May Intuitive Medicine

May delights us with the promise of fertility and abundance! The Earth comes alive and flowers, trees and bushes are in full bloom; filling the air with blissful aromatics and energy teeming with possibility. We begin the month of May with Mercury moving direct on the 3rd. The shadow period of this transit takes us to the 21st so you may still feel the energy is a bit foggy and miscommunication still possible. Take this shadow period as a time for retooling and putting the finishing touches on anything which Mercury has highlighted for you. 

On May 10th, we welcome a Full Moon in Scorpio and with it profound transformation. We are encouraged to destroy that which no longer serves to make room for new life to flourish within. It is not enough to simply affirm the desire to change. We must solidify our affirmation with intention and then commit to action. This is an excellent time for breath medicine-activating and cleansing our cells of any stuck energetic and emotional gunk holding us in place. 

The New Moon in Gemini on May 25th is a wonderful time for taking the blank slate created after the Full Moon and get creative. It’s through our creativity, writing, communication and learning that we will see new life take root in our lives. Set into motion new ventures and do not be afraid to enroll in a class or three if needed to have all the skills necessary to make this venture a successful one. Gemini is an energy which encourages that we stimulate our minds in all ways possible. 

This month opens a portal through which we foster deeper awareness about what we desire in this life. With the Saturn/Uranus trine taking place in May we find that we can assimilate lessons learned from our past to help us with crafting a narrative for the future. We may encounter a few surprise endings that bring limitation to the fore but bear in mind that anything ending now is meant to leave our lives. Rather than grasp we are encouraged to allow, knowing that with this space we get closer to actualizing our most authentic expression. 

Let’s take a closer look at the energy guiding each zodiac sign this month. I encourage you to read your Sun and Moon sign and should your birthday fall within 7-10 days of a signs transition read your cusp sign as well. 

Aries

This is a tender month, Aries. Our capacity for love expands as does our awareness of how we love and nurture ourselves. This month you get acquainted with the love that flows through your veins. The love that you show to those around you. The love that you share with the world. The relationship between our wounds and our openness is examined. To engage with the world around us in an authentic and open way we must be willing to be tender. To be vulnerable and willing to break, and break we sometimes shall. Our hearts are gentle organs that bruise easily and in a sometimes harsh world we may fear and turn away from vulnerability. We may feel our best defense is to harden ourselves when in truth this only makes us more breakable. This month you learn to create the spaciousness needed between your present and wounds of the past. You learn the power of forgiveness and make the conscious decision to approach the world with a heart wide open and spilling the love you have with each step forward. 

Taurus

Your world has been shaken and you feel as though you are trying to stand still in quick sand. And while many may resist or fight this sense of instability you are instead surrendering to it. Creating a technicolor vortex that sets things into motion in a most profound way. In a truly lasting way. Because now you are the observer. You are the witness. You create breakthrough in the most interesting way - by standing completely still and quiet; by letting go. By allowing and honoring what is happening in this moment. You are listening to the words coming through the veil and seeing the patterns that have limited you. It’s time to shake off the dust of the past and welcome a luminous and truly rich future. While you may have a very serene approach this is not to imply you will not feel the challenge that arises when we must let go of the control we all crave on some level. It is time, however, to trust in the Universe to lead you to the next phase, the next tier of your journey. 

Gemini

Your relationships provide you with a deeper reflection this month, Gemini. You are seeing “you” through the eyes of those closest to you. For some this may be a rewarding and truly uplifting experience. For others, we may see things we dislike about ourselves and how we are perceived. Our relationships are tools through which we work on our karmic lessons. We attract to us those who can mirror the essence of what we are to see within ourselves now in our journey. They bring the gift of evolution and no matter how long or short the connection there is always a mirror held for us to see ourselves, perhaps for the first time. We honor and welcome the deep emotional interchange that takes place when we bond with others and learn from this how to bond to ourselves. 

Cancer

It’s not the ether that calls to you this month. Nor is it the emotional. This month you are encouraged to examine the landscape of your material world. To honor the exquisite body of work you have created and ponder how you can make your life better, bigger and grander. The material world has so much to offer us when we exchange with it with balance and integrity. There must be a balance between the spiritual and the physical so that we find wholeness and equilibrium in our lives. So, we take with us this month the practicality of this energy. We tend to the garden of our lives. We master ourselves by mastering that which we may have let go untended. We mind the small things, the mundane things and we make a ritual out of tidying our physical life in all ways possible to us now. 

Leo

What do you desire, Leo? What is it that you want out of this experience, this life? This month opens a door through which you can cultivate greater awareness around these questions. You are to touch the very essence of that which brings heat to your body. That gives rise to the excitement within your cells. What mysteries call to you now? To achieve our deepest dreams, we must first be aware of them. We must have a crystalized vision that leaves no room for doubt or confusion. Rather a vision so clear, so detailed that we cannot help but taste it and experience it even in its intangible form. You may be afraid of your deepest desires. You may have created a gap so large between you and them that you question the ability to get back. You may even fear getting so lost in your desires that you never find your way out. But its through this emersion of that which lights us up, that brings zeal to our lives, that we attune to our desires in a way that makes them achievable. That makes them safe and that makes them accepted not as some far-off dream but as our immediate reality. 

Virgo

This is a month of taking charge and utilizing what the physical world, the physical body offers us. This is a month where we lead not through grand or flamboyant actions but through practical application of what we know and must accomplish. We have, as they say, our nose to the grindstone. This month you become deeply acquainted with the goals that drive you each day. You begin to create the structure needed for us to manifest our deepest desires. This is about having a plan and knowing that right now we need the structure of routine to make real that which we dream of. This is not the time for extraneous distractions that drain you of your precious energy but rather a time for honoring what your body needs. What your mind needs. Taking the time to honor the rest we need today that will fuel our action tomorrow. The portal is open but it takes your effort, your hard work to make this opening fruitful. Do not let this energy go to waste or spend it on the wrong things or the wrong people. Get focused, get clear and get moving. 

Libra

This month feels like arriving to an abundant oasis after a long and tiring journey. You stretch out your arms and flex your fingers. The power has returned and you feel it humming through your every cell. This is a time of celebration and reverie. This is a time of feeling in control, clear and commanding. You can look back upon the challenges you faced and see them as the blessings they are. These challenges have forged you into the splendid creature you are in this moment and every moment here forward. And now you can rest. You can look around at all that you have created, all that you have moved through and faced and feel secure. Secure enough to sit for a moment and simply be. To tend to the needs of your body, mind and spirit. To honor the deep calling within and celebrate that which you still have to achieve. Because now you know. Now you see that no matter what the path ahead contains you have everything you need to see your way through it. To make the impossible, possible. To bring life to previously dormant parts of yourself. The power has returned. 

Scorpio

There is an inner knowing that resides within us all. A guidance system which knows what to do and when. What to say and how. Where to go and how to get there. For many of us, however, this guidance goes unheeded. It is chalked up to happenstance or coincidence and we train ourselves instead to only trust in that which we can see and touch. But these senses are oh so limited and offer up only a fraction of that which exists in every moment of every day. This month you are encouraged to honor this guidance. To honor that deep inner knowing that is as old as time itself. That exists within you and within me. That is here to be served and be of service. That will add dimension and color to our lives beyond our comprehension. We are all entitled to a life that is as abundant, colorful and filled with love as we can dream and with intuition guiding us forward we find achieving this infinitely possible. 

Sagittarius

We are all glorious puzzles pieced together in a divine order to create a complete picture. There are parts of this puzzle we adore and take great pride in. Others we like to hide, gloss over or ignore entirely. We see these parts as unsavory or unacceptable. We feel guilt or even shame that these pieces are part of us. But like all things in this life there is a balance. When we hide from our shadow we hide from our light. To ignore one is to reject the other. We must embrace both for the transformation to be complete. This month you must obliterate your shame and guilt and explore the darkest, most hidden inner corridors. There is great change on the horizon and now, as we near the end, is when we tend to lose focus and find our energy lacking. But now more than ever we must push forward. We must integrate all parts of ourselves to find the power necessary for crossing the threshold. You are nearly there, do not give up now. 

Capricorn

This month presents the challenge of feeling stuck and limited in what you can do. You see what you desire - you reach out and can nearly touch it but it resides just beyond your reach. You are stuck in a gilded cage. This reminds you that sometimes the structures we build in our lives end up becoming our own personal prison; confining us and holding us hostage. If you feel like effort is all in vain you may be tempted to throw in the towel and let desperation to take hold. The problem with this course of action is that desperation, in this case, leads to more inaction and inaction is not necessarily the wisest approach. A different tactic is called for. What we have done in the past likely were the very actions that resulted in the situation we see, at least in part, so it stands to reason that doing the same things will only result in more resistance. Instead we must open our eyes and elevate our perspective. Thinking outside the box and seeing what actions we can take that can alleviate at least some of the tension and will help restore our sense of personal power. From here the burden begins to lessen and we find we are dominated no more by hopelessness. Instead we step beyond our confinement and onward to personal revolution. 

Aquarius

You stand atop the mountain with arms outstretched, coursing with personal power and fully open to the vast and prevailing energy that surrounds you. You have outgrown the narrative you once told about your capabilities and are shedding the skin that once held these cells together. You are becoming and with this comes greater self-knowledge. You no longer question if you are capable for you know that you are. You take the risks that will allow you to travel far and wide. You embrace the cosmic force guiding you now and take every opportunity to attune to the raw potential it holds. You are ready and will not compromise yourself for anyone or anything. Your values, what makes you, you, is precisely what will carry you forward. 

Pisces

For many years, we wander the world in a bubble where concerns are focused primarily upon the self. It’s our needs we seek to have met. It’s our desires we seek to attain. We see the world through the lens of impact that is deeply personal. Then comes a moment when something or someone strikes us in such a way, hitting such an emotional chord that our previous perception is annihilated. Suddenly we want the world to better for them. We are protective and guard what we value from outside harm and molestation. We find, perhaps for the first time, a sense of valuing something/someone beyond ourselves and with this realization we move beyond the authority of vanity and self-absorption. The energy of May is opening the way for connection of the deepest and most profound kind. For those who have felt adrift, without a family to call their own, this is a time when you can make active and great strides towards creating supportive community. This is a time when we give of ourselves so selflessly to those we value that we find in return we have a sense of support and nurturing otherwise unattainable. A support that allows us to feel safe and capable of ascending to our highest, most divine potential. 

General forecasts are great but nothing goes as deep as a one-on-one session with me. Arrange your personal intuitive reading session and gain profound insight and guidance to assist you on your journey. Schedule your session today!

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Laura Brown is an Taroist, Master Certified Life Coach, Healer and Intuitive Reader located in Denver. Her purpose is to help women look deep within themselves to find healing, wellness and greater self-worth which facilitates their deepest and truest potential. She holds space for women, radicalizing the notion of therapeutic discussion by working with tools of both a holistic and traditional persuasion. You can schedule a session at Laurabrown.co and follow her visual diary on Instagram.

Top 10 Products We Love for April

 

1. Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum

This 100% active oil boasts some of the highest quality raw ingredients, including nutrient dense essential oils, to restore vitality and balance to the skin. Vintner’s Daughter founder draws from her fine winemaking experience to create super-powered formulas that leave the skin flawless, without looking oily or greasy. The smooth and glossy primer is the perfect finishing touch to add to anyone’s post makeup or nighttime skincare regime. If that doesn't leave you intrigued, keep in mind that this altruistic company shares 2% of every purchase with charities dedicated to protecting, educating and empowering woman and children around the world.

2. Virgin Raw Foods Bee Panacea

A western alternative to chyawanprash, Bee Panacea combines superfoods like spirulina, chlorella and maca with herbs like shilajit and reishi and complex honey flavors like raw honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and propolis. Together, this formula creates a sweet blend of salubrious goodness that tastes delicious in almost any smoothie, drink or scooped right out of the jar. Side effects include increased antioxidant intake and equilibrium throughout the body! 

3. Brown Bear Herbs Classic Sexy Smokes Herbal Cigarettes

Only in Portland could someone find a sui generis company like Brown Bear Herbs. Introducing an actually high-spirited, healing and frankly sexy way to ingest herbs - by smoking them! With organic and wildcrafted herbs such as Damiana, Blackberry Leaf, Rose, Hibiscus and Mullein, Sexy Smokes foster a slight head buzz with a feeling of herbaceous grounding that makes smoking appropriately cool. Great for users who are looking to heal respiratory infections or smokers trying to quit tobacco. 

4. PHI Kind Matcha Ginger Truffles

Who couldn’t love PHI Kind’s heavenly sugar free raw chocolate delights? Feel free to splurge on these nutritious treats because PHI Kind makes it possible to enjoy chocolate without any guilt. With the premium matcha powder, MCT oil, and hints of ginger, these idiosyncratic flavors blend together to create sophisticated and beautifully shaped truffles that are almost too good to be true. Perceptively encased with completely fair trade 70% coconut mylk chocolate, make sure to grab these off the shelf before they sell out.

5. Goldthread Replenish

From one of our new favorite companies, Goldthread Herbal Tonics combine the restorative power of plants with succulent flavor to create appetizing medicinal elixirs. Based around the Taoist philosophy of Qi, Replenish is stock full of viridescent, nutrient dense herbs that are the perfect cooling beverage to introduce to your body as warmer weather begins to blossom. Steadily refresh your depleted minerals with a combination of sweet and earthy tones. Their message of sustainable interconnectedness amongst cultures and the natural environment make us ponder about our ecological footprint with every sip. 

6. BURN Habanero Hot Sauce

Burn, baby, burn! This Santa Cruz based company makes some the best darn hot sauce we have ever tried. Fermented with probiotics and organic farm to table ingredients, you can choose your heat spectrum preference to match your taste buds from mild Cayenne to hot Habanero. Our House of Citrine team likes to drizzle the extra hot Habanero hot sauce in our Siete Cassava and Chia Tortilla creations!  

7. Coco Kind Organic Full Brow Balm

Are you one of the victims of the over-plucking eyebrow fad from the late 90s/early 2000s? Well, we have found the perfect remedy to quell that dilemma. Coco Kind’s organic brow balm will stimulate growth in hair follicles, while also creating thicker, darker and healthier brows! With only five superfood ingredients, this balm provides full touch, great coverage with an interesting twist of natural tint from raw cacao powder. 

8. Foods Alive Rockin’ Reishi Crackers

A staple in our diet, these special high fiber flaxseed crackers combine seeds, nuts, Bragg’s Aminos and freeze-dried reishi to create the ultimate plant-based snack. This family owned company only use the cleanest, highest quality ingredients, making it impossible for us to not finish an entire bag on the spot. These are perfect to add to your picnic baskets with hummus and guacamole for spring and summer. 

9. Wildcare Palo Santo Hydrosol

So beautifully elegant, this delicate hydrosol clears negative energy and purifies our intentional spaces. Made with fresh spring water and ethically sourced Palo Santo, we love misting this hydrosol for a refreshing and liberating pH boost. Be prepared to balance your aura and heighten heart-opening zest in your chakras. 

10. Moon Deli Mushroom Adaptogen

This blend of wildcrafted herbs work symbiotically to cherish your adrenal and immune systems for the optimum kickstart in your daily smoothie. With raw cacao, Himalayan pink salt, chaga and cordyceps mushroom, we love the simplicity of using a multifaceted combination blend for the best results. Energy, vitality and nourishment are all wrapped up in Moon Deli’s sustainable glass jar. 

April Intuitive Medicine

Welcome to April, a month known for its melody of colors and sometimes tumultuously sporadic weather. The Earth is yawning and adjusting after her winter sleep and we too experience an inner awakening. A call that asks we begin anew and open to the fertile possibilities before us. 

This month is rich with astrological events which pave the way for new beginnings and contemplation and begins with Mercury Retrograde beginning April 9th, the day before the Full Moon. Mercury will first retrograde in Taurus, a phase which could bring trouble with how we choose to use our words. The penchant for oversharing or even gossiping will be strongly balanced with moments of extreme reticence where we hardly speak at all. When Mercury moves through Aries our words will become tools where we can clearly pitch our ideas and convey our thoughts in a manner which will be highly persuasive - again being mindful that we are using our power of increased persuasion as a means of doing good and not for selfish or manipulative ends. 

On April 10th we welcome a Full Moon in Libra. This transit has us balancing the fiery individualism of Aries (where the Sun will be positioned) with our interaction in our relationships and community. We are encouraged to explore how our sense of self is shaped by the awareness that we are part of the collective. When we look into the mirror we are encouraged to see not just the face of the person we are today but every version of ourselves that has come before. We celebrate our evolution both past and present as the face that will stare back at us in 5 years’ time will be different than the one we see today. The fantastic joy of being an organic and constantly evolving human being.

April 26th ushers in a New Moon in Taurus - a time when the seeds we planted during the New Moon on March 27th begin to take form. They start to open and curl up through dirt, reaching ever skyward. This is a great time to take a look at the intentions you set last month and explore what added stability you can lend. Taurus, as an Earth sign is a powerful energy for grounding our desires. But its more than simply desire - intention is a commitment to creating achievement. This means that this transit will be more about the actions we take, or don’t take, then it will be simply sending out our desire into the collective consciousness. 

Let’s take a look at the intuitive transmissions for each sign, this month paying attention to what we can awaken to within ourselves just as the Earth is awakening, stretching her limbs upward. I encourage you to reach both your Sun and Moon sign and should your birthday fall within 7-10 days of a signs transition (cusp sign) read that sign as well. 

Aries

Can you feel the power humming in the air around you, Aries? As though you are standing atop a mountain gazing out over a brilliant vista with lightening curling through the sky above you, there is a sense that movement may prove difficult and yet paradoxically, essential. The choices before you will leave you more confused than certain. The penchant for searching and grasping at absolutes will only further this sense of being adrift. Rather you are to awaken to your relationship with balance. With the power to create absolutely anything you desire how can you entertain desire with obligation? How can you approach a choice not with a sense of a right or wrong path but rather through an honest assessment of what each choice presents to see which holds greatest resonance? The more that you can ground with a sense of practical assessment rather than the quick, hair-trigger reactions your sign is sometimes known for, the more that you will find no matter the storm, you stand strong. 

Taurus

This month you awaken to expanding into hope. To welcome the return of that ever present but sometimes obscured radiance that helps to light the path ahead. You have travelled far. You have encountered shadowy figures and experiences that have, at times, tested your resolve and your will. Now, however, you are encouraged to embrace the radiance before you; no longer obscured this light beckons to you. "Follow me", it whispers and follow it you should. So long as you maintain your faith, maintain your progression on the path you are currently on the light will lead you to the threshold where all that you have gone through will be in the past. Deviate from this path or allow doubt and fear to grab hold of you and the darker influences you have slain will return. Now is not the time to question what was or to doubt actions taken to get you to here. Because here is the way. Here is the path forward. 

Gemini

There is a beautiful duality that infuses each of our lives and this month you are awakening to the duality within yours more closely. You are examining a desire to be loved with the desire to be independent. You are balancing the need for security with an insatiable desire for what can destroy it. And when you peel back the layers and take an honest look at what lies beneath it all you find fear. A relationship that has been built with fear over time. A relationship that you may no longer be conscious of or understand how it became what it is today. You are awakening to the ways in which fear has been given the keys and the wheel and the title of the car and has driven your life in such a way that you cannot help but to wonder how things may look different now that you know what fear has done. Now that you have chosen to take back ownership of your life. Now that you recognize you're cable of balancing the duality life presents without allowing fear to keep you trapped in smallness. 

Cancer

April brings forth fresh opportunities for you to return to innocence. To return to the child you were who created jungles rich with verdant plant life and wild animals within your backyard. The child who would leap from tree branch after tree branch, impervious of fear even when you missed the mark. The child who couldn’t fathom something the mind could conjure would be impossible to achieve. It's time to awaken again to possibility that exists no matter your age. All the places your imagination could take you still await. This possibility did not betray you or leave you but rather you left it. You became an adult with adult concerns and put aside dreams and wild adventures. They call to you now - they ask that you get to know them again and see the magic they can weave within your life. 

Leo

What is slipping out of you hands as of late, Leo? What things did you let go of that perhaps you wish you hadn't? Life is fickle at times and causes us to, in turn, be fickle in response. We think that something doesn’t matter or that the effort needed to keep something is simply too much. And you know what? Sometimes we are right. Somethings are meant to slip through our hands and move on for the highest good of all. And sometimes we realize that we let go of something that actually did have value. That brought value to our lives and that, when we are really honest with ourselves, we truly miss. This month you are encouraged to open to protectiveness that allows us to guard and maintain that which matters most to us. It requires that we set aside ego and vanity and instead step fully into selflessness to do so but I am assured that its totally worth the effort. 

Virgo

There are paths before you that will take you places. They will bring relief to any struggles you've encountered. There are paths that will make freedom a reality rather than a long sought and hardly attained dream. But you have to be willing to awaken to their existence. You must open your eyes and climb as high as you need to look down and see the bigger picture. What you think imprisons you right now really is just an illusion. Its made worse by the panic that sets in when we become reactive and allow our minds to project the worst case scenario. The beasts seem larger, the situations direr. In truth we simply need to elevate our perspective to see that with hardly any fancy footwork at all we can saunter, confidently, past the obstacles. Past the beasts that now seem so small. Past the fear and panic that hang their heads knowing now you see them for what they are and are moving beyond them.

Libra

The work that you have done is coming to completion, forming a bond with ourselves, spiritually, that allows you to see clearly that which you came here for. You stand before the world fully formed and strong in your expression. You no longer waver or doubt but rather with a sound awareness and an unshakable strength, you stand tall.  You see the circle. You see the path that you have travelled and nod your head in understanding. Every hiccup and every challenge has meaning. No longer are you hampered by self pity or woe. Rather you see how each event, the good, the bad and the indifferent, led you to this moment. And in this moment you feel complete. You feel ready to share what you have learned. You feel capable of being authentically you and in so doing help others to find the same for themselves. 

Scorpio

Every relationship of meaning and purpose contains seeds of duality that balance the dynamic when two become one. Their strengths help balance our weaknesses. Our interaction together assists the elevation of our collective consciousness, which brings rise to a greater bond and intimacy between us. In order to achieve this level of union and intimacy, however, we must first have the fortitude within. We must have a strong relationship with the self. We must know our worth, be connected to our voice and feel confident in who we are. Until then we find we grasp rather than allow. We sabotage instead of construct. We struggle rather than experience ease. But when we find these things for ourselves; when we fill our well from a place that acknowledges our value while also digs in deep to the parts of ourselves we may not yet feel confident about, we find that we can create bonds that stand the test of time. Relationships that seem nearly effortless. We find that where once there was grasping now there is exchanging. 

Sagittarius

This month you open to all the ways in which adversity has helped you to become the person you are today. A person who knows that there is always a calm within the storm. Someone who is able to stand triumphantly atop the mountain that once blocked the path. We know that it all begins with a choice. And that choice, when we seek it consistently, becomes our truth. For many years we have allowed our choice to remain the same. To follow the same path, with the same experiences, the same patterns and the same reactions. And in return we saw that nothing truly changed and perhaps only marginally got better. This month, however, you awaken to the choice to choose differently and with that comes a greater power to affect change in your life. Because there is no adversity that will take you down. There is no struggle too great with the self knowledge you have gained.

Capricorn

It can be a struggle to manage it all. To build something for ourselves that resonates while being of service to our family, our home, our community. It can be difficult when we are a beacon that attracts those to us who need something. And to us they come because they know that we have an innate ability to make them feel better. To make them feel safe and comforted. But it’s something we can manage and manage well when we are sure to show that same level of nurturing to ourselves. To ensure that there is a balance between what we give to others and how we give to ourselves. This month you are to awaken to all the ways you show love to yourself each day. To write them out so that you can see the tangible reflection of the self love you hold for yourself. You are encouraged to examine whether your list is long and fluid or if you struggle to come up with anything to write down. Because its in awakening to the ways you do or do not show consistent self love that you become aware of how you can improve your personal well being and in so doing show up more fully in all other roles that are important to you. 

Aquarius

This month you are to cradle yourself. To nurture your soft spots. Your vulnerabilities. To support all the tender parts of yourself that are calling for your attention. To see how soft you can be towards yourself and then push yourself to be even softer. We must care for ourselves as a mother would care for her child. Rather than the aggression and self loathing that we sometimes dish upon ourselves with reckless abandon we must see ourselves as a small child, who sometimes gets scared in this big, big world. Who sometimes just needs someone stronger than her to hold her. To remind her that all will be right again. That no matter what scary monsters we think hide under our bed, the morning will come again; the light casting out the darkness. Be this for yourself, Aquarius. Remind yourself that the way towards true harmony with who we are is to be as tender with ourselves as we would any small child. Feel how this expands your ability to create. How it allows you to radiate and manifest fulfillment in all things you do. 

Pisces

There is a sense of divine feminine awakening taking place in April for Pisces. A sense of radiant energy emanates from our fingertips and reaches outward even while we have our feet planted firmly on the ground. We are reminded of our ability to participate in the divine even while walking within the mundane. And in so doing we see doors opening before us. Doors that invite new energy, events and opportunities to our lives. Newness can be daunting, however, and we sometimes have to resist the urge to back away from new things coming towards us. We may doubt or fear that we are not enough. We may worry that we are not ready. But we are ready. We've been ready and we have also been longing for each of the things that are coming towards us. Now is the time to embrace what we have long asked for, not run away in fear. Because what we've longed for has also longed for us and its here now, ready for us to make room and to nurture its magic. 

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Laura Brown is an Taroist, Master Certified Life Coach, Healer and Intuitive Reader located in Denver. Her purpose is to help women look deep within themselves to find healing, wellness and greater self-worth which facilitates their deepest and truest potential. She holds space for women, radicalizing the notion of therapeutic discussion by working with tools of both a holistic and traditional persuasion. You can schedule a session at Laurabrown.co and follow her visual diary on Instagram.

Top 10 Products We Love This Month

1. Raw Revelations Super 3

This plant-based omega 3 powerhouse is made from vegan algae with antioxidant rich Astaxanthin and Sea Buckthorn. Extraordinarily nourishing for our nerve, brain and joint tissues, use this to supplement adequate doses of omega 3 and to counterbalance the overconsumption of omega 6 in the diet. 

2. Selina Naturally Celtic Sea Salt

Unprocessed and naturally balanced, this hand-harvested salt from pristine costal regions is low in sodium and high in minerals. We love sprinkling this pixie dust on most everything, as it not only enhances our food, but our entire body!

3. May Lindstorm Blue Cocoon Balm

This balm truly quiets and clears the mind with wholesome herbs and nurturing heat. Just half a pea-sized amount in the mornings and evenings is all the skin needs to add beauty to even the most sensitive facial areas.

4. New Earth Superfoods Super Probiotic Coconut Kefir 

California locals make this 100% non-dairy “Living” Kefir culture that is extremely beneficial for any dietary needs. We love using this to enhance our bodies with loads of probiotics in order to rebalance our guts for springtime. We especially love the delicious sea plankton blend that we find at Erewhon! 

5. Sacred Rose Water Body Mist and Aromatherapy

This divine mist truly transcends our spirit and vibration. Made with 100% pure rose oil, spray on this sheer blanket of heart opening medicine, as you can inhale and soak in blissful rose blossoms.

6. Anthony Williams Medical Medium Book

Medical Medium is an essential read. Anthony Williams shares revolutionary insight into healing conditions that doctors tend to overlook. If you are feeling the least bit off balance, this book is an inspiring and groundbreaking read, that may just answer your innermost health concerns and questions.

7. Wonder Valley Olive Oil

Just as the description reads: buttery, herbaceous, fruitful and grassy are words that come to mind. The crème de la crème of certified Extra Virgin grade olive oil made from handpicked young olives in the limitless beauty and inspiration of Joshua Tree. 

8. Siete Grain-free Tortilla Chips

Finally a grain, gluten and nut-free tortilla chip that tastes just as delicious as it sounds. These are the snack chips we cannot live without. Made from primarily cassava flour, a starchy root native to Brazil, this inspiring family-owned business creates paleo-friendly guiltless chips that are almost impossible to stop eating. 

9. Earthy Tones Antioxidant Elixir

This vegan and ethically sourced ingredient elixir is a treasure trove of antioxidant teeming oils. With anti-aging and anti inflammatory properties, it is silky smooth as it fills your skin with pure goodness like organic pomegranate seed, kalahari (watermelon seed), and Hawaiian kukui nut. A beautiful message of self love resonates with this Pacific Northwest based company. 

10 Living Libations Neem Enamelizer Liquid 

Its time to elevate your enamels!  Use this in placement of your normal toothpaste to alkalize your mouth and re-mineralize your teeth with enzymes and organic, wildcrafted ingredients. Living Libations only works with integrity and the highest quality ingredients and oils. 

March Intuitive Medicine

March beckons us with the promise of illumination and profound spiritual growth but not without our willingness. Our willingness to face the feels. To face the emotional tide that, at times, may threaten to engulf us. It’s when we encounter our challenges, when we face them with fortitude and bravery, that we have a crystal-clear perception of what we are made of and what we are capable of. March wastes no time and gets us started with a Jupiter-Uranus opposition which takes place on the 3rd. This is a transit which encourages us to expect the unexpected. To take the blessing within the curse. It’s a reminder that sometimes what appears to be our worst nightmare is exactly what we need to get us to where we have been trying to go. We will need to get on board with trusting the process even if is uncomfortable. Using our voice, even when we are afraid of rocking the boat, is a necessary balance to the energy and its impact upon us during this transit.

On the 12th we welcome a Full Moon in Virgo, the first in this sign since the New Moon eclipse back in September of 2016. Since then we have gone through an eclipse season which has swept away what no longer serves; clearing the path ahead and encouraging us forward. The question with this transit is what now? Have we released everything the Virgo/Pisces eclipse season asked of us? Or are we still holding onto limiting patterns, behaviors and thoughts? Are we continuing to bog our system down with unhealthy habits which sully our vitality? This transit encourages we fully release and shed what limits us physically, emotionally and spiritually so we are free to explore our potential. 

March 26th brings us a New Moon in Aries – a fiery opportunity for manifestation and growth of even the most colossal desires which we have dismissed as impossible and improbable. Now we feel the heat of this transit pushing us forward. Begging for us to stop drumming up excuses but to really give into the process of “what if”. New Moons are these beautiful blank slates upon which we can craft a work of art that transcends all we imagined for ourselves. It’s a time for planting seeds and actively participating in their growth. 

For those ready to join in community in the flow of these transits I encourage you to join us in the Cosmic Collective. We celebrate each New and Full Moon transit with a spirited discussion, meditation and transmission. You can learn more and sign up here.

Let’s go deeper and explore the energetic transmission for each sign. Be sure to read both your Sun and Moon sign and if born within 7-10 days of transit into a new sign, your cusp sign as well, to gain even richer insight into the month ahead.

Let’s get started, shall we?

Aries

The energy of this month encourages mastery. Not mastery over others but over the self. To step up to the plate and take charge of our lives in such a way that we see massive shifts with even the smallest amount of effort. You have travelled a long and varied road. You now float, effortlessly, through what once caused you to stumble. This month presents the opportunity to face something that you have faced before and respond to it in an entirely new way. To have a more enlightened and enriched experience because you have moved from reaction. Because you have evolved and know that our evolution is only part of the story. It’s how we allow this evolution to dance through us which takes it from knowing to experiential. 

Taurus

Desire is the fourth influence upon the choices that we make. Whether it’s called lust, craving or desire, ultimately all this means is that we want something. But like all things we must establish what we want and then how badly we want it. Does what we want come at a cost and is that cost something we are willing to accept? Let’s say you want to move. You know exactly where; it’s a place you’ve visited and fell in love with repeatedly. But as much as you desire that, you know that to do so means quitting a job you also love in the location you currently reside. You may have kids you have to pull out of school or friends whom you will have to say goodbye to. Desire now is in action as we assess what we want and how much we are willing to change or sacrifice to get it. It’s not that desire is inherently good or bad. It’s not wrong any more than it’s right. Desire is simply a feeling and we must set the intention behind it to determine whether its impact upon our life increases our stability or undermines it. 

Gemini

This month brings hope front and center as you reach a successful outcome. There is a sense of joy and happiness which is pervasive; pushing its way into every corner and fiber of your being. It’s a sense of absolute contentment and joy that allows for you to face the future with hope that your success will continue. That you needn’t wait for the other shoe to drop because you know that if you worked to get here you can work to get there, wherever there may be. This month gives you a moment to celebrate all that you have worked for. To remember that our work requires that we take time out to celebrate ourselves. To put a smile upon our lips, joy in our hearts and pat ourselves on the back for the effort we have put forth. There will be no greater fuel for all the great acts to come than gratitude. 

Cancer

Choice is a powerful force. It can be used for good and for ill. It can be used to create powerful change that lasts a lifetime and it can be ignored and turned away from in fear and worry. It’s a power that we can keep all to ourselves or share with others. Sometimes it’s a force we deny outright, handing it over entirely to another. There is no right or wrong way to handle choice –there only is how you feel with the choice that you make. If you take action that leaves you feeling inspired and content, then it likely is a positive choice for you to make. If, however, you feel depleted, detached from your power or helpless then chances are you made a choice which will not and does not serve you. The answer to what we do is always clear once we check in with how we feel. Then it all boils down to making a choice. 

Leo

Do you remember what it felt like to be a child? To roam freely, to dance with possibility in all its form before the world sought to limit you with notions of impossibility? When you could soar from a tree limb and for a mere second believe you were truly flying?  Do you remember scoffing when your parents would suggest something was not possible or that our ideas were too “out there”? How it seemed that they, and not us, were the truly ignorant ones because we couldn’t conceive that we’d be given an idea that was not possible? This month you are encouraged to get in touch with this inner child again. To ask her for insight on something you face or are dreaming of this month. To see what inspiration her unfettered insight contains and then act. Act with the same belief, determination and willful perseverance that you as a child would have. Don’t stop, don’t look down, never cease believing. 

Virgo

You were here to become wise. To grow and to learn. Knowledge does not make you wise – anyone can read a book and regurgitate its content. Wisdom is the power to learn from our experiences. To understand what happened and why allows us to evaluate each moment from a place of greater wisdom – a place that will determine if we continually repeat mistakes or learn and move on. Wisdom is a deeply personal synthesis that incorporates all that our successes and failures have taught us. That integrates our intuition and emotional intelligence so that we can make choices that bring stability and productivity to our lives. That allow us to truly embody our purpose and live a life rich with meaning. 

 Libra

There is complimentary energy to everything; this is where we find balance. There is no binary means through which we approach life and if there is any sign in the zodiac which understands this, it’s you, Libra. This month your ability to operate in this liminal space will be vital as this is a month of balance and alignment for you. To understand the masculine and feminine within. To embrace both qualities within no matter our gender. To understand the nature of the this balance so that you can both protect and nurture your interests. This month you ride the wave between your passive and more active traits and learn to apply each when best suited. It’s a place known and familiar to Librans and a place where you can further growth that has been bubbling just below the surface. 

Scorpio

This month you experience life through the lens of total balance and synthesis. This is a time of great achievement where it feels as though the world has opened and granted you all that you have been working years for. Career, home, family – these important sectors are in harmony and functioning optimally. This is a time to celebrate you; to acknowledge all your hard work and celebrate the effort that you have put in to get you to this very place. This place of reward. This place of knowing all the hard work that you put into yourself, into your dreams was worth it. This is a month when you realize you really can have it all – with a little hard work and consistency life does in fact respond in kind. 

Sagittarius

There are times when we feel that no one quite understands us and what we are going through. That in the face of heavy emotions the only one we can rely on is ourselves. This doesn’t have to be a negative thing. In a world that places great emphasis on answers that reside outside of ourselves this can be an opening. An opening to check in with what you are feeling. To ask how you can nurture yourself. How can you be for yourself the friend you would want in someone else? How can you be the lover you would expect another to be for you? How can you fill the space within, that longing to be understood and seen by understanding and witnessing yourself? This month the answer to what is aching within may seem to be something we much search outward for. The truest answer, the greatest source of support, however, will only be found within. 

Aquarius

Each day is a journey; each moment an adventure, if we choose to see it as such. For many of us this can be a challenge. To see the beauty in the bruise. To see the possibility in a challenge. To see that even when we are at our lowest the quest is ever flowing. This moment is entirely as it is meant to be. It doesn’t need to be shifted or changed in anyway. So, enjoy the blessing of this moment. This uniquely crafted moment in this most sacred of journeys. Whether good or bad we understand the nature of impermanence – that everything is evolving with or without our input. So how can we be fully present in this moment for what it is, knowing that the tide is always shifting. How can we embrace the shift even if it means knowing that the positivity of today may lead to a challenge tomorrow? How can you let go of destination as motivator for the journey and instead enjoy the journey for the journeys sake?

Pisces

This month you reach a point of attainment that allows you to celebrate your hard work. To celebrate your skill and dedication that allows you to move through your work, through your life with awareness and grace. Not everything is easy – surely, we as humans seem to enjoy complicating things for ourselves at times. But this is a month where you can keep things simple and as such enjoy the plentitude that comes your way. This is a month to replenish and enjoy. To look around at the blessings which fill your life and know that each ounce was earned. Each came with the labor of your love, blood, sweat and tears. That with that hard work you have earned the right to sit back and say “Ahhh!” Not because the work is over – we are always evolving and challenging ourselves to strive for our personal best. Rather now is the time for a pause in the action, a retreat from activity while you embrace the foundation beneath your feet. To celebrate, with gratitude all that surrounds and supports you. 

Capricorn

Cogito ergo sum – I think, therefore I am. We have a growing awareness of how our thoughts influence our reality. Our thoughts create our emotions and our emotions create our actions. Following this chain allows us to see where we can provide healing or nurturing to something which feels out of miss or out of sync with the reality we desire to live. This month offers a potent opportunity for taking full accountability for your life. To look around and acknowledge that, for better or worse, your life reflects the thoughts allowed to dominate your mind, the emotions you have felt and the behavior that arose from both. Once we take this responsibility we can then transform any feelings of helplessness into empowerment. After all, if we had a hand in creating the situation before us we have the power to change our approach and craft something entirely new.

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Laura Brown is a Seeress, Intuitive Coach and Medicine Woman. She is the Goddess and Creatrix at Intuitive Alchemy,  a sacred sanctuary for Intuitive Readings & Coaching, Spiritual Development as well as online Apothecary. Ever a sacred Alchemist, Laura blends her skills as a Channeler, Clairvoyant, Reiki Healer, Tarotist and Metaphysician to create sacred offerings for soul seekers. You can stay up to date on her Facebook page and follow her on Instagram for free daily readings

February Intuitive Medicine

Welcome to the second month of the new year-a month which while the shortest certainly does not lack in potent energy and transits which are translating to radical inward and outward shifts for each of us. We begin on February 3rd with a first quarter moon in Taurus. This is a very Earthy waxing moon that begs us to get serious about the vision of our life we desire to see. It’s time that we begin to take physical action-that we make physical representations of what we hope to consciously create in our lives over the course of the next several months. The days for merely sitting in mediation and visualizing are passed. And while visualization is a powerful means of manifesting, this energy begs action from us to match the wonderful energy we have already raised with our intentions and visualizations. As a ritual during this time pull out the journal and ask yourself what you desire to see in your life and just what you are willing to do to make that happen. Then act and make it happen. 

February 10th welcomes the Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Leo and it’s a deeply healing and transformative Full Moon. Because it’s an eclipse something is being shed and in this case, it’s the wounds of the past and the structures they have created. All of us came into this world with a perfectly formed, beautiful and radiant personality. We were joyful, open and saw the world as a well of limitless potential. It’s through our experiences, circumstances and conditioning that we began to act in difference to this natural state. This Full Moon asks for us to reach back - to tap into that first state. To embrace the child who thought anything could happen. Who had no shame in who he/she was. Allow this being to come back. Invite this being into your present and release the need to guard, protect or hide your radiance from the world. 

Finally, on the 26th we celebrate the New Moon Solar Eclipse in Pisces. This transit highlights our spiritual side - asking what does our spiritual practice look like? How have we nurtured this side of ourselves and if we have not, then it begs the question what can we do to begin this practice. Eclipses are events which brings shifts and in the case of Solar Eclipses we are looking at new beginnings opening before us. New beginnings to embrace our inner mystic and creatrix. It’s a wonderful time to recommit or finally commit to a spiritual practice reflective of who we are and our modern lives. To bring balance and enhanced creativity as well as flow of abundance. 

It’s time to take things deeper; exploring the energy of the month for each of the 12 zodiac signs. These readings are an alchemy of intuitive channelings, astrology, and energetic imprint - a truly all-encompassing source of intuitive medicine. I have written them in the form of affirmations to assist each of you with putting your intentions into action through the month of February. To gain even deeper understanding of your month ahead I encourage you to read your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs. If you happen to fall within 7-10 days of a change in signs, then you will want to read the one after your Sun sign as well (what is called your cusp sign).

Aries

I will embody my most primal, seductive and sensual self. I will let heat build through my senses. Like a glass of fine wine or velvety chocolate I will enjoy every drop life has to offer. I will go after that which I desire and stand strong in the face of anything or anyone who dares suggest I am bound by limitation. I will be unapologetically optimistic and engaging knowing my warm and open nature is the vibration of all that I desire to welcome into my life. I embrace my vibrancy, I embrace my vitality and will see to it that each day is an edict of my radiance. That I know my worth. That the world knows my worth and that my every step ensures no one forgets it. 

Taurus

I open myself to the beauty of partnership and allow my dreams to take form not as a solitary endeavor but one which I can share with others. I acknowledge that I may have, in the past, pushed through what felt impossible to simply show that I could do it. That I didn’t need anyone or anything to help me. That I could support myself. I’ve learned a lot from this route. It has taught me so much about my strength and capability. It’s also taught me about a quieter, but perhaps more noteworthy strength: the strength to know that I can’t do it all on my own. The strength to ask for help when I need it. The strength to see how by aligning with another my vision becomes our vision - richer and more complex in its perfection. 

Gemini

I accept my destiny and walk bravely in the direction of all that I came here to do. I know that this means I must face fears. I understand that it will require that I heal wounds I have held on to for far too long. I equally accept that I can slow down - that I can stop the relentless pursuit of destiny as an outside destination and instead turn inward. Though this road is likely to be the more difficult path to travel, I understand that to step into my purpose it takes more than lip service. It requires that I be willing to see myself fully. To release what no longer serves. To construct a strength that is just as internal as it is external. Because it's time I walk my walk. I desire to have a life which is rich in meaning and purpose and this month I set into motion the deep healing that will make it so. 

Cancer

This month I welcome a new personal ideology. I understand that my thoughts become my emotions and that my emotions become my actions. I understand that to change my life I must first be willing to adopt a new way of thinking. I am willing to acknowledge that my beliefs and ideas may be outdated and no longer fit the reality I wish to see before me. I have grown into someone who may no longer be reflected in the ideas that shaped where I came from. I realize that to live an authentic life my beliefs must be authentic to me and not adopted from those around me. I seek the truth in all things and in so doing grant others the spaciousness to do this for themselves. 

Leo

I have been fortunate to have learned from some amazingly strong and inventive people in my life. I have stood on the shoulders of those who paved the way before me and I am honored to have done so. But I have ideas that are swelling within that require I make a sacrifice. I must sacrifice the path that is known. I must deviate from the well-trodden path and its predictability and instead branch into the unknown. I accept that this may be scary. I accept that I may fall as I round the learning curve but I make the commitment to get back up. I make the commitment to try again. I make the commitment to never give up or go back to thinking that to succeed I must do as others have done. I make a commitment to me. 

Virgo

I make the commitment to embrace the intangible. I have built a life that is pragmatic in nature. That is based upon fact and what I can prove and it has served me well. But I feel an inner calling. I feel the need to broaden my understanding of the world around me and know that I can do so by embracing what my intuition has to share with me. I pledge to listen to my gut and not ignore the sneaking suspicions or “funny feelings” that I get throughout my day. I choose to honor this as wisdom that is coming from a source I may not yet fully understand. But I will understand it - I will dedicate my time and effort to leaning into this knowingly, and learn to blend my rational mind with my growing and ever present intuition. 

Libra

I have gotten to where I am because I have acted with integrity. Because I have tried hard, worked hard and made sure that I did everything to the best of my ability. I am not perfect but I have earned the foundation beneath my feet. I do not seek affirmation or praise from those around me but stand in praise of myself. I am open to receiving. I allow the fruits of my labors to arrive. I accept them with grace and gratitude. I allow myself to enjoy what comes my way and do not resist it. I do not hide from what I have worked hard for out of some misguided principal that I am not allowed to experience the joy of what I have earned. I am standing within the portal, with arms wide open, to fruition and attainment with a grateful and joyous heart. 

Scorpio

This month I commit to evaluating my relationship with balance. I ask myself each day how much of my day was filled with what I wanted to do and how much with what I felt I had to do. I make the commitment to myself to strive for a balance between these two, sometimes opposite, forces in my life. I commit to finding time to doing more of what brings me happiness and joy. To what replenishes my heart and fills my soul. In so doing I know that the rest of what I do, all the roles I take on each day, will benefit greatly because I have taken the time to nurture myself. 

Sagittarius

This month I strive to make my aim true. I know that with a focused mind, deliberation action and stable emotion I can create momentum. Momentum to accomplish whatever calls to me right now. Momentum on tasks I have put off. Momentum that allows me to crash through barriers and leap over walls that I have likely created myself. To acknowledge that I have all the tools necessary to make things happen for myself and with discipline with make 2017 my best year yet. 

Capricorn

This month I work to make each thought, word and action an act of kindness and compassion. In a world that likes to make it seem as though we are all out for ourselves I strive to set the example that many of us have hearts open to see the good in all people. That we are willing to be raw and exposed in order to show love to our neighbor. To set aside bias and judgment so that a person has a chance to shine in their brilliance and not sullied under misperception of the masses. I make it my mission to stand in solidarity with those in need knowing that I once may have been in need. Knowing that one day down the line I may be in need again. I give knowing that compassion and kindness are gifts that are invaluable and that what I receive in return, however intangible it may be, is equally as priceless. 

Aquarius

This month I surrender to the flow of life. I surrender to the flow of what is and accept this may differ from what I envisioned. I let go of the need to control the flow and to hustle my way to the destination, and instead saddle in for the journey. I pause to enjoy the unfolding of what is before me. I accept what may be uncomfortable holds medicine for me and as such I do not resist but rather lean into these moments. I accept that the universe will always bring me what I need, even if that means waiting for what it is that I want. I know that all roads lead to the same place so long as I am willing to travel with an open heart: fulfillment. 

Pisces

To show vulnerability is to show strength is my new mantra for the month. I strive for absolute authenticity in each moment. To allow myself to be raw and exposed. To speak honestly of my achievements as well as my failures. To expose my insecurities and allow a greater intimacy to take root in all my interactions. I accept that within me is a gentle and empathic spirit who cannot help but feel things. I will not hide from this connection as it allows me to see others and for them to see me as well. To witness one another in this space is a great gift and it’s one I will not take for granted. I will show vulnerability this month and for it, welcome a strength that supports me in all that I do. 

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Laura Brown is a Seeress, Intuitive Coach and Medicine Woman. She is the Goddess and Creatrix at Intuitive Alchemy,  a sacred sanctuary for Intuitive Readings & Coaching, Spiritual Development as well as online Apothecary. Ever a sacred Alchemist, Laura blends her skills as a Channeler, Clairvoyant, Reiki Healer, Tarotist and Metaphysician to create sacred offerings for soul seekers. You can stay up to date on her Facebook page and follow her on Instagram for free daily readings

January Intuitive Medicine

January is a portal that can feel a bit discombobulated for many. Most of us begin the new year with a flurry of intentions and so called “resolutions” that require great change, activity and momentum. These qualities are often diminished during this time of year when the energy calls for a slower pace, a more reflective pace. One which assesses and contemplates as opposed to actively build. When we take this into consideration it’s no great mystery why so many of us abandon our resolutions just a few weeks into the new year. While positive change is a wonderful thing we also must honor the cycle of the Earth and her rhythms. We must learn to dance within her tide and swell and shrink accordingly so that we can move with the universal support of Mama Earth and her energy rather than against. 

January 5th, we welcome the waxing moon which falls on a Thursday. Thursday is ruled by Jupiter which governs expansion, propensity, generosity and luck. This is a wonderful time to assess what you wish to manifest in the new year and what must be done in order to do so. This is a great time to begin writing out your affirmations and planning a small ritual to connect you to the essence of that which you wish to bring forth in your life. 

On Thursday, January 12th we have the first Full Moon of the new year in Cancer. This Cancer energy can leave us feeling raw, exposed and as though an emotional tide is rushing through us. This Full Moon begs for us to be our own lover. To tend to our emotional needs. To bathe ourselves in nurturing energy so that we can explore what our emotions have to share. In what ways have we hid our light? How have we diminished what our heart tries to tell us? 

On January 27th, we welcome the first New Moon of the new year taking place in Aquarius. This transit opens the door for us to explore our wild side. To get in touch with our most authentic self and to examine in what ways we have hid our true nature out of fear or conditioning. It’s time to see that this is a year that only when we are our most authentic, the most aligned with our true self, do we see fluidity and flow within our lives. 

2017 is a “1” year numerologically and a “10” year in relation to the Tarot, making 2017 the year of the Wheel of Fortune. Each of these numbers relates to one another as they both signify that our lives are in perpetual motion. That we are never stuck but that the wheel is always in motion. For many 2016 proved to be a year that brought tension and challenge. Though it may have been difficult at times the truth is all the tension and friction was to make us stronger, evolved and enlightened. So, that when we ended this year we did without the limitation of old wounds and outdated patterns that held us in place and brought toxic patterns to our lives. Instead we were able free ourselves, to remove the weight of these patterns. The lighter we are the higher we can soar in the new year. 

I have just a few spots remaining for my Year Ahead readings, and for the month of January you can save $100 off this powerful session. This is a potent reading that proves to be an invaluable tool to clients as they greet each day, each month of the new year. I love doing these readings as it is one of those readings that changes lives. It becomes a guide book for 2017. It helps you to expand upon your many tools so you know how to walk your path month by month. These readings connect you to your inner light - assisting you in unveiling both what energies the new year will hold but how you can navigate each opening, each challenge, each achievement.  A combination of tarot, animal spirit oracle, runes, astrology, direct channeling and my skills as an empath, clairvoyant and claircog makes this reading one of the most comprehensive and expansive that I offer and a favorite of my long-standing clients.

This reading is done and delivered via email in a PDF booklet of 20-30 pages depending on your unique reading. You can print it out, refer to it often and use it as your blueprint into the year ahead!

This is a must for those who would like guidance on how best to manifest their desires this year. Who would like a guide that helps empower as much as it does enlighten. This is for those ready to be proactive, not simply setting what often become empty intentions, but gaining valuable insight that will give your intentions wheels. You can purchase your reading here.

It’s time to take things deeper; exploring the energy of the month for each of the 12 zodiac signs. These readings are an alchemy of intuitive channelings, astrology, and energetic imprint. To gain a truly vivid picture of your month ahead read your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs. If you happen to fall within 7-10 days of a change in signs, then you will want to read the one after your Sun sign as well (what is called your cusp sign).

Aries

This month you walk an unfamiliar path. One unique and divinely personal to you. But rather than stumble and fall with each step you walk with unending confidence. You face each day aware that you are in control of the direction taken. You know that you are not selfish to go after your dreams. You know that as the creator of your own life you must actively work to manifest your ideal life. Just as powerful as the outward pursuit of your dreams you actively dive deep into exploring your inner terrain. You explore the fertile ground within so that you may craft a life reflective of the worth and respect you hold for yourself. This is a month of new beginnings for many, but especially for you. You walk each day with confidence. You dance with the tides of your days as though it’s been choreographed and practiced for months. And in many ways, it has. All that you encountered throughout 2016 was the practice. Every change the choreography. You have now before you the stage from which you proudly display your purpose. 

Taurus

The womb is a powerful vessel within which life is created, from which an earthly container births a cosmic force. This month you are that womb - within anything you nurture comes to be. The question becomes what is it that you wish to nurture? What do you desire to see take root in your life that will bring greater purpose and meaning? Where can you nurture acceptance, and forgive transgression so that you can release and make room. Room for love. Room for soulful connection with those around you. Room for divine support that nurtures our ability to create within our lives. The support that allows us to greet each moment with clarity of vision and pure heart? The cosmic womb is aching to conceive magic in your life but you must be willing to face where you have been, weed out what no longer serves and form a clear vision of what you desire. You must search for meaning within the vision before you so that you know the picture before you reflect your highest good. This is not about meaningless manifesting but rather filling our lives with what will truly make the ground beneath our feet stronger. Reinforced. Resilient and radiant, always.

Gemini

All that you are, all that you have been, all that you have taken within and learned is bred from the choices you have made. We are impacted by the choices we make as well as the choices others make and their impact upon us making surrounding my those who we feel make sound decisions even more relevant this month. Choice is a tricky and very powerful force within our lives. We sometimes even become tricked into feeling that we have no choice and yet even that belief is a choice. We make a thousand choices before we close our eyes each evening and it’s an unavoidable and necessary part of life, even when we make the choice to hand the power of choice to another to decide for us. Within choice is great power. The power to strengthen our foundation and the power to weaken it. The power to take us places or to set us back. Choice determines our direction and where our life will go. What choices have you been making, Gemini? What choices have resulted in positive changes and which are choices you would prefer to never make again? Pay attention to the power choice plays within your life, especially at this very auspicious time of year when the slate is clear and upon which our choices will begin to paint the landscape of our life. 

Cancer

There may be a conflict this month between what is believed and what is real. There is a need for deep honesty and bravery to let go of any self-deception that is being used as a shield to hide and protect yourself from a painful truth. The ugly truth you may be hiding from is certainly one you can choose to try to hide from but the fact is its influence will still create dissonance within our life and actively work in a destructive manner. It will give rise to conflicted thoughts, continued avoidance and self-sabotage that unravels the very fabric your being. It will create a reality of separation from those around you which are there to be your support, your mirror. It’s time to face yourself. To specifically face the parts of yourself you have hidden from. Embrace these parts, love them. Nurture them, hold them and see them as parts of you that served you in some way, at some time. And though that time may have passed when we show gratitude for the ugliest parts of ourselves we create the spaciousness for these qualities to simply fall away. Making, facing, and releasing such an effortless task it’s as automatic as breathing. So, breathe. Face yourself and honor all parts of your path, your being, your experience. 

Leo

This month you explore how a positive outlook that shows appreciation and gratitude can influence your life and environment for the better. When you consciously choose to honor what you have, to take pride in all that you do and appreciate all that fills your life you raise your vibration and open yourself to more; more experiences and people that will bring with them happiness and joy. Approach life with fun in your heart and joy in your being. Even in the face of challenge there is still something we can find joy in. There is still something to be happy about and show appreciation for. If you are unhappy, staying the same will not make you happy - so understand that you must consciously choose a higher road. You must actively seek joy and gratitude within so that you can radiate outwards. Open yourself to the watery tide of the emotional experience of joy and gratitude and allow it wash away the bitterness, cynicism, conflict and challenge that has held us back. Because this year gratitude will lead your vessel and joy what makes it flow.

Virgo

This month your arms are raised in victorious celebration. Celebration of the self, celebration of achievement. Celebration of the life that you have. You stand tall and confident and feel the swell of joy and glee that comes when we are about to embark on a most sacred journey that you’ve longed for. You turn and greet the future with a hopeful and confident heart. This energy is a positive affirmation that you start the year with a rather joyous outcome - a reward for all the hard work you have put into something within your life. It heralds a time when you can pause to celebrate and enjoy what you have achieved. To honor the hard work, to honor the journey, to appreciate and show gratitude for the results. These moments of celebration and joy are important to remember as they fuel us forward. They remind us that even when we are so far from our goal that we cannot imagine when it will be before us to keep going. To keep striving because in the end every moment will suddenly be more than worth the radiance that fills your being when everything comes together. 

Libra

Where in your life do you need assistance? What parts of your life could benefit from another’s perspective? This month the energy indicates that you may face a situation or a change you desire to make and lack the skills to go through it alone. This can be hard for many of us - to accept that we may need help from another. But we are a village, a community. It’s when we work together, in the spirit of service and support that we all rise. You are not weak to realize you may need to receive the guidance of another. In fact, it shows great strength to know your limitations. Stand tall this month, knowing that you are not only showing community in action by calling upon someone to assist you with something in life, but you are also giving permission for others to do the same for themselves. Building an even stronger community. 

Scorpio

This month represents a focus on partnerships and alignment with those who share your goals, your visions. This month it’s all about teamwork and working together in a harmonious way so that a creative vision becomes reality. Seek those out who are in alignment with where you stand today. Understand that to do this you must know yourself - to have an awareness of what you need in this moment. This allows you to gravitate towards and bring forward individuals who are in alignment with your current station. Understand that when you surround yourself with good people, good things happen. Allow the flow of a mutual combined frequency to open channels for power and possibility in your life. To be able to build something of service for the self and the world. To show the power of community and give permission for others to join hands with others. This month, two or more heads are far better than one. 

Sagittarius

You walk the path of service this month and surrender to a higher purpose than simply your own personal pursuits. You know that there are times when we can practice a bit of sacred selfishness and a time when we must put aside our own desires to walk a path that lends to the greater good. With this comes great power. Great influence to affect change that will ripple across your family, your community. It can sometimes be a lonely road - to do for others when so many walk only their own path with their own intentions in mind. But with this influence comes power. The power to bring happiness and support to those who may need it more than ever. Know that even while you may feel you are giving more than you are getting that there is something spiritually profound and soul satisfyingly enriching when we show up in service to others. 

Capricorn

Taking control of our life can be a daunting task. We may feel we lack the skills necessary or that we simply have no idea where to start. This month, however, the energy favors order, responsibility and accountability. While they are not the flashiest or the most romantic of terms they are exactly the medicine needed to begin to really bring order to our life. Because we are own advocates. Our very life, a reflection of our internal state. This month whether it’s a total life overhaul or simply something you wish to bring to life in your world - there is a need to take charge. To have discipline. To fulfill your obligations and take decisive action. The flavor of this energy is very masculine and for some may take some adjustment. It’s important to flow with what it brings to the surface for you so that you can work with this energy to bring the pieces of the puzzle together. This is a very important, foundational month - the tone of which takes you into the remainder of 2017. Allow this masculine energy to guide, instruct and inspire confidence within. 

Aquarius

Slow and steady wins the race this month. The energy does not favor bold or rushed movement for you, Aquarius. You must embrace each step. To honor each movement from the smallest to the boldest. All that you desire - all that you have worked for and asked for is close at hand but you must allow progress to unfold as it is meant to. We can sometimes grow weary and impatient as we near the completion or attainment of something we have strived for. We want it, and we want it right now! We have worked so hard and are ready to see the results of all we have poured our heart and soul into. Impatience in the final steps can lead to hasty decisions. Decisions which threaten the stability of all that you have built. The key is to reflect on how far you have come. When you first began you likely couldn’t wait to get to where you are now so honor this progress and now settle into the journey. The pace is soon to quicken so rest and recharge your spirit so you can continue forward with the same dedication and determination that got you to this very moment. 

Pisces

This month represents a singular moment of revelation and illumination. When your mind opens and immediately you understand the extent of the power the choices we make hold over our lives. Suddenly you will open your eyes to see the potential that surrounds you. You will see how decisions made by you and those made by those around you have shaped and influenced your world, bringing you to this very moment. In so doing you will understand how every choice you make in the present will shape the future. It’s in this moment of illumination that your perception changes in a flash and so with it your life. You will find that your medicine this month is mindfulness and awareness. From this month onwards choose to take responsibility for what is allowed to influence you. The people who surround you. The thoughts that run through your mind. The beliefs you hold to heart. By taking accountability for the totality of your life you reclaim all your power. You take charge of your life and you step into your personal power -knowing that you and only you control your life.

I wish you all an abundant, joyful and most radiant New Year!

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Laura Brown is a Seeress, Intuitive Coach and Medicine Woman. She is the Goddess and Creatrix at Intuitive Alchemy,  a sacred sanctuary for Intuitive Readings & Coaching, Spiritual Development as well as online Apothecary. Ever a sacred Alchemist, Laura blends her skills as a Channeler, Clairvoyant, Reiki Healer, Tarotist and Metaphysician to create sacred offerings for soul seekers. You can stay up to date on her Facebook page and follow her on Instagram for free daily readings.

Sacred Self Care - Nourishing The Spirit During The Holidays

The holidays are a time to come together with those we love and celebrate community and family. For many, however, the holidays can serve as a trigger for those we have lost, what we feel we lack, not to mention a flurry of obligations that bring more stress than pleasure. Now more than ever it is crucial for us to invest in sacred-selfishness; to embrace self care that nourishes our spirit and elevates our overall experience. Let’s explore what you can do to invite stress-free, soulfulness to your holiday season that heals as much as it nurtures.

Embrace what feels good

This time of year can leave us with a high paced energy that is pushing us beyond our limits. There is so much to do on top of our normal, day to day activities that we can feel depleted and exhausted of our vitality. I encourage each of us to check in with how we are feeling. Are we spending too much time doing things that drain us or leave us feeling poorly and not enough time doing those things that replenish our energy and revitalize us? This is a time when we must be willing to ask ourselves what would feel good for us. Invite in all the senses. Perhaps we need a hot bath with some lavender and rosemary essential oils. We could spend extra time to sit in meditation and simply appreciate stillness. Perhaps this month we increase the time we spend at the gym or in the yoga studio so that we can provide our bodies an additional outlet for the stress. Allow yourself to find several ways to engage your senses in such a way that it feels nourishing and releasing. 

Give yourself permission

When we begin to spend extra time on ourselves, especially in a holiday so consumed with buying and doing for others (which can feel good for some of us, too!), there is a tendency for guilt consciousness to rise to the surface. Know that we when take time to replenish our energy, to cultivate centeredness for ourselves we can show up in a richer, deeper way for those around us. Boundaries that safely allow us to tend to our own needs are an essential part of our self care. Should guilt arise take a moment to honor this quality within you and lovingly release guilt affirming that there is no greater spiritual act than to show up for ourselves in a powerful and meaningful way.

Learn to say no

Along with embracing what feels good and giving ourselves permission to take care of ourselves we must also get comfortable saying no. For many of us this is a difficult task-a trigger all on its own, but it’s equally a powerful boundary that protects our energetic, emotional and even physical well-being. If you know that a certain family member that you have a deep wound with is attending a family function, assess whether you are honoring yourself by saying yes to something which may prove very difficult for you and for those around you. If you are feeling drained after a long week of work and cannot fathom attending the work holiday party it's ok to say no. Part of our reluctance to saying no is a fear of letting others down but when we say yes even when we want to say no we let ourselves down. Honor how you feel and if you are not feeling it, say no. 

Be of service

For many who live away from family or simply chose to not attend family functions there can be a void when you see commercials and hear co-workers and friends regaling tales of their holiday traditions. A great way to nourish our spirit and to fill a void left when we lack the support we desire during the holidays is to spend time being of service to our communities. Get in touch with local women’s shelters, retirement centers or animal shelters. Sometimes one of the most enriching and soul-lifting experiences can come when we see another shining bright simply by our presence. 

While there may be many things about this holiday season we cannot change, or avoid we always control how we react and what we hand our power over to. Hold your power close this season and know that there are many ways to tend to our spirit and find peace during the holiday season. The more that we honor ourselves, chose to act with authenticity, and tend to our internal well the more we can stay above the stress of the season. We can heal and release wounds that have often sullied this holiday for us and we can make new memories and traditions of our own choosing that lift ourselves, and those around us to new heights. 

Have a wonderful holiday season, no matter how you chose to spend it. I wish you many blessings as we enter a most bountiful 2017

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Laura Brown is a Seeress, Intuitive Coach and Medicine Woman. She is the Goddess and Creatrix at Intuitive Alchemy,  a sacred sanctuary for Intuitive Readings & Coaching, Spiritual Development as well as online Apothecary. Ever a sacred Alchemist, Laura blends her skills as a Channeler, Clairvoyant, Reiki Healer, Tarotist and Metaphysician to create sacred offerings for soul seekers. You can stay up to date on her Facebook page and follow her on Instagram for free daily readings.

December Intuitive Medicine

Welcome to the final month of 2016 - a month that has become a flurry of activity that borders on frantic. For many there will be family celebrations to contend with (even if we choose not to attend), holiday shopping (which triggers us all in unique and different ways) and wrapping up, both energetically and physically, what has transpired in the preceding months.

There is equally a growing sense within that we need to slow down - to tend to the internal fires as we embrace a season of literal and energetic darkness and cold. For some the tendency is to push through - to rush through the obligations of the month, to do more than our fair share and simply prove that we can do it all. What I encourage for us all is to honor that there is a time for the darkness just as there is a time for the light. To honor the space between moments - the stillness that is integral to our growth and expansion.

This is especially true this month as Mercury Retrogrades (appears to move backwards across the sky), on the 19th of this month. It’s time to allow ourselves to slow down - to grant ourselves permission to partake in self - care and nurture our spirits. But first we have the Waxing Half Moon in Pisces on December 7th. As we enter this period we are encouraged to evaluate our structure. Are we building a foundation that is strong and capable of supporting our growth or are we barely holding on by a string? Take time to commit to creating healthy and stable patterns from the most pragmatic (putting your dishes in the dishwasher instead of sitting on the counter for hours) or committing to something larger such as cutting out meat, wheat, sugar or dairy to your diet. No matter how small or large, every step is a powerful way of adding stability to our structure so that it may ascend skyward securely.

December 13th, we welcome the Full Moon in Gemini and begin to really push ourselves out of our comfort zone. How can we get rid of any perceptions of limitation in our lives? How can we begin to divesting in beliefs we have fed our power to, that held us back and kept us from realizing our dreams and invest in those narratives which make way for growth and fulfillment? Now is a time to really get clear on what you desire for your life and begin to map out a solidly detailed plan on how to get there.

The Waning Half Moon in Virgo on December 20th begs us to get serious about what must be released and what still requires our attention to create the life that we want. Mercury will be retrograde now so think of words with the prefix “Re”. Reassess. Reaffirm. Recommit. Release. What have you harvested this year? How has it served you and what lessons have you learned that you can now let go of and move forward, untethered into 2017?

This theme of introspection and self-inquiry continue as we move into the New Moon on the 28th. This phase takes place in Capricorn which is a sign known for its work-horse qualities, resolve and big, bold action. The energy will make us feel like we need to get up and move but with Mercury still retrograde its best to continue the internal harvest rather than take any external action now.

It’s time to take things deeper; exploring the energy of the month for each of the 12 zodiac signs. These readings are an alchemy of intuitive channelings, astrology, and energetic imprint. To gain a truly vivid picture of your month ahead read your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs. If you happen to fall within 7-10 days of a change in signs, then you will want to read the one after your Sun sign as well (what is called your cusp sign).

Aries:

It is your destiny to become whole and connected. To lead a life with soulful purpose and unbridled joy. You have gifts and talents that you have not yet fully explored. Gifts this world needs in a time when healing and connection are so vital to our global community. You were not meant to struggle or live a life of unrealized purpose. You can and must follow your bliss and know that connecting to your destiny is a choice. It’s a choice to release the chains that bind you. To overcome all that destroys your inner and outer peace. To face your fears, to let go of old wounds and current pains and love yourself, your life, with the utmost vigor and unreserved delight.

Taurus:

You are keen and focused this month-a faithful devotee to reason and determination. You see that emotion has served you very well in the past but now is a time which asks that you be more mindful and ask yourself “what do I think” as opposed to “what do I feel”. It’s not that you are detached or uncaring-it’s that you realize that there are things on the horizon which require that your mind be clear and activated. You know that emotion this month will only cloud your judgment and make it difficult to practice impartial objectiveness. It may not be the fanciest of approaches, but oh will it serve you well, dear Taurus.

Gemini:

You walk the path of service this month and surrender to a higher purpose than simply your own personal pursuits. You know that there are times when we can practice a bit of sacred selfishness and a time when we must put aside our own desires to walk a path that lends to the greater good. With this comes great power. Great influence to affect change that will ripple across your family-your community. It can sometimes be a lonely road-to do for others when so many walk only their own path with their own intentions in mind. But with this influence comes power. The power to bring happiness and support to those who may need it more than ever. Know that even while you may feel you are giving more than you are getting that there is something spiritually profound and soul satisfyingly enriching when we show up in service to others.

Cancer:

Do you seek duality or polarity within your life, Cancer? This month’s energy asks you to explore the meaning of each. Duality is a theory which posits that two opposing forces come together in what typically results in chaos. There is a constant struggle between these two opposing forces as one seeks to dominate the other. Polarity on the other hand is the idea that two opposing forces exist in all things. That these are not separate of one another but two forces which require the other; complementary and balanced when working harmoniously. You have an opportunity this month to bring wholeness to your life but you must be willing to open your heart to the light and the dark. Light cannot exist without dark. Hope cannot live without despair. These qualities are each integral to the month ahead as you embrace and are receptive to the moments between moments. It’s time to honor, in this dark time of year, all the dark within you and its many lessons. So, that in honoring these qualities you also honor the light. Grant yourself permission to integrate, to heal and to find wholeness.

Leo:

The time has come to celebrate all that you have achieved. To honor all the hard work that you have put into your life, into your being. To know that when we keep our hearts open, our minds resolved, and our spirits active, we can accomplish anything that we set our minds to. You know that ease of life doesn’t imply that things always go your way. No, in fact, you know quite well that sometimes the road can be rather difficult and fraught with challenges that test your will. Distractions that can easily take you off course. But you stayed focused. You stayed pure of heart-working diligently not for praise or accolade but for the peace of mind to enjoy a stable foundation beneath your feet. To feel safe in your body and your life. To feel that you can take a small break to enjoy the fruits of your labors without fearing that the other shoe is going to drop. No, you know that now you have worked hard enough that it’s time to quietly and humbly celebrate all the openness and expansiveness that you have invited and cultivated in your life. Now is your time to rest. To relax. To celebrate.

Virgo:

Slow and steady wins the race this month. The energy does not favor bold or rushed movement for you, Virgo. You must embrace each step. To honor each movement from the smallest to the boldest. All that you desire, all that you have worked for and asked for is close at hand but you must allow progress to unfold as it is meant to. We can sometimes grow weary and impatient as we near the completion or attainment of something we have strived for. We want it, and we want it right now! We have worked so hard and are ready to see the results of all we have poured our heart and soul into. Impatience in the final steps can lead to hasty decisions. Decisions which threaten the stability of all that you have built. The key is to reflect on how far you have come. When you first began you likely couldn’t wait to get to where you are now so honor this progress and now settle into the journey. The pace is soon to quicken so rest and recharge your spirit so you can continue forward with the same dedication and determination that got you to this very moment.

Libra:

What is the narrative you tell about your relationship with that which you desire? Do you tell a tale filled with challenge, obstacle and limitation? Do you feel caught between wanting something and feeling badly because you want it? Do you wrestle with a feeling that no matter how much you work for something it will always be just beyond your grasp? It’s time to shift your narrative and this month’s energy is creating the opening for you to see things differently. To know that its ok to have desires for our life. That we can want things, not merely need them. That we can share our power which is full and rich when we are no longer struggling. What if began to tell a story of dreams that came true? A life that was enriched and overflowing with unbridled ecstasy? What if we began to believe, in the core of our being, that what we desire also desires us? Ahhhhh…. limitless.

Scorpio:

What drives you? What is the code by which you live your life? What qualities do you feel are essential for living a life of quality and substance? Those who live by a silent, unspoken code are honest for they know that those who lie cannot be trusted and if you cannot be trusted then how can you be respected? They are devoted for they understand that devotion is not applicable simply when it’s easy to be so, but also in those times when its undeserved. They fight for those who cannot fight for themselves for they know that sometimes it takes an ordinary person to accomplish extraordinary things. We are the modern-day heroes, if we choose to be. We show up for others and in so doing show up for ourselves. We know that when we abide by a simple code of strong integrity and ethics we invite others to show up in the same way for ourselves. That it’s not about nihilism but through community that we all prosper, find healing and feel capable of building a foundation will in turn support those long after us.

Sagittarius:

Within us all is ancient wisdom that connects us to divine knowing. It’s a seed that if not properly nurtured will not grow. Our intuition requires our attention-it begs for our attention so that it can continue to open the path ahead. So that we can see the way forward. So that each move is empowered with a deep inner self-trust that the action we are taking is the right action. The more that we deepen our connection to our intuition we open ourselves to greater information. We add richness to our life that expands our knowing and allows us to see life in a different light. We embark upon a journey of discovery and adventure that ultimately allows us to find our purpose. To arrive at a place where life is meaningful and purpose driven. A place where we feel a contentedness that is unshakable, unbreakable and divinely ours.

Capricorn:

This month’s energy offers opening for exploring and deepening your relationship with abundance. For many of us this time of year can trigger feelings of lack and worry over limited resources. Our culture tends to glamorize some forms of abundance while paying little attention to others. Where are there imbalances in your relationship with abundance? Do you value things over qualities? Do you spend great amounts of money on items such as clothes but scoff at the cost of quality, organic food that nourishes the body? Do you value what you are given and what you provide in equal measure? In what ways are your beliefs regarding your worth potentially damaging your relationship with abundance? This month’s energy encourages you to spend time thinking about what you value and what that must say about you. To explore your beliefs regarding your worth so you can ensure they offer opportunity for greater abundance. To invite abundance that transcends what we can hold to include that which also holds us. 

Aquarius:

When we think of wholeness we tend to “pretty up” the concept to include only those things which make us feel good. We tend to characterize our experience as good or bad based on the judgments we hold over certain emotions. This month offers up a rich prospect for integration and wholeness but only if we shift our perception to include the totality of the human experience. It is our egos that place a value on one emotion over another but the only real result is that we suppress qualities that are integral to our evolution and spiritual growth. It’s how we choose to allow emotion to control our lives that has more an impact on whether your life is good or bad, positive or negative, than a singular emotion on its own. To be fully and authentically integrated we must release all that we have stifled of our emotional experience and invite each quality in. We are encouraged to embrace our fear as much as we do our inner peace. To get to know our anxiety as intimately as we do our security. To know thy self, wholly.

Pisces:

You are a spiritual being; a soul that is journeying through a human experience to grow and evolve. This does not mean that you must eschew your modern life or subscribe to a particular religious practice. Rather it’s an invitation to trust in the inner qualities of your own divine nature. To know that you hold great power to affect change in your life when you tap into this wellspring of power that exists within. The energy this month shatters any illusion of separation from the world around you. It’s as though you are viewing life through new eyes. That you are seeing the divinity of the land beneath your feet. The numinous illumination of the orb of the night inspires you to believe in the mysterious, inexplicable and unknowable qualities of this magnificent journey. You will feel the sense of limitlessness that breaks down doors and crumbles walls that held us back from our highest aspirations. We will rise and we will bring others with us knowing that we rise higher together.

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Laura Brown is a Seeress, Intuitive Coach and Medicine Woman. She is the Goddess and Creatrix at Intuitive Alchemy,  a sacred sanctuary for Intuitive Readings & Coaching, Spiritual Development as well as online Apothecary. Ever a sacred Alchemist, Laura blends her skills as a Channeler, Clairvoyant, Reiki Healer, Tarotist and Metaphysician to create sacred offerings for soul seekers. You can stay up to date on her Facebook page and follow her on Instagram for free daily readings.

I Thought I Was Compassionate But I Was Wrong...

I’ve gotten really good at saturating my conversations with positive talk. Loving terminology has become an essential piece of my mother tongue. I find myself actively trying to replace self-criticism with loving mantras, steering clear of limiting words/phrases so to fill my communication with powerful affirmations, and becoming apt at spotting judgments, be them my own or others’, so to recognize the opportunity for growth and healing.

A daily practice of positivity, gratitude and self-love has the power to connect me to the underlying blessings in the suffering, the beauty in the foul, and the light in the darkness. Sometimes it feels like second nature; I can find stillness within the most torrential storm and maintain that knowing that the calm will inevitability come.  

I can’t vent for the sake of it anymore; I can’t gossip without immediately realizing what I am doing and being left with an awful taste in my mouth; I can’t wallow without being aware of my own victimization. Negativity isn’t as appealing as it used to be.  It gets old really quickly. And I just don’t have any space for it.

In fact, I despise it.

And herein lies the issue and where, many of us, dupe ourselves into believing that self-compassion is surging through our veins when, really, our bloodstream thirsts for it.  

While it takes great strength and commitment to connect to the greater awareness that all is well, in moments, I hold this mentality as a way to bypass my own breaking heart.

This being human isn’t always easy; the space between becoming lost to the chaos and completely barricading the heart from feeling the impact of fragmentation is difficult to find and master. However, it is that space where deep healing happens.

My entire practice is built upon the notion that the only way out is through and the only way through is to feel, as I recognize that when we avoid facing our pain and disconnect from experiencing our emotions we perpetuate our own suffering. Similarly, I know firsthand that when we become victim to our pain and succumb to the stories we create, suffering persists. The in-between is the place we want to get to.

I have mastered the ability to hold loving space for my clients to become undone and feel safe in giving voice to all the feelings they don’t want to look at. And yet, I only allow myself so much space to go to those dark places before I demand that I get it together and find that blessing… And fast.

Kristen Neff, a researcher and professor at the University of Texas studies self-compassion  and has distinguished three key elements that are integral in mastering this concept: Self-Kindness, Common Humanity, and Mindfulness.

 Self-kindness relates to the importance of being loving towards oneself, especially in moments of disarray, failure, and disappointment; Common Humanity is all about recognizing that pain, suffering and feelings of unworthiness are a part of the shared human experience; Mindfulness speaks to finding balance when it comes to experiencing one’s emotions, so to experience them fully without over-identifying with them.

When I think about these three key factors that make up self-compassion, I see where I have been deceiving myself.

The field of self-development and the conscious community has heavily influenced me and, at some point, I became overly fixated on experiencing my divinity while forgetting my humanness.

When I fall into a hole, I make sure to feel the impact, but I refuse to stay down in that darkness for long; I criticize that victim part of me that used to run my life and now I see that is where my compassion is most needed.

Neff speaks to the research that shows that self-criticism causes the body to release cortisol, the stress hormone, and is known to be an important predictor for anxiety and depression. When we are being self-critical, we are activating our internal threat system, causing the body to go into fight or flight mode; because we are the both the attacker (attacking our self-concept) and the one being attacked, the amount of cortisol released increases exponentially. And so, when we are critical of ourselves for being critical in the first place, we are over-flooding our system with this stress hormone, causing the body to break down.

Self-compassion is the antidote, as it reduces cortisol levels by releasing oxytocin and opiates, allowing people to feel more secure, safe and loved. When we are compassionate with ourselves, especially during those moments of self-criticism, we nourish and replenish our systems and heal our pain.

Thus, we must learn to love the aspects of ourselves that make us cringe. We must bring self-kindness to those qualities that we normally shame. We must remind ourselves that we are human and we are not alone in our experiences of hardship.  We must be mindful of the fact that we can fully experience the texture of an emotion without needing to overindulge.

And in those moments when we falter, when we are overly negative, when we are cruel to ourselves, when we feel completely alone, when we become the victim to our circumstances, and the cortisol levels rise…we love ourselves even harder and call forward the power of our compassion.

Here’s to wholeheartedly embracing our humanness in all its imperfection.

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Jessica has a B.Sc. in Applied Psychology from New York University, M.Ed., in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard, and a M.A., (in progress) in Spiritual Psychology from University of Santa Monica. Jessica is also a columnist at Elephant Journal and has been featured with Huffington Post.

Connect with her at info@soulfullbyjess.com and on  Facebook.

5 Tips from Dr. Aunna for a Better 2016

The tradition of New Year’s resolutions dates back as early as the Babylonian times. While the success rate of ancient resolutions is largely unknown, a large percentage of the resolutions of modern times tend to be unsuccessful. Taking on too many resolutions or setting unrealistic goals are common reasons why people do not achieve their goals.

“As a doctor, I have observed a lack of self-appreciation to be the most common reason people are unsuccessful in achieving any goal at any time of the year.”

The good news is, there are many ways to improve our lives and succeed with our New Year’s resolutions. Through my own experiences and those with patients, I have identified a few factors for successfully following through with our goals.

1. Cultivate self-appreciation

Most New Year's resolutions involve self-improvement. So why is it that we have difficulty following through with things that benefit our lives? As a doctor, I have observed a lack of self-appreciation to be the most common reason people are unsuccessful in achieving any goal at any time of the year. It’s impossible to prioritize ourselves without a foundation of self-worth. This lack of self-love is often subconscious and can sabotage our lives without us knowing it. Try to get in touch with a place deep within you in which you can feel total love for yourself. This is the place where you will find the limitless drive to improve your life.

2. Make a daily self-commitment

While it’s always exciting to start off the New Year with new goals, it’s just as easy to talk without follow-through. Whenever one of my patients tells me, “I’m waiting until after the holidays to <insert goal here>,” I always respond , “Why wait to do something that benefits your life?” Procrastination is another form of self-sabotage, and, in turn, a sign of not appreciating ourselves. We all deserve to prioritize ourselves everyday, and not just at the beginning of the year.

3. Identify your intentions

What are the reasons for your goals? Do you want to quit smoking because someone else wants you to? Are you trying to lose weight to impress someone else? Goals that involve changing for someone else never last. You may not elicit the response you had hoped from the other party, but most importantly you have neglected the most important person: you. It all goes back to self-appreciation. Set goals that involve your heartfelt decision, not someone else’s, and you will find that you will not only feel much happier but also be more successful in your endeavors.

“Life is not a list of check boxes.”

4. Intention vs. Resolutions

The word “resolution” has somewhat of a strict connotation, and often implies that there is something that needs to be fixed within a set time frame. This is why I like to set intentions. I write a list of things I intend to accomplish. I prioritize my list and try my best to achieve my goals.  I’m not trying to fix anything, because in reality, I’m not broken. I’m an imperfectly perfect human who won’t be able to accomplish everything I set out to exactly when I want to, but in time I will in wonderful ways I had never imagined.

5. Enjoy the process

Life is not a list of check boxes. It’s easy to think ahead to the results without enjoying the present moment. How often have you reached your goal and either hurt yourself in the process or felt like what you achieved wasn’t good enough? Delayed gratification allows us to relish the process, which may lead us on a different but more fulfilling path. Life isn’t about how skinny, rich, or accomplished you are. It’s the journey that occurs in each moment that is most important.

You are the most important person of your life and the positive life changes you make benefit everyone around you. The time to start your All Year's Intentions is now.

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Aunna Pourang, MD is a board-certified family physician who practices integrative medicine in Santa Monica, CA. She incorporates her knowledge of yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, and nutrition with conventional Western medicine to address the root causes of symptoms and to help heal the mind, body, and spirit. Dr. Pourang is also the author of Meditate don’t Medicate: A 14 Day Journey of Letting Go and Finding Yourself and blogs about health and happiness on her website www.draunna.com. 

Lotus East-West Medical Center
2222 Santa Monica Blvd, Ste 105
Santa Monica, CA 90404
T: (310) 828-8258