New Moon in Libra: Universal Reset

In a month that found us energetically and emotionally put to the test, Friday's New Moon can feel like a breath of fresh air. It feels like a potent rush of energy that is helping us to heal what came forward this month and move forward with intention. 

All week the energy has been building and Friday is the crescendo-the climatic culmination of what is proving to be a radical time for great change. We are seeing this on the broader stage as we hear of acts of cruelty against our citizens who are treated as less than and citizens no longer willing to sit idle. We are witnessing a growing gap between our government and the people. We stand defiantly against a man who proudly displays racist, sexist and generally abhorrent behavior and stand on the edge of a turning point as we shift to a more feminine flow of power. 

We are seeing it on a personal level as our wounds begin to surface, unwilling to be ignored. We are shedding layers of limitation, toxic relationships, jobs, behaviors and thoughts and opening to a new, stronger and more luminous, version of ourselves. And its been hard as fuck. 

But Libra encourages us to work it out. To find a place of balance in our lives, our relationships and our work. Jupiter, now in Libra for the next 12 months, urges us to expand into greatness. To explore how we show up for ourselves and for the world. How do we make ourselves available to those we interact with? How can we be a shining light in a world that at times can seems so dark?

Because in truth the world is not dark-it simply needs more of us stepping into our light and directing it outward rather than simply holding it for ourselves. We need more people willing to speak up, take action, create and be bold in their most authentic expression. The world needs more of us to break open, get real, rub against our greatness until we are raw and then spread love like wildfire. 

Today we accept the challenge. We begin anew and step forward without fear or anxiety but with the utmost faith that we can be better. That this world can be better. And that now is the time to demand that our inner and outer worlds reflect the potency of our divine and brilliant selves.

Turning Of The Wheel: Autumn Equinox

Today we celebrate another turning of the wheel as we usher in Autumn and its vivid hues. The winds are blowing strong here today in my neck of the woods and the air has a chill to it that didn't exist just yesterday. 

As I looked around today I noticed the trees have started to shift, their colors changing as the birds and squirrels pace the ground looking for bounty to see them into the cooler months. I too am reminded of the bounty before me. I look around at my life and feel a sense of pride at the changes I have made this year. Shifting, successfully, through a rebrand that allowed me to shed the skin of old and welcome in the new. Building a community of sisters across the globe that feel like home. Growing closer and stronger in my bond with my husband and children. Even though the year was not without challenges (there were a shit ton) I have no complaints as I look around, in this moment and absorb what is. 

And that is the message energetically for today. As I drew the cards for the daily reading on Instagram I felt the need to help shift the perspective to allow room for gratitude and surrender. To take in, beautifully, all that our lives contain, all the work we have done, all that we have successfully and not so successfully navigated to bring us to this very moment. This very day. 

As we celebrate Autumn (or Mabon for my Witchy readers) we are called to evaluate the role of abundance in our lives. How can be broaden our definition and perception of abundance to include the things in life that truly make us rich. Anyone can have dollars in the bank but its our abundance in other areas which allows us to feel a keen sense of security in this world. Even if our monetary capital should wane we have spiritual, relational and emotional capital that ultimately will see us through even the toughest of times. 

What does abundance look like to you? In what ways have you allowed your perception of abundance to become tied too much to what is in the bank and not what is in your heart? Today as we celebrate another turn in the wheel pause and take it all in. Get down on your hands in knees and kiss Mama Earth. Smell the leaves as they begin to change and take in the sights of all of nature beginning to shed the skin of old to awake renewed in the Spring. 

I send you many blessings and Autumn magic!

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If you would like to take things deeper and receive guidance from the divine on how to work with the energies of this Autumn season sing up for your Mabon's Gate reading. This 11 card spread and intuitive channeling allows me to help you work towards your goals this Autumn in a way which honors the energy of this season and helps you to feel a sense of flow within your life. Obly 3 spots remain for this reading before I close until next year so take advantage of the savings! Your reading (typically about 6-8 pages) is delivered via email in a gorgeous pdf booklet that you can view online or print to take with you. Learn more here

No More Bras or The Day I Liberated My Tits.

Earlier this summer as I was getting myself dressed for the day I made a decision that in retrospect was rather bold, for me.

It didn’t seem all that bold to me in that moment. It was as simple as acknowledging that in rather hellish heat the last thing I wanted to do was add another layer, no matter how thin, to my body.

So I decided to toss the bra back in its home and carry on about my day.  

And I continued to do this. I decided that whenever possible I was not slinging my boobs into yet another bra. Now, I’m not the first-this. This is not ground breaking nor earth shattering for some. But for me it was. I would hardly go without a bra even when sitting at home, which for someone who works out of her home is what I do most days.

This did, however, become personal for me. As a mama who has nursed 3 kids my boobs have been the source of much anguish over the years. When I think of how much money I spent on expensive bras known for how they lift and separate, I shudder. When I think of how uncomfortable I would be, adjusting every five minutes, pulling up a wayward strap, I laugh.

Because I don’t deal with that crap anymore.

For someone who used to joke that if I bent over you could fit my tits into teacups (the joys of lots of expanding and contracting through years of baby nurturing) I realized that the act of going without a bra forced me to accept where my body was at right here, right now, not as a 25-year-old but as a 35-year-old woman who has seen some shit. Whose body has brought life into this world.

But I noticed that it gets all sorts of reactions from others. I notice that folks watch me more as I walk by. That those I tell of my boob liberation have a genuine shocked response. Even my own husband was astounded as I bounced back to the car one afternoon. “You’re not wearing a bra, are you? Don’t you find that odd?”

Nope, not in the slightest. But I find the reactions of others very telling.

What does wearing a bra do? For some it may feel necessary. For others it is conditioned that as women we MUST wear one. As though my hiding my nipples behind fabric will make you forget they are there. I can’t help but wonder if there are those out there who feel this is helping curtail the temptation of others. That is our job, as women, to make sure we hide what makes us women.

So then this decision became also my personal feminist statement.

For me not wearing a bra is a simple choice that was born in a moment of being too damn hot and turned into something deeper about personal acceptance and standing firm in my belief that what a woman chooses to adorn (or not adorn) her body with is up to her. I do not have to wear something because it makes others more comfortable.

As someone raising small girls the idea of body acceptance, healthful decisions centered on a woman being sovereign over her own body are more important than any insecurities I used to have as a woman surrounded by images of what my breasts should look like.

Now this may not be for everyone and this is not about saying I am more accepting of myself or more of a feminist by not wearing a bra than you are if you chose to wear one. This is not just about my no longer wearing a bra, either.  Rather it’s a personal narrative of examining why we make the choices that we do. In what ways are we making decisions based on what we are told is acceptable? How many ways do we allow others to shape the way we shape ourselves? Interesting questions to ponder above and beyond whether we wear a bra or not.

The real kick in the pants? As I have gone without a bra for the better part 4 months my breasts look fuller and better than ever.

No bras for the win!

Full Moon Pisces: Deep Healing Of Old Wounds

This Friday hosts a Full Moon Eclipse in Pisces which is conjunct with Chiron-the wounded healer. Chiron is half-human, half-animal; half of this world and half of another. He is the gentle reminder that we, too, live in both worlds. That we have our physical self and our spiritual self. That our actions have ripples which stretch far and wide and that the wounds we have in the physical create indelible marks within our energy or Ka bodies.  

Having such a heavy focus upon our wounds is not exactly the easiest of experienced. Our wounds and the pain that accompanies them, are our greatest teachers. They show us who are we and what we are made of. They show us where there are fractures in the foundation and what we can do to build a stronger and sturdier foundation that supports us and our growth. 

When we understand the nature of our wounds we understand why we are facing certain themes within our lives. Our eyes open to our own actions and how they impact what transpires around us. We suddenly become crystal clear as to the path forward. When we create spaciousness for our wounds and the experience of them we hold space for others to do the same. To embrace their wounds as opposed to trying to throw dirt over it and ignore their existence.  

We create the space for deep healing and release. A release that ultimately allows us to move forward, untethered, unencumbered by the past; understanding and finally seeing the blessing of knowing we are more than our old selves. We are so much more powerful than where we have been. In fact we are powerful because of it and because of stepping, bravely, into the future with lessons learned, hearts warmed and open and true faith in the unflappable strength that resides deep in our spirits. 

Won't you join me in some deep healing?

This Friday, as we celebrate this beautiful Full Moon Lunar Eclipse I am hosting a **FREE** LIVE healing event!

I am hosting a LIVE video event providing an overview of this Full Moon as well as a LIVE Reiki Healing and blessing. I offer this in honor of the deep healing that is opening for us all with this Full Moon. My intention is to hold space that allows for wounds new and old to be healed, filled with white light and thus released. I will perform a blessing that will help to empower us to release old ties and step, freely, into divine perfection. 

Date: 9/16/16

Time: 1 pm MST/3pm EST

A recording of the event is available should you be unable to make it live. 

It is an honor to hold this space for you and I cannot wait for you to join me this Friday at 1pm MST!

Extended September Monthly Scope

Whew! September is here and its a force to reckon with, my loves! It is not to be joked with as it holds challenges and also great potential. As noted in my broadcast I have 3 spots left for my Astro-Intuitive September readings which is offered at 50% off until they are gone! This report covers your unique astrology and how the eclipses of this month will impact your life and then includes intuitive and psychic channeling that comes forth for you and your month ahead. These is a client favorite which is why all but 3 spots are filled and I expect them to move fast so if you are interested head over here to reserve your reading! 

The extended scope is below-listen to your Sun and Moon and should it apply to you, your cusp sign to gain deeper insight into your month ahead! 

xoxo

Blessing Or Curse: How To Soar During Mercury Retrograde

I still have 4 slots remaining for my Mercury Retrograde Reading! Save 20.00 with code "MercRetro" now until 9/4/16 

Mercury retrograde is rocking his stuff yet again!! Mercury officially stations retrograde on August 30th in Virgo and lasts until September 22nd. The shadow period for this transit is two weeks prior and post the event so the effects will be felt until October 6th.  For those of you in the dark when someone laments how Mercury Retrograde is royally causing complications with their cars, electronics, communication, overall state of well being let me explain.

At certain periods Mercury slows and appears to move backwards in the sky. Being the planet of communication when this happens we often times see that there are disruptions to things such as those mentioned above as well as the overused warning to not try anything new, not to sign contracts or make any major purchases during the time that Mercury is moonwalking across the sky.

Now don’t get me wrong-Mercury retrograde can be a pain in the ass. "Can" being the operative word. I do not subscribe to the ideology that this is a period of time when we must hide under our beds anxiously awaiting the next obstacle or challenge to arrive. It actually can be a very empowering time when the rare chance to redo something from our past is offered to us.

When I contemplate Mercury retrograde I think of the prefix “re” and its many iterations. Lets just brainstorm a few here.

Redo

Redecorate

Reassess

Retry

Remember (not a prefix so much but I think still applicable.)

Reuse

Reacquaint

Recalculate

Reaccustom

Readjust

Rebelieve

These are just a few and I definitely had to have some help from Websters-you can check out their entire list here.

The idea behind this shift in perspective is to help us all to understand that this is a time when we really have some serious momentum behind us to go back over something we didn’t quite figure properly. In the past, this has meant a chance for me to revisit (another RE word!!!) past relationships and patterned problems in past relationships. I have sometimes used this opportunity wisely by gaining a higher awareness and sometimes I have resorted (whew, another "re"; I’m on FYIAH!) to behaving in the same way I did previously. The idea being that sometimes we learn and sometimes we don’t. ;p

A chance to redo something whether large or small is a gift. It’s a chance to see where we need to learn and yes, sometimes it’s a lesson we still don’t nail it the second (or third!) time around. What I encourage is that we all enter this period of Mercury retrograde with a heart full of expectation and wonderment at the chance to do something again. How often do we get a cosmic do-ever?
In the case of Mercury Retrograde we see this cosmic opening just a few times a year and it is not a time to waste.
Its important to evaluate how we interact with our thoughts, those around us and our current station in life. We can bemoan that life is not going as we would like it to or we can see that there are deep pockets of inspiration, learning and real magic to be done. It requires that we journey into ourselves, and sometimes the less than savory sides of ourselves. We must dance with the shadows so we can uncover the numinous journey before us. We may have no clue how life is going to unfold for us but we can ensure that we grow and transform any challenge or perceived negative into something truly and gloriously positive.

Full Moon In Aquarius: Me into We

This morning we welcomed the Full Moon in Aquarius a chance to rise to a higher perspective. This is a chance to turn me into we. To reach out and witness the world around us, the injustices, the slaughter, the pain that so many are facing and do something about it. 

While Aquarians may not be the most outwardly emotional people they have a heart of gold that bleeds for those who have been wronged or who suffer under unthinkable conditions. This sign gifts us today with the opportunity for growth and expansion not for the self but for the world at large. 

Today we have a chance to remember that what is done to the parts affects the whole. The cultures of antiquity understood that to act with Wisdom is to act with awareness that we are all connected. There is no separation despite what our culture has driven into us. We are not better than others because we may have something they do not. 

Perhaps the greatest gift offered by this full moon, aside from knowing we can help create connection, is the chance to make change. Old foundations are being torn asunder. We no longer must continue thinking and doing as we always have. In this great time of transition everything that further divides will erode and be destroyed. This applies to what is within us and what we offer to the world.  Do not resist or cling but open freely to the process. Give to yourself and give of yourself. 

Enter The Temple: Interview with Sora Surya No & Elle North

In a past life I walked along a sandy pathway to a sacred stone temple surrounded by a forest and on the bank of a roaring river. Lit only with torches the temple stood out from the clearing and beckoned us forth. My sisters and I ascended the stairs breathing in air thick with mystery and magic. Once we entered the doors we felt the rush of arcane and sacred communion. We embraced, we cried, we laughed, we wove spells of deep, soulful magic and became one.

Though I have traveled through many lifetimes since the memory of this experience, the emotion of this experience, is embedded deep in my bones and fuels my work, my interactions with my modern sisters and my spiritual practice. The memory of this lifetime, for as long as I can remember, was the closest that I came to experiencing this magic in this incarnation. That was until Elle North, of Drawing Within, asked me to be one of several other space holders to provide an offering for a heart-space she and soul sister, Sora Surya No were creating. Hearing Elle and Sora describe Enter The Temple: A Ceremonial Gathering in that first email instantly brought me back to that ancient lifetime and the magic my sisters and I danced to.

This sacred gathering is something I am honored to share with you. I know each woman reading can benefit from this mystical connection and divine flow. This is gathering is for those who desire to take things deeper; to stretch higher. You’ve explored the mystical realm, you’ve undulated with divine rhythm and now you are ready to sink yourself into something so luscious and pure it feels as though you are awakening for the first time all over again.

The best part is that this gathering is completely free; completely in service to YOU and your spiritual unfurling! Over the course of this 9-day gathering you are invited to explore your inner Priestess; the Goddess who resides within you. To become and feel the support of your fellow sisters journeying along side you.

I am teeming with excitement for you all to receive this medicine. But more than just another blog post sharing my words (and I could quite literally go on for hours about the magic I feel with this gathering!) I wanted to instead hold space for Elle and Sora to speak to you directly about this gathering and their sacred vision when creating it.

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Lets meet the Priestesses of the Sacred Temple…

Sora Surya No is a sacred space holder, badass sorceress, transformative business coach, intuitive mentor, international retreat leader, inspirational speaker, fire igniter, heart whisperer, and world traveler.

Sora loves to sit in ceremony with sisters and share the art of holding circle. She leads women through powerful experiences in her mastermind and on retreats. Sora blends real world experience with mystical transformation, ritualistic practices, inner reflection, and deepening community to help soulful feminine leaders create great impact while priestessing their life. She is a believer of sisterhood and living a life that is wild, free and calm.

Find Sora at SoraSuryaNo.com

Elle is an intuitive mystic, spiritual teacher, and inspired graphic designer.  As a Reiki Master who combines knowledge of Tarot, intuition, meditation, yoga, and crystals, Elle creates unique offerings + courses for soul-seekers.

Elle's work is to empower others to connect to their inner wisdom.  She believes in the power of healing, energy, art, stones, and intuition.  An alchemist at heart, Elle thrives in a space where things are sacred and full of ritual.  She knows transformation can occur when we move the unconscious to the conscious; the inner world to the outer world.

Find Elle at Drawing Within + Drawing Within Design.

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Laura- Can you both give us a bit insight into what vision prompted you two to create Enter the Temple:  A Ceremonial Gathering?

Elle/Sora- We were called upon and initiated by the High Priestess to uncover the deep wisdom that was inherently within us which unlocked the mysteries of the mystical realm. Our intention is to invite women to join us for this sacred journey into their temple. The High Priestess whispered in each of our ears a small curious and yet powerful puzzle piece, which once we said yes to collaborating together magically unfolded into a potent creation called Enter the Temple: A Ceremonial Gathering.

Laura- What is your intention for this ceremonial gathering?  Who is this gathering for?

Elle/Sora- We invite badass sisters of all mystical realms to gather at the open door of the sacred temple in honor of their divine feminine.  In sisterhood, women will receive daily cosmic transmissions in the form of rituals, journeys, and ceremony.  Each day’s gathering will encode the wisdom needed for each sister to tap into her inner High Priestess.

Laura- What about those who may not follow a Goddess path-how does this gathering benefit those who have yet to embrace the Goddess within?

Elle/Sora- Welcome. What an honor to be the stewardess of this divine meeting with the Goddess. On this journey you will remember that you’ve already had cosmic conversations with the Goddess and this is just the next evolution of your communion with the Her.

Laura- Who do you envision standing at the doors of the temple?  What energy or dynamic do they provide to this mystical experience?

Elle/Sora- There are sacred wisdom-keepers guarding the gates of the mysteries of the divine feminine. High Priestesses of the past have all congregated here and are surrounding the temple in invitation, coming together to bear witness to us peeling the veil away.  These High Priestesses are passing essential information upon sisters who are feeling called to this gathering. Shakti pulsates and radiates within the temple walls, impressing upon us that She is within us, around us, and a universal cosmic presence.

Laura- What transmissions to you desire for women who enter the temple to download?

Elle/Sora- We desire for women to receive messages from the cosmos and allow the Goddess to speak, walk, talk through them, and to realize that they are the divine. We wish for each transmission to re-encode and re-activate sisters down to their cellular/molecular level so they step into a greater version of themselves. These women have evolved. From this point on, sisters take self-radical self responsibility for their life, their thoughts and their actions in service to the world.  

I would like to thank Elle and Sora for allowing me to hold this space and share this magic with my community. It is an honor to offer my own magic, hold space with each woman involved and perhaps most importantly have the chance to walk this path with each of you.

The Temple is now open and you are all invited to walk across the threshold into your fullest, highest power and purpose. You can sign up for this free gathering and learn more about each of the ceremonial space holders here; the magic begins August 15th. Add richness, support and sisterhood to your experience by joining the soulful discussion over at the Badasses of the Mystical Realm Facebook group.

Until then I wish you all a magical week. I will see you in the temple.

Laura