gift from Big Raven, the first shaman of their peoples and the spirit responsible for human life.
In these northern civilizations, shamans would consume entheogens such as Amanita muscarium so that they could take spirit journeys, commune with the g-ds, and connect with nature. These pagan ceremonies relied on totems, relics, and aesthetic mimicry to pay homage to their g-ds, while hallucinogens such Amanita muscaria were ingested to strengthen the tether to the spirit realm. Many of these ceremonies occur outside, even in winter, to be as closely connected to the natural world as possible. In the coastal Koryak civilization, legend tells of fishers sitting on the cliffs of the Bering Sea, laughing wildly with joy while tripping on A. muscaria. The winter gods of these civilizations were depicted with long hair and heavily bearded, shrouded in cloaks and furs, an adaptation that the people of these regions would also have developed, particularly the shamans, who would have wanted to model themselves as closely after the gods as possible.
The Christian narrative absorbed great influences as it integrated into the pagan consciousness. The most obvious examples of the impact that pagan culture had on Christianity are at the holidays. Historical Saint Nicholas was a Grecian bishop turned Turkish monk who lived circa 400 CE who traveled the countryside giving gifts and teaching about wellness of spirit, mind, and body. Modern Christmas features Santa Claus, brightly clad in a vibrant red robe fringed with a white, fur habit and topped by a red and white stocking. He is often hovering near decorated evergreen trees, surrounded by animals, and poised hand out gifts and treats that will bring merriment to all. Santa Claus is the cultural evolution of the legend of St. Nick, as his work transcended seventeen centuries and countless mythologies to teach us that to do the work of g-ds, you must transcend the barrier between the physical and spiritual.
Life Of Katz
Life Of Katz
By Kathy Long-Barker
GOOD MOOOOOOORNIN’ OK- LA-HOMA!! This is not a drill! This is the mass awakening! This is Rock’n’roll, to boldly channel our beloved Robin Williams. I miss you buddy, every damned day. OK!! Is it too early to be that capse locked? WOAH TOO LATE!
Speaking of late, it’s never too late to peer behind the veil. You can do it in every now moment. After all, time is a joke! HA!
Talk about a man made construct to keep us boxed in, I mean c’mon! How long are we gonna fall for this stuff? I tell you enough is enough. Which brings us to the next expression of oppression in the ‘Courtiers Of The Matrix Reign’ “The King”! Dun dun dun – dun dun dun ♫ 
Disclaimer: take or leave any of these descriptions. It’s simply my interpretation of my own art.
Here we have the effigy of a “tall dark and sinister ugly man” or sphynx rather, continuing with RW quotes. Four arms suggest a strong sense of confidence in this courtier, which goes right along with charisma. Every politician, actor, CEO, all ooze confidence which makes it exceedingly difficult to challenge or oppose them. They’re good at manipulating their subjects into states of smallness, as we can see with poor Bartok, pain, panic, and the hyenas. In one of his right hands dangles the one ring to rule them all. The object of temptation to both mortal and immortal alike. In one of his left hands he exhibits Jafar’s Cobra staff of hypnosis. This dude is seriously red flagging over here. For source frequencies sake, look at his third eye. IT’S THE EYE OF SAURON!! Yikes.
Below and to the viewers left crawls the corrupt mechanical child from Toy Story. Look up rumors on the voice actors is all I’m sayin.
Moving right along. To the viewers right and behind, we have chernabog the ever intimidating darkness, but don’t worry he just wants to show off his nails. So misunderstood and hated. The dark isn’t necessarily bad. It is what it is. An agent of chaos that makes movement. Back to the left we have an- other token from the story of toys: the zombie-ish jack in the box which holds the Fates of Olympus in a crystal ball, bearing a golden thread. The thread of life. Seems to me a lot of our lives and fates are chosen and oppressed by those of the dark. Hmm. interest- ing. Maybe we should change that narrative. Just above them hover Ursulas Eels Flotsam and Jetsam which were known to groom and coerce a tender mermadian youth into signing her voice away for what to her appeared to be a more aesthetically pleasing form. Gee, that sounds familiar by today’s standards.
Keep looking around you at everything you think you know. What secrets are being whispered? Going along with this piece, here’s my little king and loving guide, Keaton! He’s very talkative, and enjoys making biscuits on my tummy.
The Hermetic Way
The Hermetic Way
By James Bridges
I had the opportunity to meet another man one day that completely and utterly inspired me to learn more about what I was doing with my life. I thank the universe I did.
I hadn’t heard much about this person. I assumed he was just another grower of the most miraculous plant on earth. So I researched.
The more I researched, the more I was inspired.
I started realizing that some of the information that was being published by his social media platform was very similar to thoughts and information that I had been interested in for quite a few years.
I am not a religious person. Meaning, I do not claim to have a specific belief system that I feel personally as my one and only truth. I have always been interested in all cultures and theology. It just so happens that “hermeticism” and those that follow it’s teachings believe in something that I actually believe in myself. That is called prisca theologia. This is the belief that all religions fall under one theology given to man directly from God.
At this point I was on a mission to find out more about the company Hermetic Flower Co.
Hermetists see the cosmos as a beautiful creation in the image of God. It was apparent that a positive atmosphere surrounded the crew as I finally reached what was, in my mind, meant to happen.
We connected in a way that changed me. It actually changed the way that I look at growing cannabis. It changed the way I look at growing everything, for that matter.
For years I have had thoughts of how or why or even “if” we are here in this universe. The question of all mankind… What would happen if we actually knew the truth? We may want to think about that notion once in a while.
I have felt restricted in my thoughts. However, the pressure to go along with what is now perfectly acceptable to society overwhelms my need for it to be validated. Therefore I care not. I will speak of my own experience.
First off, my thoughts and inspiration are not religious. I believe in a positive and powerful source of wise thinking that provides me with a sense of belonging which can be measured by no other person than myself. If you are wondering if there are sarcastic overtones in my typing please read the next sentence. The mere fact that I feel the need to print those words as a disclaimer should suffice.
Manifest destiny.
“She laughed. There was a smile of concern so I eased her mind. I let her know I’m not insane. However, I didn’t really know if I was or not. I wanted her to know what I was talking about. She simply couldn’t comprehend.
I told her again that if you can imagine it then it must have existed. I was serious. I assumed she thought I was joking. I wasn’t. I completely believed, and still do, that if you can picture something in your head then it must have existed in some realm of the universe. Yes. Even dragons…” -personal boring journal.
Once you finally accept that your thoughts control your life through your mind and spirit you can become the director of your own film. Ever try to meditate? You may have and you just do not know.
I find it best for my psyche to self reflect, however that in itself can become an issue when living a life that requires connection. I find myself ignoring the outside world at times in order to work and hyperfocus on myself. This has led to many failures in my past. I hope to learn from that and stay connected.
I must check up on myself once in a while by stepping outside of myself. I try to look at myself as others might. Do I like that person? Would I call him for help? Would I accept him for who he is?
I think we can come to the conclusion that feelings and emotions build off of one another in order to create an entire sense of being. One that only exists within that bubble of the one who created it. Or quite simply, a vibe. Yes, they exist.
Have you ever been on such a high that you forget about your mental pain? It doesn’t sound healthy from the start. Hear me out…
You wake up to what you believe is the worst news you could possibly imagine. You are completely disappointed. You decide to process the information rather than react instantly. Something good happens that is unrelated. Another good thing happens that is directly related to that first good thing. And so on… That’s living in a vibe. You are riding the stream between good and bad and at that very moment you can, in my view, quickly gain access to a wonderful and amazing thing happening inside of your head.
In college I was forced to take intermediate physics courses. This was because of many reasons. The main reason was that I was a terrible high school student. During this time I learned that I actually loved physics. I loved it so much because it made perfect sense to me. The natural order of things. The simple fact that knowing there was an equal and opposite force for every other force in the universe clicked. I lifted off and started exploring.
After exploring for a while I learned an even deeper thought. Quite simple actually. All of these forces are actually the same.
A loaf of bread can be dry. It can be moist. It’s still a loaf of bread. The river runs swiftly in this vicinity yet flows slowly in another. It’s still a river. Do I sound like Mr Miyagi yet?…
These are the foundations for my happiness.
I believe in this foundation of happiness very strongly.
I do believe that you can turn a positive into a negative by controlling your own thought patterns. You do this through a “vibe” that you create. In order for me to create that vibe I seriously have to look at the situation on all sides. If you remove the self discipline overtones and add a necessary note you could say that I also constantly remind myself to do so. It’s a process. One might even say it’s “alchemy”.
I used to fight the thought of change. Especially when things seemed to be going smoothly. However, I’ve been able to recognize a pattern of fluidity within my world. Sometimes it’s hard to imagine things differently. Especially when those things are imprinted so heavily in my thoughts and memories. Like everything else, those memories become glamour. The glamour which I assume that those around me would be picturing. That’s why flow has become so important in my life.
Without some sort of flow there is no growth in the foundation. If you remember, the foundation for my happiness comes from a positive light. A thought or a seed is planted then it needs tending. There will be days when the light requires a helping hand. There will also be days where I can sit back and watch the current move. However it may be, there is no authentic and true life without flow. I am very thankful to have the opportunity to acknowledge it.
As I am sitting at my desk writing this I have been presented with multiple chances of distraction. Some call this resistance. I call it a pain in the ass most times. However, I’ve learned to live with it.
If I were to answer one of the many emails or texts that I am receiving at the moment I would be forced to choose. Once I have decided to engage with the person or device that is communicating, there are essentially only 2 choices. Be affected by the noise or to create more noise myself.
It’s very tempting to engage, however, once I do I lose the flow. Once the flow is gone, the rhythm in which my vibes were depending on becomes jumbled. If this happens I cannot connect with my bubble or those that are in it. I feel as if I am simply a bystander. That’s when my thoughts turn dark. I start to feel as if my universe never really was about being about mindfulness. The depression demons start to come out to play…
Then I remembered her. She was introduced to me in a completely different way than I had ever been introduced. Her natural beauty could not be approached by the most sensual roses presented at any parade. The essence of spirit which flowed through her could not go unnoticed. She was perfectly balanced.
We smoked some of the best flower that I have ever smoked. We had some of the best conversations that would only be a beginning to what hopefully will be a long lasting relationship.
I was reminded to think holistically. Especially with my psyche. I was able to self reflect again. This time it was very therapeutic. I was able to confirm to myself that I can and should continue on with my very own bubble making. The inspiration for creativity definitely left an impression.
Nearly a year ago I was fortunate enough to spend the day with the Hermetic Flower CO. team. There was a planted notion within me. That notion was to indulge myself with the cleanest and most natural way of connecting with not just my universe, but the universe of many.
I can’t wait to connect with you in that same universe.
Lotus Letters – Concede, observe, unshackle
Lotus Letters
Concede, observe, unshackle
By Kathy Long-Barker
“You’re shaking,” Howligree mutters, taking your trembling cup and setting it down as she sits beside you. An almost motherly arm wraps around to your other shoulder and she gives you an understanding squeeze. Wiping away tears, you feel yourself start to disappear in your own presence, your own mind. “Don’t shut yourself out, starseed. Be brave, you need to unpack them, look at them, those feelings.”
Dearest daring divine,
For the past few months our planet has been bombarded with solar flares, solar storms, and other types of intense space weather to speed the process of our need to process. It’s like a global check engine light. Most people don’t quite gather just how much of a toll it takes on each of us. Aches, pains, extreme fatigue. “That’s just how it goes” says the consensus. It’s astounding! Ask questions, get answers! Thank you for seeking them out. If this is your first Lotus Letter, you might think you’ve only stumbled into this envelope. There are no such things as coincidences my friend. You planned to read these words when you were ready, long before you took your first breath.
Did you know that energetically speaking, when we have a pain in the body, it typically arises due to an unresolved trauma, or emotion? Nevermind the ‘how’ it showed up. The fact of the matter is that it is present within you. Your body is speaking to you, attempting to give you hints, or straight up directions to the thing you need to resolve. It matters not if you hip checked the counter, broke your arm climbing a tree, or the pain appeared seemingly from nowhere. It’s still a breadcrumb to the map of your body! Everything has a cause and effect. The cause doesn’t make the effect any less valid or in need of resolution.
Now, another possibility, especially concerning aches, pains or bruises that don’t seem to have a cause: it could be that the energy of an issue is actively leaving the body. There is no such thing as death, only transformation. Basically, if you’ve done the internal shadow work, 99% of the time the issue isn’t just going to disappear. Yes you’ve dislodged it, but It has to come up for release. (it gets worse before it gets better)
This could show up in the form of extreme emotional states that blind side you. Or it could be your knees aching like a huge storm is coming.
Here’s where your cooperation is needed. for the love of all that is harmonious, do not bottle or sedate anything that makes itself known to you. It’s not pretty or comfortable, but it’s necessary. Everything is consciousness, including the traumas you’re releasing. They need your help in leaving, they have to be seen and acknowledged. If you bypass them, they will only become louder until you show them that you understand. Fairfarren my love, until we read again.
- The YOUniverse.
Lotus Letters – Disclosure
Lotus Letters
Disclosure
By Kathy Long-Barker
Winding tunnels of light lead you aimlessly…you aren’t quite sure where you’re going, how you got here, or even where ‘here’ is, but it’s beautiful. Myriads of calydiscoping colors wrap you up in a warm sense of wellbeing and unconditional love. The next thing you know you’re waking up. You haven’t opened your eyes yet, but you know you’ve just been dreaming. Or were you? Finally you open your eyes and notice you can’t see the darkness, the sheets or even the walls. Just those colors, and in an instant, that feeling of perfect love wraps around you once more as you smile and relax into your pillow.
[begin telepathic lotus letter transmission]
Dearest Darling Divine,
We’re so proud of you for all that you’ve done. Every smile, every hug. Each act of kindness. Your impact is infinite and felt by all. Don’t worry about figuring out a specific “life Purpose.” Many of us now have come to this planet to simply be alive, anchor in the cosmic energies and hold space for those that are waking. We are the third wave. The indigos, the rainbow children, the starseeds, fae, and earth angels among other fractals of source consciousness. If while reading this you are feeling goosebumps, tingles, temperature flux, hearing a sudden sharp ringing in one or both ears, or feeling nausea and or an abrupt pressure behind your third eye, your attention is being tapped. This pertains to you, love.
Not too long from now, confusion and fear may surround like a darkening wall cloud. Truths will be told, secrets revealed, and rage triggered in so many. So much has been kept from us for so long. You are so much more than you think, and we as a civilization are far, far, more advanced than they are leading us to believe.
Keep in mind, fear only has any power over us if we allow it. Furthermore, panic will not protect you from anything. Remember your breath, and focus on it. Remember your sovereignty, every choice is yours whether it be difficult or otherwise. Remember that you are a light in the dark for so many who will be afraid. Eventually they will come seeking answers, because the ‘powers that be’ will be revealed for their true colors.
Teach them of love and compassion. Teach them to breathe, to forgive, and to let go.
All the while we suggest you keep your eyes on the sky. But also keep a sharp eye when dreaming. Be aware of synchronicities, of numbers or animals. Take notice of the random encounters with people. What do they say to you? What has been weighing heavily on your mind recently? Does it coincide?
We are here with you now, and we love you deeply.
Our presence is drawing nearer to be more widely known.
Until we read again, the YOUniverse.
Many channelers across the board are offering similar advice. Don’t go panic buying, however: start stocking up on canned goods. Pick up a few each time you’re at the grocery. Pick up some extra water. Have the necessities. If you were to lose your electricity for more than five days, are you prepared for that? Again, if or when it seems bad, don’t be afraid. Be kind. But also, be prepared.
Life Of Katz – 2
Life Of Katz
By Kathy Long-Barker
Good morrow, fair friends and fiends!
In this week’s exciting episode I’m going to share the next piece in my series ‘Courtiers Of The Matrix Reign’; It’s called “The Queen.”
She was a real fun one, because if i’m being honest, I didn’t know the truths she was telling until I was nearly done with her counterpart “The King.” I was standing back, looking at each piece I’d done, just revisiting the detail, when BOOM. Suddenly I realized the energy in the minutia of my paintings mirrored the lessons and truths that were being revealed to me in the history of our matrix.
Disclaimer, the descriptions below are how I interpret my own channeled art. Take or leave anything. If it resonates, wonderful. If not, then shrug it off mate!
Here we have the depiction of a Monarch Sphynx sporting five arms. In spirituality the number five indicates a great change. What is the biggest harbinger of change? Suffering. Chaos. Discomfort. Things that force us to move. Some of the cruelest narratives imaginable just might be playing out right under our noses. Alas it’s easier to cry “conspiracy” than it is to actually look and hold space for every day monstrosities. Why? Because it scares us. Fear is uncomfortable. If we can’t fix it on our own, deny deny deny!!
In both the queen’s surroundings and hands she collects different aspects of suffering.
One of her left arms holds a crimson jar of jam which to me spoke of the theory of adrenochrome. Tucked just beneath her elbow resides the naive little oysters who were later eaten. The left side of the body is associated with divine feminine and psychic energy. Whereas on her right side, she holds a three eyed dormouse. What happens in Alice in Wonderland when you rub the jam on the mouse’s nose? I’ll let you ponder that.
In her other hands she is seen fixing her tea. What portrayal will she pour today? She is the queen after all. Loyal subjects are subject to believe anything.
Behind and to the viewers left we see a feral Ariel imprisoned in an exploitive glass cage. To the viewer’s right a more demonic looking Geine in his usual lamp. Didn’t our boy Al set him free? Whoops.
Back to the left, we have a warped ship ensnared in a glass bottle. According to a little sparrow I know, a ship is considered to be freedom itself and bodes not with such confinement. Sounds a little like life right now doesn’t it?
Adding insult to injury, on the queen’s cheshire crown, we have a teapot with a pink elephant emblem. Alkuhl, or better known today as alcohol. The ultimate mass suppressant, depressant, and vibrational disarmer. Furthermore, just when we feel we can’t take anymore, overhead looms the little crocodile who pours the water of the Nile on every golden scale. The music industry has teeth is what i’m getting at
Nevertheless, darkness is a consciousness, and with it we grow. The winds of change at the very top represent that no matter what has happened, movement is eminent.
Thank you for joining me! This time, with this piece I’ll introduce you to our next Cat, Tooty!
She’s the queen of our hearts and makes sure we know it.
Lotus Letters – Heart smile
Lotus Letters
Heart smile
By Kathy Long-Barker
“Another cup?” Came the waiting question. Howligree stared perplexed, blinking after a moment of silence.
“I say, tea my good star, do you want more?”
Blinking out of the zone you once floated through you nodded. After all why shouldn’t you? No time was a bad time for tea. The Sphinx poured a long stream of chai before sliding the cup and an envelope your way.
“Don’t gimme those eyebrows, just open it.” She tutted.
Dearest daring divine,
What’s with the long face? Now wait, wait just a minute… maybe that’s stupefaction. Indifference? Either way it won’t do, where’s your heart smile?
I’m guessing you’re probably wondering again. Ah humans, so full of it. Wonder I mean.
Now then, let me explain.
A being can wear a smile against their skin all day long and little do many know, it’s not genuine! Sure, the corners of the mouth are upturned. One might even be skilled enough to mock a bubbly disposition. But we’re moving into the age of vibration, babes. An imposter vibe never lies, and besides, sitting in your own furshlugginer frequency is a war on self care. We’ve already established, you too are deserving of your own love. I’m not a fan of repeating myself, but by golly don’t think I won’t!
I’m going to teach you about your heart smile, or more widely known as the ‘inner smile.’ Did you know it’s impossible to be a grump when you’re practicing gratitude? It’s the same when you’re smiling from your heart! Why do I get the feeling you’re testing this theory? Stop it, you look like Jack Nicholson on house arrest.
I’m serious! Give it a proper go. Take a deep breath in, close your eyes and think of a memory that never fails to make you beam. If you’re honestly doing it, you should be pretty vulnerable right now, reliving that private moment of joy. Good. Soak up that feeling and try and describe it to yourself. In my experience, it’s like an unconditional warmth with attachment to nothing. It’s Just being mindful within positivity. You’re thankful for that moment are you not? Well there you go, gratitude is part of the experience.
Take this base feeling, along with your awareness and place it in the area where your heart sits. Now imagine your heart has a mouth if it’s own and 1…2…3…smile. Beam it outward star child, radiate that golden gratitude to each organ until you reach the air. Then smile at the wind. Ride that gust until you meet the rain, then smile at the thunder and keep on going.
When you open your eyes you might feel like whatever was weighing you down isn’t so pivotal. Things have a way of working themselves out if only you trust them to.
Whenever you feel lonely, whenever you feel afraid, just cast your heart smile. Hey that’s kind of like a general purpose Patronus charm!
Always, the YOUniverse.
Cosmic Review
Life Of Katz
Cosmic Review
By Kathy Long-Barker
Suuuper casual start here,
So, remember in school when we’d come back from summer break and they would review us on what we learned last semester before they catapulted (hehe) us into the new stuff? Well it turns out adulting works the same way.
For a little context, in 2019 I was a passenger in a pretty gnarly car accident that gifted me with an upper Cervical sprain, a bulged disk, and just a whole slew of issues mainly on my left side. In the midst of all that, I was steeping in some pretty heavy polarity tea involving my Mother. She resurrected some old wounds that I hadn’t transmuted yet.
Fast forward to current events. I’m a passenger once more, traveling at 60mph towards a museum.
Quintessentially, it all happened so fast. A glance, a gasp, and then I was hit in the face by my airbag. My neck was screaming along with my ears as Johnny asked me over and over “Baby, Baby, are you ok?”
Later that week I kept hearing through different spiritual communities that many were experiencing ascension symptoms by way of their left side. I noticed that even though I was on the right side of the car, it was my entire left side that ached with no reprieve.
“Did I really need a car accident to tap into the collective’s ascending experience!?” I asked over the message boards saltily.
A kind woman replied “the left side is associated with divine feminine and we’re currently purging as a planet. Do you have any female figures in your life that you need to forgive?”
‘Dammit.’ My eyes narrowed at the screen as I felt the ego begin to prickle.
“NO” It wanted me to say. Alas the truth of the matter was, two years had passed and my mother and I once again found ourselves disharmonic. And eerily enough, for similar reasons as the years before.
A wild pattern has appeared!!
The woman on the message boards could have said anything. How’d she pinpoint the biggest aggravation on my mind?
I sighed at that thought knowing why. Like me, she too was the universe, a fractal of source. Everyone on the outside is a mirror regarding what needs to be addressed on the inside, and I needed to hear this.
The very next day I sat down and began a practice known as ‘Ho’oponopono’
Step 1: Repentance – say: I’m sorry.
Step 2: Request Forgiveness – say: Please forgive me.
Step 3: Gratitude – Say : Thank you.
Step 4: Love – Say: I love you.
The accident didn’t feel as heavy. Neither did my relationship with Mom. Something even weirder…my neck loosened up a little bit and then I got a call from my chiropractor saying my entire treatment had been anonymously paid for…
The way you relate to your world is they way it will relate to you. Keep that in mind my dudes.
Fairfarren.
Seven of Cups
Wish fulfillment – Illusion – Lack of Clarity – Deception
Have you ever wanted something so badly, perhaps even for a large amount of time, but by the time your dreams finally come into fruition, you realize that they’re not at all what you had imagined?
The power of manifestation is heightened this month. Your wishes may soon be fulfilled, but not in the way that you thought. Be mindful of your affirmations, no matter how positive they may be. If possible, avoid making major decisions without first seeking full transparency and clarity on the situation.
Try shifting your perspective or instead of just waiting for the confusion to pass. Practicing patience and diligence will serve you well at this time.
~Anna Ervin
Life Of Katz
Life Of Katz
by Kathy Long-Barker
SALUTATIONS AND HELLO
Welcome to the inner workings of my very Mercurian and Protean being. My name is Kat, and I have precisely four cats. Or as I like to call them ‘Keats’. I also create lots of cat inspired art. So here I am, sharing my life, The life of Katz!
I want to start off by introducing you to a piece that took nearly a year and a half to create. It’s one of four currently, and come to think of it they all took around the same time to manifest!
This particular piece is called “The Bishop Gate” as they portray and radiate a portal for curious observers to reach higher realms. Or maybe it’s because they have a star gate for a face…Hm. The role of a bishop in simple terms is to teach and govern. Here I’m trying to convey that in all reality we play many roles for ourselves, including high ranking ones. As we wake and ascend, more of the mask comes off and we realize that we are sovereign teachers and are capable of educating and governing ourselves. No longer are we bound to the illusion that we are incapable.
The themes present were not mapped out before the piece was started. It was smack dab in the middle of 2020 and I was making it up as I went. That’s how I work, it’s divinely channeled whenever Source wants to leave a memo.
COVID stalked around every corner and humanity had lots of time to revel in the deeper questions, shadow work, and inspirations to create. Hints a germafied Mad Madam Mim, Merlin with his fibonacci spiral, and Absolem asking the grandest question of all. Who are you?
The Lorax asks you to think of the trees, while Johnathan Livingston Seagull asks you to think of yourself. Thoth simply suggests that you think in general, and if you’ve ever read illusions by Richard Bach, you’ll know that the blue feather next to him hints at throwing out everything you THINK you know, because there’s so much more than you can imagine.
This piece has endless explanations, but I’m going to take this next moment to introduce you to one of my guardians and my very first cat daughter. Her name is PutPut.
My friend Hayley gifted her to me when I was 16, she was the only midnight kitten, and upon first contact she gave me kisses on my nose. We’ve been inseparable ever since. I find she’s helped me most in developing my fifth dimensional gift of sight, as she’s seen and protected me against many a shadow man or looming energy in the houses we’ve lived in over the years. We’ve definitely incarnated together before, and That’s why out of all the cat pieces, I feel like she’s connected most with “The Bishop Gate”
Remember kids, appreciate your furry or feathered guardians. You never know who’s remote viewing without your knowledge. They’ll keep you safe.
Fairfarren everyone.
Lotus Letters
Lotus Letters
By Kathy Long-Barker
The water is perfectly steaming as you slip down a bit more, your chin just beneath the surface. Peonies float amidst, and you almost forgot about the cedar plank in front of you, hosting your Rich chocolate tea, a warm cardamom candle and what’s this? Another letter awaits…
Dearest daring divine,
These are some of the most trying times in human history. Everything around you is designed to enable your failure. Designed to help you sleep… All the while convincing you that you’re “being taken care of. That You’re comfortable.”
Fear and consumption is ever present and ever persistent. Even in our own circles of light we are tested. Even in our own minds. It is the only way we grow.
Let’s take a common example that can apply to many earth beings right now: Food.
Yes, the nourishing energy source that sustains, comforts and drives us in our days.
It’s no secret that we as a species hold a certain amount of guilt around food.
For plant based eaters, it’s animal products. For those trying to Shed unwanted weight, it’s carbs. For the teen next door dealing with acne, it’s sugar.
Regardless of who or why we can agree, when we consume what we promised ourselves we wouldn’t, we feel negatively.
Then it becomes a kind of internalized punishment. “I didn’t meet my expectations so what’s it matter anyway I’m just a failure. I can’t do it.” Then we eat more to comfort ourselves. Now it’s a vicious cycle.
Not only is our food designed to work against us with addictive properties, but now you are working against yourself too? Woah, wait a minute who’s team are you on here? Guys. You’re the only ones who can really help yourselves, so maybe lighten up a little? Be kind to yourself.
Let’s talk about transmutation starseed. It’s spiritual alchemy. The art of navigating higher and lower frequencies is essential to keep yourself in harmony so you remain the driver in your life and not just a passenger taking the road the matrix pushes you towards.
Let’s go back to the food example. Let’s suppose you’re plant based eater, but you’ve been put into a position that led you to eat meat. Regardless of the reasoning, you went against your typical set standard for yourself and had a steak.
Now if your first reaction is to feel guilty, disappointed, disgusted or anything of the like, STOP. Stop right there. Let’s transmute.
First off let us assess. Are any of those emotional frequencies going to change the fact that the animal was killed? Will it change the fact that you ate it? Furthermore will it ensure without a shadow of a doubt that you won’t repeat this action? The answer is no.
At this moment you have a choice. You can drop down into the lower spectrum frequencies which will have you feeling horribly dense with no purpose or return.
You literally just become a downer for yourself and anyone around.
- Oooor. Or, you could view it in a different light that’s more positive. You could transmute this unwanted event into a moment of gratitude. Perhaps you were lacking protein and you weren’t even aware. Maybe it’s exactly what your body needed in that now moment.
Perhaps that animal made what is considered the highest sacrifice for the sole purpose of you learning how to transmute density into lightness. Because remember, death is an illusion. That cow is fine. That cow was probably John Lennon revisiting earth in disguise trying to make a point. “All you need is love.” So love yourself enough not to shift into the lower vibrations. You’re on a path of ascension, and we all make discoveries about what we prefer and what we don’t. Forgive yourself for all the things, big or small. Because you are love. Love will transmute the world.
Now would you look at that, just by understanding that point alone, the beginning of this letter is transmuted along with the Lennon cow. When you know you have the power to perceive something any way you choose, it’s plain to see that everything isn’t truly designed to help you fail. Everything is designed to help you grow.
Keep growing little starseed. You’re more powerful than you can imagine.
All my love and until we read again,
THE YOUNIVERSE
July 2021 Tarot: Nine of Cups
Contentment, Pride, Feeling Fulfilled.
This month we are basking in the glory of the experiences we have created for ourselves. You are likely feeling pleased with your life right now. Lately it feels as though all of your wishes have come true. This feeling won’t last forever, make sure to soak up all of that blissful, euphoric energy while you can!
Allow yourself to splurge a little this month, not necessarily through spending money, but also spending time on yourself and the things you love. Continue to count your blessings and thank the universe, yourself, and whatever higher power you believe in. Gratitude, always.
Practice: gratitude journals, laughing meditations, noticing the little things
Lotus Letters
by Kathy Long-Barker
Looking up from the letter with furrowed brows, you sit with it in your hands trying to understand why the contents feel so familiar. As if you’d written it yourself knowing you’d be exactly where you are now. In a chair, talking to a cat….
You must have looked hilarious trying to make heads or tails of it, to have conjured such a musical laugh from Howligree: “Relax Starseed, you act as if you are supposed to have a hempcrete understanding of everything right this very instant!”
Your expression delves further into exclamation and she just grins. For you couldn’t possibly know everything in this now moment, it would be too much in too short of a timeframe! After all, you’re partially human, you’d combust!!
“Here, let’s try this,” she murmurs handing you another letter.
Dearest Daring Divine,
I see you haven’t up and abandon our correspondence, good. I have loads to tell you!
What’s this though? You seem a bit rattled…Ah,
You’ve met Howligree haven’t you…Mmhm, curious being isn’t she. Well, I suppose I should explain some things before we dive further into other topics. Let’s see now… Oh! Of course! You are probably wondering what the bloody hell a ‘Star Seed’ is.
In short, you are. Haha, but that’s not enough, is it? No, I suppose not. Alright, alright.
A star seed is typically referred to as a human being with an origin outside of Earth. A being who incarnated on this planet to experience life as a human, with tangible senses.
For some, it’s as simple as that! It’s exciting to be human! It’s akin to taking a vacation to the space between worlds of density and lightness. We get to bask in aromas and flavorings. We get to feel the cool ground beneath our feet as we run and listen to the winds many songs. As if all of that wasn’t enough…we have the honor of making love into corporeality.
It sounds like a dream! And that’s the rub, to most of us that’s precisely what it feels like. You see Earth has a sort of checkpoint if you will, a veil. When we pass through it on our way in, we tend to forget our cosmic roots. All of our knowledge. Countless ‘lifetimes’ and experiences.
But why? Well, for most star seeds this isn’t spring break. It’s a mission, a test…one in which no cheat sheets are permitted. Coming here means you must make yourself remember. For each step you take in remembering who you are, you radiate the frequency of recollection to you, your fellow star siblings, and furthermore to those who originate here on mother Gaia. Whom which I might add know nothing but this world and its difficulties. Can you imagine the uprising once they realize they aren’t just human? But rather, HUMAN. See what happens when you switch the word you emphasize? A fair amount of beings have experienced harrowing trials as a constant. You and I both know negativity tends to make a more prominent impact than positivity here in this version of reality.
Look, what I’m so eloquently trying to say is this: Existing means to operate by way of frequency. And frequencies act like dominoes.
For Star Seeds to come from an energy of such unconditional love and sovereignty to a world whose inhabitants primarily believe they are helpless and restrained in bondage…you do the math. There’s no stopping a chain reaction.
Just by being here, just by reading this, you have opened a door for you and countless others. Nothing is expected of you, you need not brandish a sword nor scream your perspectives from rooftops if you don’t wish to.
You only need to know that you are the embodiment of love and truth. Both will set you and this world free.
Thank you from the deepest wells of my heart. This is no easy feat. In fact, I dare say this is the most difficult dimension I’ve ever visited…but here you are anyway. Amazing.
Until we read again
Fondest and proudest regards, the YOUniverse
The Moon
Strawberry Full Moon
by Dan’l Wright-Kimbler
She’s rapid.
She’s a rollercoaster.
The current and the tidal waves, she’s the fluid movements of this physical experience. Learning to flow with her movements becomes the lessons of daily life… especially at home.
Like daily devotions, she’s ebbing away at your resistance to change and teaching you the flows of our orbits around the sun…. And time itself.
Time is forever but ours is not…
Capricorn is all about savoring all time, work hard play hard… climbing high with one foot in the waters …
Right now Moon is helping kick off Cancer season by opposing Sun with a Full Moon phase in assertively dominant, yet hard loving Capricorn. Saturn energy rules here. Although this is feminine energy we are focusing on fathers.
Forefathers, our fathers, the fathers in us. The providers. The influencers. What are you doing to bring meaning? Are you diligent? Whose looking to you and what are they seeing?
Maybe you should shed what is not serving those things…. And one foot in the water helps keep that cold feet feeling for you, to keep you from coveting what is not meant for you, your progression.
If you really want to harvest the ripest, sweetest fruit, you must put in the work. Mental fortitude rules here.
Mars in Magnificent Leo, he’s creating such a stir with our inner child and wants us to selfishly serve ourselves at all costs right now, he will oppose Saturn whose retrograde in Aquarius. This opposing energy has father storming in demanding we tend to our community, to the people, reflecting on our support efforts. Honoring karma.
How do we balance this?
We get a touch of divine guidance from Leo’s ruler, the Sun, as he trines Jupiter retrograde in Pisces. Provoking all the inner empathy’s we need to methodically find a way to use our desires to serve the public, the mass and higher meaning.
As Pallas Athena in Pisces trined Venus in Cancer we restructure our values at home and have the perfect influences to build generations to come who will understand and learn from the patterns.
I Dreamt Once
By James Bridges
HERBAGE MAGAZINE
There’s a glare. It’s in the window in the backdrop of the room I just entered.
Ocean waves crash.
Slow motion. Like a Deftones song, and maybe a drop of magic. I’m swimming in a dream.
I look over to my right and I notice a man in a suit smiling and laughing with another person in a gas mask. There’s a floating set of handcuffs drifting in front of me in a smiley pattern.
Have I gone insane?
A police woman is catching a tennis ball with her boot. Of course… there’s the beautiful women in swimming suits giggling for no apparent reason. There’s a politician and he is sitting on his hands. Something is hanging from his mouth that looks like an extraordinarily long tongue. I can hear children playing but nowhere to be seen. I notice a tiny bug in the corner of the room dancing and pointing at the window.
More ocean waves crash.
Smoke fills the room. No worries.
We are now in a spa floating amongst clouds. Somehow we all fit in. Dreams…
A police officer looks over at me and asks what is wrong? A bloody and abused black woman is laughing as if this is the best day of her life. A priest walks by and throws a purple rubber duck in the mix. For some reason I found this to be the strange part. So I followed it.
It led me walking down a small pathway. There were twists and turns along the way.
Feet tired.
I made it to a clearing and there was a purple flower in the center of an all white room. The urge to look away from this flower was nonexistent. I could not think of anything other than this flower.
Vanish.
Now I am in a small white room. No flower. No priest. No spa. Not even smiley face shaped handcuffs. Just a white room and myself. I close my eyes.
I imagine being on an island. At first there’s fear. Fear of being alone. Fear of abandonment. Fear of loss. Fear of worthlessness.
Remember.
Remember the sounds. The ocean waves. The children in the distance. The little bug in the corner telling you to look. The people laughing and not playing roles.
Then there’s the glare. All you have to do is look into the glare.
Spring Cleaning Is Never Too Late
by Kathy Long-Barker
Jaw tight and tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth, you notice your hands are shaking. Your brow is tinged with sweat and though no particular words can be deciphered from your intense and abrupt exclamation, the air around you seems to be swirling with the anxious notes of a strange led violin.
Howligree, who just previously had lulled into a meditative state, un-crisscrossed her legs and rocked forward onto her knees to take your hands in a firm but comforting grasp.
“Woah, woah! Slow down, it’s a lot to take in!” She soothed.
“Okay, okay let’s maybe give you some basic tools before we proceed, I’ve got just the thing,” she assured before turning and leaning half way over the table to rummage through more stacks no doubt. A gulp can be heard from you and the cat snickers.
“Not to worry, mate. This is going to ease your nerves”
She leaned back up and hands you a blue envelope littered with stars on the front.
—-
Dearest daring divine,
I intend this finds you well, and if you are not, may these accounts empower you to become so.
I find this place to be breeding ground for energy entrapment. Everyone here is going about their lives so quickly that they don’t always carry out deeds and tasks with intention or mindfulness. They just….do things.
For example, a basic example at that, I have been staying with a family for some time now and as the months emerge and depart it has occurred to me that the more clutter their house encompassed Over time, the more clutter their minds created within their head! It’s a microcosm and a macrocosm before their very eyes! Before they know it their bickering and snapping at one another like some sort of anxious nest! It’s absurd! What’s even more fascinating is the matter of their blindness to the issue!! They haven’t an inkling!
Basically we have to remember spring cleaning isn’t only for the hearth, but also for our heart. Our body is a house for our heart, just as the wood, bricks, and sheet rock are are home to our bodies.
So how do we apply this knowledge in in the now? Let’s start with our body
✨BREATHE✨
The foundation, the very best place to start is with our breath, the essence of our personal life force. DO NOT breathe from the chest. If your shoulders are moving, you are being counterproductive to the goal of cleansing the body and mind. Breathing from the chest has been proven to encourage cortisol (the stress chemical) which lowers the immune system!
When we inhale, we should count to four and our stomachs should distend. – Hold for a count of three. – When we exhale we should focus our belly button back toward the spine for a count of seven. Furthermore, as we are breathing out, our breath shouldn’t be able to disturb the flame of a candle. If it does, your releasing your breath too quickly and too harshly.
The reason we want our breath to be that gentle is because it encourages mindfulness. You aren’t just going through a motion, but rather being forced to think about how you do it. You are in control of your breath and your response. Not the other way around.
If you can manage to breathe like this for ten to fifteen minutes it’s just as potent as taking an anti anxiety pill. But far more healthy.
Each experience is highly personal, but I can tell you from my experience, my racing thoughts calmed and continue to calm with each belly breathing session. My peace ripples like a gentle wave and I have removed myself from the shackles of being a victim. I don’t react as I once did. I respond.
Continuing in the realms of breath we move to the aura, or energy field that surrounds us, when we take a moment to smoke that bowl of flower, be it hemp or cannabis, I have found setting an intention before medicating is highly beneficial. You can cleanse your energetic field and your physical body if you mean to.
When you speak words, it’s magic. That’s why they call it spelling!
Example: thank you for the lessons of this day, thank you for this cleansing flower. May it help to relieve and re center my perspective of the current challenge before me.
Now moving towards and working with cleaning your outer or physical environment can be approached in several ways as well, but to begin I would suggest tidying up your space. Because as I said in my example, if your space is cluttered, it is a reflection of your mind. You don’t have to clean your entire space all at once and overwhelm yourself. You could start with wiping down your counters. The more you do, the more momentum you build, and it will reflect within your energetic body. You will feel cleaner. Less cluttered and frazzled.
If you are generally not a cluttered person, I would suggest using a sage smudge stick.
Light the end and get a nice smoke going. Go through your house, particularly at any threshold, window and door alike and speak your intentions.
Example: “I cleanse this house and banish any energy that does not serve my highest timeline or my highest good”
Say this or what intuitively comes to you. TRUST yourself, you know what your doing, even if you don’t remember that fact in this now moment.
Now take a deep breath dear one, we’ve got this. I promise.
Two of Swords
by Anna Ervin
Ignorance, Stubbornness, Self-Induced Confusion
If you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself if you might be refusing to see the situation for what it truly is. You might be feeling the weight of a major decision this month. Pay close attention to your environment, influences, and the direction your energy is heading in. Try not to be so stubborn.
Change
by Anna Ervin
When I first started learning about Tarot, cards like Death and the Ten of Swords scared me the most. Today, they are two of my favorite cards in the deck, but only after a little soul searching allowed me to realize their true definitions. The purpose of these cards is not to make you dread or fear your life, and they do not often show up when everything is sunshine and rainbows, only to crash your party with forecasts of doom and gloom.
The Ten of Swords usually reveals itself when you are already feeling like you’ve hit rock bottom. It’s actually a reminder that you’ve endured more than you ever thought possible, and through those experiences you’ve managed to learn something about yourself, or your situation, that will soon help you step into a healthier reality. It’s a symbol that not only are you stronger than you imagined, but that the discomfort you feel right now is only temporary.
Death, on the other hand, could show up any time you are facing a major change in your life. 99.9% of the time, this card does not mean that someone is going to die (although, if you’ve recently lost someone, it may show up to help you process that). Because of this, it’s easier for me to refer to this card as “Change.” It’s not the only indicator of change in the Tarot deck, but it is certainly the card that taught me the most valuable lesson on the topic.
Why does change scare us so much? That’s a lot to unpack, but when some aspect of your personality, your routine, or your external reality must die in order for something new to emerge in its place, the uncertainty regarding what will come next can be debilitating.
Venturing into the unknown, leaving everything you know and are familiar with behind, and grieving the loss of those comforts can be a lot to process at once. It can feel overwhelming, but if you’ve ever been dealt this card (either literally or figuratively), the only thing you can do from that point is move forward.
I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately, as my life has recently endured a series of major shifts. I think change has always appeared to come easily for me, and I have my stubborn refusal to focus on anything but the positive to thank for that. However, only looking for the good in every situation, or in some cases, leaving the whole situation behind in search of something a little more uplifting can be both a blessing and a curse.
I think sometimes I’m so focused on looking for that positive underlying message, that I glaze right over the more difficult lessons that were meant to be processed along the way. Of course, I’m not suggesting that we should dwell on or bask in the things that bring us discomfort. But, we’re always going to have to deal with detours and sharp corners on this journey through life, and I don’t think we’re meant to speed right through them just to find ourselves back on a more comfortable path.
Maybe sometimes it’s okay to slow down and take stock of the things that challenge us to dig deeper, or to shift into a new perspective as our external world shifts around us.
Foraging in Tulsa with Justin Hope
by Anna Ervin
When I was younger, I used to think Oklahoma’s landscapes were so bland. My family traveled a lot through the years, and I remember visiting states with clear blue ocean waters, or mountains blanketed in aspens and evergreens. I would think, why can’t I live somewhere like this. Somewhere that flaunts such beautiful sceneries within an hour’s drive of my home.
Each time our family would return to Oklahoma, I found myself scowling at the red dirt, or rolling my eyes at the never-ending span of wheat fields and the vast horizons that boasted no oceans or mountains or even hills, really. I carried this mindset with me for years, but I recently had an experience that allowed me to see my sweet home state through a fresh pair of eyes.
Justin Hope is Oklahoma’s very own weed pimp, volunteer trail guide, and one of the most interesting people I’ve ever met. I was lucky enough to meet up with him for one of the most breathtaking hikes I’ve ever seen, through Keystone Ancient Forest.
Located in Northeastern Oklahoma, KAF is a small portion of the Crosstimbers area. With over 1,300 acres of forest containing oak and cedar that have been standing for at least up to 500 years, this virgin land might just be one of Oklahoma’s best kept secrets, and Justin was giving me the VIP tour.
As we started our journey down the Frank Trail, I could tell that this area meant a lot to Justin, and that he had a deep-seeded respect for the forest surrounding us. “I used to run these woods as a kid,” he boasted. “I grew up on the other side of the river, just a few miles away. I always knew this area as the Eagle Reserve. There’s definitely a lot of history trapped out here.”
Indeed, what makes Keystone Ancient Forest such a rare gem in our state is that the land has hardly been disturbed by developers, due to it’s rough terrain, proximity to the lake, and various other landscape-related roadblocks. Lucky for us, aside from a few oil wells that went up several years ago, this patch of raw Oklahoma beauty has been primarily untapped by the industrial world. This is what allows “history” to hold such strong roots in the area (literally).
“They call this a virgin forest,” Hope continued. “The environment here preserves itself, as long as man doesn’t destroy it. We try to encourage people to stay on the trail.” I noticed as we hiked, that one thing that really set this park apart from others I’ve seen was the cleanliness. Aside from the clearly marked trail, there didn’t seem to be any waste left by other hikers. And, in the off chance that we did stumble upon a cigarette butt, or granola bar wrapper, Justin would quietly pick it up and add it to a plastic bag that he kept in his backpack.
“City folk,” he chuckled at one point, “throwin’ trash down.” He collected the leftover item. “Thank goodness there’s more of us, who want to clean up. It’s easy to do, really. If people would just think about it.”
When we found ourselves halfway into the 2.8 mile trek, we decided to pause for a break. The trail had brought us to an overlook of Keystone lake. I think each of us had the same idea in mind as we returned from our backpacks bearing joints and edibles.
Justin has a long history with cannabis, and thoroughly believes in it’s medicinal qualities. Cannabis helped him get off of a sleuth of pharmaceuticals that had been prescribed to him. Pills that felt like they were killing him, rather than healing.
As the smoke began to settle and we geared up to head back onto the trail, I suddenly became hyper-aware of my surroundings. I had not medicated before the hike, and up until that point I had felt like I was simply an observer of the beauty that surrounded us. Now, was fully immersed in it. Had the trees been this alive and green the whole time? Were the birds just now waking up to sing the soundtrack of our hike, or had I just not noticed them before?
I began to feel so small, like a tiny molecule in this massive, living, breathing organism that surrounded us. Picking up on my quiet observations, Justin commented, “If you think about it, you’re just a grain of rice in this bowl. Just a pebble out here in this world.”
He would slow down every now and then to point out the peculiar way the trees seemed to grow. Some appeared to actually grow through the large stones on the ground, while a few of them had trunks that curved to form a near perfect right angle, as if they had been markers set up by travelers long before our time.
Two trees in particular had seemingly wrapped themselves around each other, winding their trunks around the other in a spiraling motion. I sensed that this was not the work of man, only the divine force of nature could create something so pure and beautiful. “They’re holding each other until the day they die,” Hope observed, before excitedly changing the topic. “Have you heard about Cornnabis? Or Cannacorn?”
I was intrigued. “One of my plants started showing half white-yellow, half green on the leaf,” he continued. “It showed signs of mutation. And a couple of weeks later, I find that there’s corn growing right next to it. The plants, kind of like the trees that were holding hands, they grew up together.”
I admired his unique perspective on nature, and the ways of the universe, and realized that they were not much different from my own. Everything on this floating rock we occupy is so divinely connected. Nature has a way of supporting itself for survival, but in a holistic way.
Certain species of trees that are considered invasive, might compete with the other plant species surrounding them. Occasionally, however, when you find something like those intertwined tree trunks, or Justin’s Cannacorn, you realize that two organisms supporting each other can result in something so pure and beautiful.
Imagine what the world would look like if humans supported each other, or the environment, in those ways, building stronger foundations, lifting each other up.
We approached the Wilson trailhead. “Are you allergic to any poison ivy or poison oak?” Justin asked. “This is a little different from the other trail. We have these tapes up so people don’t get lost.”
I knew things were about to get a little more intense, so I packed up my camera and set off to follow him down a slightly rougher and much narrower path. It was difficult to focus on anything other than the ground in front of me, and Justin seemed to move through these woods like he had done it a million times before, and had rehearsed every step. “I’ve got that Indian lightfoot,” he had told me earlier, referring to his Native blood.
I began to slide into a meditative state as we trekked forward, feeling my heart rate increase as the trail became increasingly more challenging. It had been cold that morning, but the sun was beginning to peak through the canopy of trees overhead, and before long I felt a small bead of sweat work it’s way down the back of my neck.
The Frank trail had felt like a walk in the park compared to this, and I was loving every step of our new path. This was the kind of hiking I had been missing in Oklahoma– slight changes in elevation, challenging routes that forced me to carefully plan every step, and that satisfying feeling of being deep in a forest, far away from society and all its noise.
We paused for a break as I caught my breath and took in the scene around us. It was unlike anything the forest had offered so far. Cliffs of oddly shaped rocks towered over us on one side, a waterfall blanketed in dead leaves trickled nearby, and trees upon trees upon trees were scattered around us in every direction.
I wanted to climb the rocks, hike into the trees, and dust the leaves off that waterfall and run my hands through the stream. Then I remembered Justin’s comment about staying on the trail, and I realized that the reason this park had been so well preserved, was that people like Justin had enough respect for the environment to protect and preserve it. So, I set my “Jungle Book” fantasies aside and inhaled another deep breath of crisp, cool air.
We rounded out the Wilson Trail and headed back to our starting point. On the way, we began to discuss our thoughts on the universe and spirituality. I had previously mentioned the recent new moon to my guide, and, bringing it back up, he asked me if I was sensitive to the moon. I dove a little bit into my views on divinity, and how this hike had shown me the way everything in the universe seems so interconnected, but I was more interested in hearing Justin’s ideals on the topic.
“It is all somehow related,” he told me. “I’ve got the red blood in me, the Indian ways, the ways of One. I’m a true flatliner, so I do believe there’s a reason I’m still here.”
I wanted to tell him that maybe this was that reason, helping people realize the healing power of cannabis and nature, that the earth provides us with every single thing we need to survive, but I had a gut feeling he already knew that.
Follow Justin Hope on Instagram (@skunktail_pharms) for a glimpse at the history and beauty encapsulated by Keystone Ancient Forest, or better yet, plan a visit to the park today. www.sandspringsok.org
Lotus Letters
Getting Played by Lady Luck? Take Your Power Back!
by Kathy Long-Barker
Wake up Starseed…The matrix is breaking.
“It seems to me you have all the information. Why ask me?” Inquired the cat cheerily, before taking a slow gratifying sip of tea. The scent of bergamot whirled through the dimly lit space as she awaited a response… after a few moments, her brows pulled together in an expression of understanding.
“You don’t remember do you?” She asked in a near whisper of awe. The candles flickered with that implication.
The ominous air dissipated as quickly as it had come, and before any sense could be made of where she procured them, she hands you a stack of weathered-looking letters with your name on the top left corner.
“It’s Time to revisit your inner knowing,” she suggests warmly.
Dearest daring divine,
My Earthly excursions have continued to be nothing short of exceedingly intriguing. I thought I might share some of my acquired knowledge to pass the times, as currently, they are so strange.
Let’s talk about ‘LUCK’ Versus ‘ Serendipity’. In my experience, I’ve found that one is a limiting belief based in the realm of chance, polarity, and codependency whilst the other is an empowering belief based on divine trust and sovereignty.
Here in the month of March it’s nigh impossible to avoid themes of “luck”. Shades of emerald, shamrocks, charms, and even an entire Irish citizen are celebrated to call in good fortune. Yet in the very same month, an ominous shadow is cast over the land in the occurrence known as “ The Ides of March.” The dreaded middle of the month when throughout history, terrible incidents, or rather BAD LUCK, have previously and still are expected to ensue.
Holy hash, that doesn’t sound pleasant…I mean, damn. Putting it simply, in order to possibly be lucky we need to depend on things like rabbits’ feet and unopened umbrellas; that may or may not render aid? We could still be UNLUCKY!? Furthermore not only in March, but any time we dip our toes into this tricky realm?! If you ask me it seems like a cheap ploy to make us believe we have control in this projection of reality. If your peace and prosperity require things outside of yourself, you are not in control. You’re giving away your power by means of attachment. Example: “I am in need of this rabbit foot to be abundant”
Look at this whole ass mess of a sentence. Let’s fix it.
“I am abundant” See? When you don’t depend on the thing, you’re left with yourself in alignment. I assure you, you’re more than enough to get the job done.
Remember. Where your focus goes, that is what you are actively engaging in within YOUR reality (that’s why it’s called the youniverse). So, if you believe that the only way you’re going to receive good fortune or ward off bad fortune is by patting your shirt pockets five times, spinning one counterclockwise rotation on the spot, and spitting on the ground… well honestly I’d just giggle.
Moving on, I’ll tell you I’ve come to thoroughly enjoy the consciousness of serendipity instead of our previously mentioned mechanism. Serendipity isn’t dependent on anything. the only way you can negate it is by being inauthentic! Yeesh, who would want to do that anyway?
Unlike ‘luck’ you can’t search for serendipity, you can’t win it over or get in its favor. It shows up on its own terms when we least expect it, when a flow state is occurring within us. A perfect alignment with our highest timeline and good.
Incidentally, what a better time to observe this phenomenon than now? For, this month brings ZERO planets in retrograde. Now of course that is divine design in the grand scheme of things. However, to the freshly waking Starseed who is relearning the cosmos, it’s a perfect example.
Now hang on! I’m not saying let’s set the clover fields ablaze and bulldoze the rabbit foot factory! (kidding about the rabbit foot factory. I see any of you chopping bunny toes, expect continual fork on plate scraping in your vicinity, loudly, for-ev-er)
I’m no stranger to enjoying festivities of a concept akin to luck for fun. Or engaging in a tangible ritual as a means of stepping into the frequency of abundance. After all, we are tangible beings. It’s nice to be able to use our senses when manifesting. It’s just important to be aware that it’s not necessary. All you need to live your best life is you.
Ever-evolving love to you, The Youniverse
Building Foundations
by Anna Ervin
Before I had even the slightest clue what 2020 would hold for us, I was preaching that based on numerology the year would be a four (2+0+2+0=4), which represents foundations. I told everyone I knew that “this will be a year of stability and growth.” I’ve been laughing at myself ever since.
However, as I reflect on the last 12 months, I can’t help but feel that maybe everything that happened to us (or is still currently happening) as both individuals and a collective has forced us to make some necessary shifts in our lives. Maybe some of those shifts have even helped us tear down old structures that no longer serve us and build new foundations that support our future.
I’m in no way trying to make light of what has been a painful year for so many, but I can’t look at challenges (or in some cases, tragedies) without trying to at least learn something from them. So, if 2020 was all about building foundations and finding stability (even in the most unstable circumstances), what does that mean for the coming year?
Numerology would call 2021 a five (2+0+2+1=5), which represents change. Though many of us have faced changes in the previous year, we were simply taking note of the things that no longer serve us, and solidifying the grounds we stand on in preparation for the major shifts that are about to take place.
This year will be a great time to listen to your curiosity and explore new things. Allow yourself to be open to opportunities as you work through the next 12 months. Change can be scary but trying to avoid it only prolongs the drama. Learn to embrace new beginnings and give yourself room to grow.
I don’t know about you, but this past year has shown me that I’m a lot more resilient than I used to think. I think that finding that confidence in myself to try new things without fear of failure was a huge part of the foundation that will carry me into whatever lies ahead. What did you learn about yourself this year? What foundations are you building to support your goals for the future?
Numerology is an ancient belief that numbers can have a divinatory influence over who we are and the things that happen in our lives. The study closely examines the effects numbers have on people and events. You can find out your life path number, or the number for any specific date by adding the day, month and year together, than reducing that number to a single digit.
Ex: if the date is 04/20/2021, 04+20+2021=2045 | 2+0+4+5=11 | 1+1=2. You can find more information about the meaning of each number on numerology.com
Show Me Love
by Anna Ervin
“Don’t let me show evil, though it may be all I take. Show me love.”
These song lyrics were released by Big Wild and Hundred Waters over three years ago, but as the events of yesterday unfolded at Capitol Hill, I could not get them out of my head. The range of emotions I felt while watching news clips spanned from anger, to sadness, to sympathy.
It is hard for me to see two sides, or two parties, though I do recognize that these concepts exist. What I see when I look at our country is a collective group of human beings with individual thoughts, feelings, and ideas about what could make this world a better place. At the end of the day, I think that is what most of us are fighting for. So how did things turn sour?
I have talked a little bit about energy work in previous writings, and I truly believe that what you give energy to, you give life to. I understand how easy it is to get caught up in negativity, especially with everything going on in the world right now. Believe me, I found myself yelling at news reporters and politicians through my computer screen on more than one occasion yesterday. At a certain point, I had to stop and ask myself, “Are my reactions to these emotions serving anyone’s best interest right now?”
I am not saying that you should suppress the way you feel, I’m actually inviting you to explore those feelings further. What does the anger, the sadness, the confusion tell you about yourself? Anger is the emotion that is hardest for me to cope with. I hate being mad. However, I have learned that when I do feel upset about something, it often has more to do with me being angry with myself. If I send the situation love, in the process, I might manage to find forgiveness.
Simply bearing witness to your emotions without reacting to them right away can be a powerful tool in coping with mood swings, managing productivity, and even healing traumas. Now just imagine transforming those emotions into something that resonates with love. If you are angry at someone, send a prayer or positive thought. When you feel sad, channel those feelings into creativity or activism. If politics are confusing you, empower yourself by asking more questions.
I am challenging you today to “show me love.” I don’t mean me specifically, but show yourself, your friends, family, or strangers you encounter, that you are actively choosing to infuse more love into the world.
Mahatma Ghandi said, “if we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change…” In the end, it all circles back to learning to love yourself and giving yourself space to grow or heal. It is not always going to be easy, but the best things in life rarely ever are. When you slip up (which you will, because you are human), just find your way back to your original intention.
Now go be the change, or the love, that you wish to see.
2021 Tarot
by Anna Ervin
Whether you believe in energy work or not, a deck of tarot cards can be a wonderful tool for personal growth and self-awareness. The cards tell the story of the fool’s journey, a series of lessons and obstacles and triumphs that the fool (or each one of us) experiences in a lifetime.
According to Briget at Biddy Tarot, “Tarot is the storybook of our life, the mirror to our soul, and the key to our inner wisdom.”
But if you do believe in energy and manifestation, you’re probably already aware of the fact that Tarot cards can be used to predict the direction that your energy is heading in. With the new year coming up I thought, why not draw a forecast of the next 12 months?
I set the intention for this seventeen-card spread to deliver a quick, helpful guide for the Herbage fam to utilize as we navigate the upcoming year. I drew the first twelve from the Smith-Waite Centennial deck, placing a card for each month. The last four cards were pulled from the Wild Unknown deck by Kim Krans, one for each “season” or quarter of the year.
I decided to end the reading on a positive note with an affirmation to focus on for the year. This card came from deck, ‘The Universe Has Your Back’ by Gabby Bernstein.
January – March
The overwhelming theme for the first quarter of 2021 will be Strength. This means the need to show up for yourself every single day will be eminent. Try to allow whatever comes up at this time to just flow. How can you invite love to have a stronger presence in your life?
In January we see the King of Cups, an indicator of responsibility over self-expression. Sometimes we need to put our emotions aside in order to get things done. However, creating space in your life to explore your feelings might benefit you at this time. Use those emotions to tap into your own creative potential. This is a good time to pour into artistic work.
February deals with a conscious choice to turn a blind eye toward a problem or choice in your life. The Two of Swords indicates that we are refusing to see the situation for what it really is, blinding ourselves to the truth. You might be feeling defensive around this time, remember to tune into Strength. Set your fears aside, and answer to whatever problems you face from a place of love and understanding. You’re not stuck, you just have to make a choice.
March will see these issues clear up as you find yourself making small steps towards stability and success with the Two of Wands. Recent accomplishments have opened up space in your life for contemplation of the future. How can you grow and expand from here? Use this time to manifest goals and dream big.
April – June
In the second quarter the Nine of Swords indicates that a great deal of sorrow and anxiety will hang over us. This is likely related to someone or something we have attachments to, rather than our own pain. Are you carrying the burdens of others or finding yourself worried about things out of your control? Try to tune into clarity and peace through this period. Nine of Swords aside, this quarter is all about pentacles, which represent the material world. Get outside and tune into nature this Spring.
April introduces the Ten of Pentacles, a card that typically deals with riches and abundance. The Nine of Swords hanging over us reminds us to avoid taking these blessings for granted. You may be able to find a lot of support in your family and environment. Focus on gratitude during this month.
During May we find ourselves reflecting over progress in the Seven of Pentacles, possibly searching for meaning in our accomplishments. It’s important to take a step back and observe the fruits of your labor before moving forward. Is the progress you’ve made truly fulfilling your soul’s purpose? If not, it may be time to change directions.
June predicts financial hardship and a feeling of isolation or abandonment through the Five of Pentacles. If you feel that the world has turned it’s back on you, this card invites you to ask yourself if maybe you’re just being a little stubborn. It’s not always easy to allow others to lighten the load for you, but you’ll never get the help you need unless you ask for it and let it in. Try making a gratitude list, you might find that you’re more resourceful in manifesting good fortune than you thought.
July – September
Again, we find ourselves tapping into courage in quarter three. This time, the Seven of Wands indicates that you may feel like you’re going against the grain or finding yourself in situations where you’re having to stand up for your beliefs. Nobody else will fight this battle for you, look for that support within yourself.
The Emperor comes up in July urging us to create boundaries and enforce them. Step into your power by learning to discipline yourself and create more stability in your routine, but don’t let the pendulum swing too far. Stability can open up space for creativity and joy, but too much can stifle it. Use this time to reorganize your office or establish a new morning routine.
In August we move into the Ten of Wands, indicating burn out after taking on too much at once. This would be a good time to tap into that Emperor card in order to invite more direction and organization into your life. You might be feeling overwhelmed, but at this point it’s important to follow through. What’s priority right now? How can you lighten your load?
September invites us to catch a break after all of that hard work and discipline. The Nine of Cups suggests that you may find yourself enjoying simple pleasures and tuning into the little things in life that bring you joy this month. Take a mini vacation, catch up with friends, pour into a new or old hobby.
October – December
The Daughter of Swords leads us into the last quarter of 2021, reminding us to pay attention to detail. This is a good time to focus on honesty, with yourself and with others. You may find yourself observing the way other people carry out their lives. It’s okay to learn from those around us, but make sure you’re paying attention to the lessons that come up in your own story too. Try not to be too nitpicky with others.
The Nine of Swords appears once again in October, indicating another short period of angst and distress. Try to take some time during this month to let go of attachments that aren’t in your best interest. Donate old items to Goodwill and smudge your house this month to clear up any stagnant energy. Whatever needs to be in your life will remain, but it’s time to let go of anything that’s no longer serving you.
Moving into November we find ourselves dealing with personal development. The Chariot implies that some aspect of our personality will shift into something new, and this evolution will propel a deep sense of confidence and strong will. You’ll most likely see big achievements as a result of this change. Work on affirmations during this time.
Finally, December brings wisdom bred from sorrow. The Queen of Swords is wise but rigid. She has learned from the painful challenges faced in the past. You may be feeling a refreshing sense of clarity by the end of the year, but you’re frowning at the world around you. It’s okay to grow weary of painful situations, but don’t let them make you bitter. Try to shift your focus to the positive aspects of your journey.
I find deeper meaning and personal growth amid the discomfort.
Happy New Year! Make this one magical.
Global Meditation – December 21st
by Anna Ervin
Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction
There’s been a lot of talk around the date December 21st lately, when Jupiter and Saturn are scheduled to meet in alignment, creating a celestial event that only happens every 20 years. Making the phenomenon even more rare is the fact that the last time these planets were illuminated this brightly during a conjunction was the year 1226 and on top of that, it’s also Winter Solstice.
Organizations and individuals all over the globe have been making plans to utilize this cosmic energy in order to raise their vibrations and shift into a new plane of existence through meditation. My Facebook Events page has been flooded with invites to various virtual meditation efforts, and it seems like no matter what platform I turn to, someone is reminding me to clear my schedule on the 21st.
Listen, I’m a big believer in astrology. Nature, humanity and spirituality are all so divinely connected, so is it really that far out there to believe that the evolution of our universe is written in the stars?
Benefits of Meditation
Even if you don’t believe in zodiac signs and horoscopes, science has proven that meditation has many benefits for mental health and overall wellness.
According to an article by Harvard Health Publishing, JAMA Internal Medicine reported in 2014 that meditation can help alleviate anxiety, pain and depression. The article went on to state that for individuals with depression, “meditation was about as effective as an antidepressant.”
Personally, I believe that if every single human being practiced meditation in some form, the world would be a much healthier place.
Maharishi Effect
The Maharishi International University published that over 60 years ago “Maharishi Mahesh Yogi predicted that one percent of a population practicing the Transcendental Meditation® technique would produce measurable improvements in the quality of life for the whole population.”
Just 15 years later, studies on the topic were in full swing and by 1984 experts had found that “acts of global terrorism resulting in fatalities and injuries were reduced by 72%.” I’m sorry, please excuse the drama while I reiterate – SEVENTY-TWO PERCENT. That’s huge!
In recent years, Personable Media reported that over 600 studies have been executed on the phenomenon, and “the evidence overwhelmingly correlates synchronized group prayer and meditation having extremely positive social, political and economic benefits to the world.”
If a collective group meditation is that powerful on its own, imagine bringing in thousands of additional people to practice across the globe, and pairing it with one of the biggest cosmic events of the year. And after a year like 2020, it comes as no surprise to me that so many people are seeking a little closure and clarity before slipping into a new chapter.
Meditation Tips for Beginners
I recognize that even though meditation has been around for thousands of years, the practice has only just begun to increase in popularity over the last few centuries. A lot of people want to give it a try, but just aren’t sure how. The one thing I’ve learned through my own practice is that it’s really a lot simpler than we make it out to be. So with that, I’ll leave you with a few tips to help you get started:
Prepare your Space
Light a candle, clear your space with a smudge stick or affirmation, and grab your headphones so you can listen to Solfeggio Frequencies during your practice.
Set an Intention
Setting an intention isn’t a necessary part of meditation, but I do feel that it benefits me personally. I typically choose a word, number, or affirmation to focus on, repeat it for a moment, then let it go.
Focus on Breathing
Start by simply noticing the natural way that you breathe. Once you feel comfortable, practice visualizing the air filling your body and then leaving your system. As you inhale, picture your breath traveling down into your stomach, then climbing back up your spine as you exhale and empty. If you find yourself frustrated or flustered, simply return to your natural rhythm.
Just be Present
Sometimes my mind just won’t quit. When this happens, I try to just bear witness to the thoughts that do surface – allowing them to flow without getting attached to any one thing. Its okay if it’s not easy at first, it’s not meant to be. If you get stuck, return to your intention or affirmation.
Visual Meditation
by Tab Moura
When seasonal depression first reared its head in my life, it consumed me… it tipped the scale and I fell into a cycle of depression that took a few years to learn to manage. Through counseling, diet and supplementing, and of course cannabis, I’ve found a lot relief through the years.
Between my epilepsy and my depression, I don’t always feel in control of where my mind wanders… so I am not very good at stereotypical “meditation.” I know we’ve all seen someone in a show cross their legs, pinch their thumb and finger together and begin saying “oooohmmmm…”
I am in no way an expert, and I won’t be teaching classes anytime soon, but I’ve learned a lot from trial and error. I think the biggest thing I’ve learned about meditation is it comes in many forms, and it’s helpful to start with something comfortable.
Today, I want to share my favorite way to center myself, it’s a visual process…
- I imagine myself in a car, for me it’s a classic red car with a hard top and a big muffler. The details matter when it comes to a process like this, the goal is to be immersed; the windows are rolled down- it has manual windows (naturally) and crappy AC. There’s a luau girl on the dash, I’m listening to the radio (“Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers and Coldplay) and I can hear the map (that I’m not using) rattle, blowing in the wind in the back seat.
- Some days all I need to do is get myself in the driver’s seat, and that’s enough to reset my mood. But sometimes I have to keep going. What kind of road am I on? What time is it? What’s outside the window? What is the weather like? I have taken this vision many directions.
What I’ll leave you with, is this encouragement: your goal is to to be in the driver seat. Whether that’s metaphorical, or literal, is up to you… but the vision is meant to be gentle. It’s meant to be a breath of fresh air. A way to pace yourself. Soak it up.
More from Tab…
