Power of the Lion

Anyone who knows me knows I love animals - all animals. It has even been said that I love animals more than most people. I wouldn't deny that compliment. It has also been said that I would prefer to work with and around animals instead of people all day. I won't deny that accusation either.  If I could go back to when I had just graduated high school, I would change my path and have gone the route of being a veterinarian. Oh there's still time to chase your dreams now, you say? Of course there is but I am not at that point in my life anymore where I want to make that choice. Seeing retirement a few years down the line does not make me want to start over in a new career, especially in the medical field. Saving the lives of those who save lives (being the EMS Chief's admin) is about as medical as I want to get these days.

Back to animals......

I've heard people say certain animals are their "spirit animals" and I wonder if those people truly know what that means - what they are really saying - and I tend to think they probably do not. I know I didn't. I love dogs and am obviously drawn to german shepherds more than any other breed, but the dog isn't my spirit animal. Just because you have a liking or are drawn to a certain animal doesn't mean that they necessarily are your spirit animal. I love dragonflies and have a very strong spiritual connection to them but they are not my spirit animal or I guess I should say, spiritual insect. The dragonfly is one of my spirit people (yes, a passed loved one who still communicates with me through the dragonfly). Let me explain what I know and you can make your own observations and conclusions.

A totem is a spirit, sacred object or symbol of a tribe or family.  Some Native American tribes have traditions where each person is connected to a certain number of different animals and those animals will be with that person for the rest of their life. These animals act as guides to that person and are often called spirit animal guides or power animals.  Depending on what is occurring in your life, the spirit animal guides will come in and out of your life helping you along your life's journey. In the same regard, a totem animal is a guide that is with you for life - both in your life here on earth AND once you have departed your human body and are in spirit form.  While we may associate with different animal guides throughout our lives, this one totem animal serves as your main animal guardian and you share a very strong connection in which the animal provides you with power and

Ok, think of it this way:

1. We all have ONE totem spirit animal who is with us for life - on earth and in the spirit world - as our one animal guardian.
2. We also have VARIOUS spirit animal guides who are with us throughout our lives helping us along our journey. 

I had no idea what my spirit totem animal was until last year and it was as if a light bulb went off in my head, it was so obvious! I remember walking through Home Goods one afternoon looking for decorations for my new office. I was mesmerized by these colorful canvas paintings of animals. Bears, dogs, giraffes, pandas, cats, raccoons, ostrich, frogs. They were like nothing I had ever seen before - beautiful and FUN!  I saw this incredible dog painting but it had fingerprints on it and there was no way I was buying something tainted for that cost. I was bummed because, obviously, I LOVE dogs and I thought it would be perfect on a huge blank wall in my office. I kept looking and then it happened.......

THE LION

I stood in awe. I was truly mesmerized and felt such a sense of strength and power come over me. I HAD to have it. I didn't think about the cost, or if it would fit in the car or how I would hang it or where I would hang it but I had to have it. and I knew it was going in my office because I NEEDED to feel this kind of power daily. I felt an undeniable connection to the lion and I had never felt that before.

Then it all started hitting me. It was August 8 - the Lionsgate Portal!! The Lionsgate Portal is activated every year on August 8 and considered as a gateway into the heavens and high realms of consciousness. LIONS GATE. Yeah, I get it. Nice synchronicity there, Universe. It took me a minute but that one slapped me right in the face. During the Lionsgate Portal, it is easier to access higher realms and receive downloads from messengers, guides and loved ones from "the other side." (That day was absolutely crazy for me but that's for a different post.)

Then the other synchronicities started... What's a synchronicity? A meaningful coincidence. A wink and a nod from the universe telling you you are on the right path. One after another...

The movie, The Lion King, has a VERY special meaning between my mother, grandmother and myself. So much so when I sent Mom a photo of my latest acquisition, she gasped and yelled, "The Lion King!" and then we both burst into tears. Yeah, Mom gets the power of synchronicity.

The cowardly lion in "The Wizard of Oz" was always my favorite character in that movie as well. While portraying a personality different from what we expect from a lion, I was drawn to it just the same.
Then Prowler. My pride and joy german shepherd, my protector, my confidante, my best friend. While he was born in June, I made him part of my family during the LionsGate Portal (which just hit me as I was writing this post) in 2006. I also often referred to him as "my lion" - in behavior, personality and his physical stature and relevant mane.

I have always been in awe of lions. I remember being a child at the zoo and just wanting to stand there for hours at a time. As an adult, I went back to the National Zoo and still felt drawn to the lions. Their majesty, their power, their gorgeous physicality. Everything they stand for. Graceful and elegant yet a commanding presence. Provider, protector and fearless defender of his own. But I never realized until recently that there was more to that attraction.

Maybe you feel a connection, a true connection, to a specific animal everywhere you go and everywhere it appears. Maybe you find references to that animal coming through for you when you need it most and may not even realize it at first. Maybe you are drawn to this animal for reasons that you may not even be able to explain. Maybe you have seen the synchronicities and haven't realized that's what it is but it makes sense now. One thing important to know is you cannot choose your totem spirit animal. Your totem animal has already chosen, or will choose, you and will decide how to reveal themselves.

While I had no doubt that the lion was my totem animal, not long after this acquisition and awakening, I happened upon a guided meditation by my friend, Natalie Eve Marquis, of the Wisdom Within which confirmed it 100%.  I would love for you to identify your totem animal!  This process is one where you must be open, use your intuition and pay attention to your past and present circumstances. When you have about 20 minutes of free time, get in a quiet place and click on this link: https://wisdomwithin.co/resources/guided-meditations/ and scroll down to the "Meet Your Animal Totem" guided meditation. Natalie is a beautiful human being with incredible knowledge and insight who provides such awesome energy and healing work. I'd love to hear what you think of the meditation and be sure to reveal your totem animal to me afterwards! (It would be also be super fantastic if you'd give a shout out to Natalie too!)

“The greatest fear in the world is of the opinions of others. 

And the moment you are unafraid of the crowd you are no longer a sheep, you become a lion. 

A great roar arises in your heart, the roar of freedom.” - Osho

Embracing new ideas and gratitude

I’ve been taking a course titled, “Four Weeks to Freedom” by my friend and mentor, Ilona Matteson, of Spiritual Giant.  This information is absolutely incredible and life changing – not just for me, but I’m personally witnessing its effects on others as well. I’ll be honest, in the beginning, I was hesitant on whether the course was something that would benefit me and I inquired with Ilona because she knows the path that I am on. She told me that there would be quite a bit that I already know but that it would definitely be beneficial not just to me but to everyone. Knowing that I wanted to hone my skills and one day be able to help others, I signed up. Knowing that it was an online course that I could take at my own pace was an advantage. I wasn’t sure how motivated I would be or how much time I would actually have and, man, was I surprised! I found myself not being able to put the information down. I would be done with the week’s work within two days because I was such an excited sponge!  For more information, check out this link https://spiritualgiant.co/four-weeks-to-freedom/ or reach out to me and I’ll be happy to tell you all about it.

As I was going over one of the lessons today in regards to the crown chakra and how to open up to endless possibilities, I paused the video and wrote down what I heard because it resonated so strongly with me. I had this undeniable urge to share it with you.  

Embrace new ideas no matter how different they are from yours.

Think about that for a minute.  Read it again. Out loud.

Embrace new ideas no matter how different they are from yours.

Don’t JUST embrace new ideas, which is an important thing to do in itself, but EMBRACE those new ideas EVEN if they are DIFFERENT from yours.
I’m not saying you have to agree with those ideas but at least ALLOW them. Be open. You may even learn something but, even if you don’t, what did it hurt?

Since “going live” with my spiritual journey at the beginning of this year, I realized that I was opening myself up to criticism, to some people distancing themselves from me and to people just not understanding or wanting to understand. And that is fine. This is MY journey. I am exactly where I should be and completely in control of my thoughts and how I feel.  We all have our own path to follow and our own choices to make.

I had a true calling to open up and share my journey. Why? Not to brag. Not to say “ooh, look at what I can do”. Not to call criticism or judgment. I am sharing for the exact opposite reasons actually - in hopes that sharing my journey will help someone else.  

To help just one more person feel vulnerable and safe enough to share.
To help just one more person understand what it is like to live a life where you choose love over fear. To help just one more person not feel alone.
To help just one person realize that they are in control of their own journey.  
To help just one more person by connecting with their beloved animal or passed loved one and providing them with just an ounce of the emotion and closure that I feel from those messages.
To help one more person accept their abilities and follow their intuition.

After only two months of "going live", I am in such a state of gratitude. I can’t even begin to put into words the overwhelming love that wells up inside of me every single time I have reached someone. I can’t even begin to explain how many people have reached out to me for help, with questions, or with words of incredible compassion and thanks after reading my blogs and my Facebook posts.  Every time that happens, my heart is overjoyed and I am re-energized and reminded why I am doing what I am doing. I have been on this spiritual journey for quite a few years and the awakening that has begun to occur just in the last year has been of epic proportions. My tribe is forming and we are doing such incredible internal work which then transcends to the external world.

So, thank you to all who have reached out, who are loving what I do and who share their thoughts with me.

Thank you for reaching out and letting me help you. By letting me help you, YOU are actually helping ME!

Thank you for trusting me to connect with your loved ones.

Thank you for being open to the messages that are sent to you from Spirit.

Thank you for embracing what may be new ideas to you no matter how different these ideas may be from yours.  

I know that many see my posts and question them. Where is this coming from? Why is she so obsessed with the moon? What is all this love talk? What are these cards that she keeps posting? What does she mean it’s a message from Spirit?  Is she a witch? She must not believe in God anymore. I know that those thoughts come from a place of ignorance and I absolutely do not mean that in a demeaning way. When we, as humans, come across something that is new to us or different from what we believe or something we don’t understand, we tend to discourage or discredit it. I encourage you all to ask me questions. I love to talk about my journey and what it is that I’m actually doing. Just ask anyone who has inquired. I have a hard time shutting up about it and I’m not sorry either. You may actually learn something from me! 

I’ll be posting more soon about what I am learning and some of these posts will challenge some of you. Some of my posts will blow your mind and some of my posts will align perfectly with how you are feeling. I hope these posts help you and make you think! Regardless, all I ask is that you are open and embrace ideas that are different from your own. It just may change your life like it is mine........

Until next time, know I am sending you an immense amount of love and light!

Full Moon Release and Burn

On Tuesday, February 19, we will have a Full Moon in our night sky. The ritual for the Full Moon is completely different than the New Moon which I posted about a few weeks ago. Personally, I LOVE the Full Moon energy and I'll tell you why!

As we know, the moon is connected to our emotions, creativity, potential and intuition.  When the moon is full, we feel all of this energy at the strongest and deepest level.  A Full Moon is a time of high energy and power.  My favorite part of a Full Moon is that it provides us with the energy and power to release and let go of what does not serve us!  It is a time to get rid of what we no longer need and a time to benefit from what we set our intentions on with the New Moon!

During the New Moon, we are surrounded by darkness but with the Full Moon, we are surrounded by light. This light allows us to see things clearly, with a new perspective, and aids us in taking action in moving forward!  Just think about what's happening.  The moon is receiving the light of the sun and shining it back on us. We are stepping out of the darkness and into the light! There is nothing quite like being outside, barefoot, sinking your feet into the earth gazing at the Full Moon. I truly feel myself connected to its powerful and rejuvenating energy! These past few weeks leading up to the Full Moon have been pretty energetically exhausting so I definitely am ready to be refueled next Tuesday!

A few days before the Full Moon, start by doing one of two things. Actually, depending on how you feel, you may want to do a mix of both.

1.   Make a list of all the things that you want to "let go" of, things that do not serve you, things that you want to release. These can be emotions, relationships, habits, addictions, attitudes, beliefs, behaviors.  Write those things down.  Be extensive. Be thorough. Be true to yourself in this list. Really search your soul and be honest with yourself. This is for your benefit!

AND/OR

2.  If you are wanting to let go of a toxic, hurtful, negative, relationship - past or present - then write a letter to that person. This letter isn't going to be sent to the person (unless you want to) so you have free reign to get all of your emotions out. Tell them how you feel. Explain to them what they did that has made you feel this way - angry, hurt, deceived, sad, abandoned - whatever the emotion may be. Let it all out in writing. This could be for a family member, an ex-spouse, a coworker, a boss, a former friend, a neighbor, you name it.  It could even be something you write to yourself or to your inner child. Dig deep. Go into your deepest fears and wounds.  We often think we have let something go when in actuality we have just pushed it away from our present reality and into the recesses of our mind. You need to fully let go of something to free yourself of this self imprisonment.

This isn't easy. It's not supposed to be easy but it will give you such a sense of freedom. It may take you a while to write these letters. You may need more than a few days. Fortunate for us, we have a Full Moon every month so there are plenty of opportunities. I did this for the first time in June 2018 not knowing really what to expect and I cannot even begin to explain the freedom that it gave me.  I was holding on to anger and hurt for a decade over one person and for my entire life over a few others.

What I realized and what is very important is in order to let something or someone go, you have to be aware of three very important things. First, hurt people hurt people. Happy people don't hurt people. Whoever hurt you, upset you, angered you, is also hurt. That doesn't make it ok but realize that there is a reason and there is a pattern to this behavior. That is not your problem; it is theirs to acknowledge and fix. But it is important for you to understand. Second, you must own and accept your role in this wrongdoing.  Even if it's just the sheer fact of you allowing yourself to let them get to you this much and for this long.  Do you think my ex-husband still thinks about me and is irritated every time he hears my name?? Of course not, he has moved on. I have as well but I still held on to the anger and resentment and it was absolutely destroying my heart and soul. By not letting that anger go, it wasn't hurting him. It was just hurting me! Third, when writing a letter, you must end it with love and forgiveness for that person. This is going to be difficult for many of you and it was the hardest part for me. That's why it took me a while to even write some of the letters. If you can't end it with love and forgiveness, you are not ready to let go of it yet. Don't force it. When it's time, you will know.

Write your list. Write your letters.  This may take a while. Take your time. Make it right. Don't fake it. Don't just write something to write something. Really delve into your heart and soul.  I actually wrote a letter to a few people from my past and felt that I actually needed to send it to them. Why? Because I don't think they had any idea how much they affected me and I didn't want them to knowingly or unknowingly do it to someone else. Some of them have daughters of their own and I wanted them to realize how they made me feel but through their daughter's eyes of the same age. I didn't send it to them for a response or an apology or a rebuttal. I sent it to them for ME! I needed to say what I said. I needed to let it out and I felt so much better. One responded in a way that lovingly and graciously floored me and we have healed together. One didn't respond at all but he always avoided the important conversations in our relationship and one ca
me at me with a vengeance as I expected. Still, this was about me being free; not about blaming them. Other letters I wrote to family members who have passed and for whom I still held anger and resentment. Some letters for current family members that I needed to release and some people who I thought were friends but never really were. There may have even been an old boss or two.

Now that you have done the hard part, here comes the energizing part! On the night of the full moon:

1. Go outside with your list/letters. Bring matches and have a bowl of water with you (for safety reasons).  I like to go to my backyard around my fire pit. Pick what works for you.

2. Read your list and letters out loud. One by one and really feel what you are saying. When you read your letter, imagine the person being right there and not having a choice but to listen. After you read each one, take a deep breath and, as you exhale, light a match to the letter. Feel the anger, hurt, whatever it is, release and disappear as it burns.  Watch it burn. Enjoy it burning and know that you are now freeing yourself of that burden. As the words burn, feel the emotions finally being released from you mind, body and soul.

3. Be ready and open for anything when you burn these letters. At this point in time is when I felt something different with each letter that I burned. I felt overwhelming relief. I felt exhausted. I felt energized. I felt nothing even for some. But in the next coming days and even weeks you will recognize that you don't feel the same about that person any more. In fact, sometimes you just don't feel anything for them and that, I have found is, at times, the best. With one joint letter I burned, the smoke grew bigger and almost enveloped me. I knew that the soul of that person was trying to fight back and I would not let it. It was quite incredible.

4.  When you are done with your release and burn, take a deep breath, look up to the Full Moon and thank her for this energy and release.  Then end the ritual with gratitude. I often end with the Lord's Prayer or a prayer of gratitude to the Lord above for all the blessings He has bestowed upon me. Do what feels right but give thanks.

Obviously, you can change this ritual around to whatever works for you. Just be honest with yourself, come from a place of love and forgiveness and know that when those pieces of paper burn, that you are truly releasing all that is not serving you. This may take a while. It may be that you need to do this a few times or with each month's Full Moon. As you get used to the ritual, you will find yourself looking forward to it and perhaps new feelings or people will need to be released.  Once you realize how powerful this ritual is, you will understand why I am so enamored by the power of this glorious moon.

Please, if you have questions, or you need direction, I'll be happy to share my story and help any way I can. Just reach out to me.  I am so excited for each of you to start your own Full Moon release ritual.

Know that I am sending you much love and healing light today and every day! 

Love challenge

I don't watch the daily news on tv. I don't read the newspaper. I do have the tv on in the morning when I first get up to primarily see the weather forecast, although living at the beach, it's often more accurate to just walk outside and take a look. I thought by living four hours away from DC, that I wouldn't wake to daily breaking news of someone being murdered anymore. But then I realized, that my local news is out of the Hampton Roads/Virginia Beach area and nothing has changed. It is the focus of the news that disturbs me. I also watch the morning news just to make sure the world hasn't come to an end.  After that, I figure random people or Facebook will inform me (whether I want it to or not) of anything important (or not so) throughout the day. I will also be inundated with everyone's opinions which have recently become very negative, angry and often downright rude and disgusting. I have found myself saying, "What is wrong with people?" quite often.

About a month ago, I heard two sentences that started to make sense of it all.  My energy healer made a comment that resonated with me and one in which I have come into complete agreement:

"We haven't lost our minds. We have lost our hearts."

We are all souls having a temporary human experience on this earth.  Our souls are endless. Our human bodies are not. Our physical body has a beginning and an end. When our physical body dies, our soul does not; it just takes on a different form. We are an extension of our creator, God (source, universe, whatever you choose), and as extensions of God, our natural state is that of love and light.  Our souls are here to show love, embody love, BE love. It really is that simple and natural so why aren't we living in that way?

My focus right now is for every thought and action to come from a place of love. For some of us, that may mean getting back to love. Instead of complaining and condemning people for their acts and opinions, let's focus on the positive, the compassion, the love.  Instead of thinking negatively about ourselves and our emotions, start thinking positive! 

For every negative, sad, low-vibrational thought that presents itself to me, I, now, instantly strive to find a positive, happy, high-vibrational thought.  With this blog post, I challenge you to do the same!

I'll start:

I hate my job. At least I have a job. I am grateful for my salary, County-paid health insurance and the friends I have made.

My dad died of cancer. I miss him so much and my heart is forever broken. I am grateful to have had my dad as my best friend for 45 years. Without him, I wouldn't be here today. His love will never leave me. I will honor him every day.

I live four hours away from my mom and it makes me sad that I don't see her every day. I am grateful to still have my mom with me and I will make the most of the time I spend with her when I do see her.

Why do the Redskins suck? Our owner is ridiculous and we'll never have a winning season or get to the playoffs again. I am grateful that I am old enough to remember the Super Bowls that the Skins did play in and win. I am grateful to have been a fan when we were a force to be reckoned with.

Why is the government shut down? Don't those idiots have any regard for the little people? I am grateful that I chose the profession I did and don't have to be put in a situation where the fate of the entire country is in my hands.

It's really not that difficult to do.
We are powerful!
We not only control every thought and emotion that we have, but we also immediately send that feeling out into the universe for it to come right back to us. (I'll talk about the Law of Attraction in a different post.)
Can you imagine if every single human being focuses on being positive, compassionate and loving in every thought and deed what that would do for this world?
It's really not that far out of reach.
It's more than possible and it starts with you.
It starts with us.....
and it starts now!

Where's the love?

Last night was the Super Bowl. What was the best part? Not that the Patriots won AGAIN; definitely not that part. Not that it was the most boring Super Bowl that has been played in my lifetime so far. Not the commercials, although the one where Montana wouldn’t throw to “a Cowboy” was priceless. Not Tim McGraw playing pregame, although that was pretty darn awesome and they needed to televise more. Not the classy rendition of the National Anthem by the Empress of Soul.  Not even the Puppy Bowl and ya’ll know how much I love puppies!

My favorite part. The Halftime Show.  Go ahead, everyone start moaning now. Hear me out. 

I love Maroon 5 and I have always been a huge fan of Adam Levine’s. The only reason I still watch The Voice is because of Adam and I’ve seen Maroon 5 live twice (and both times were phenomenal).  I may have even dreamed about the man a few times (and not on purpose, thank you, but I did enjoy it). Was it the best Halftime Show I’ve ever seen? Of course not, but it was a hell of a lot better than Cold Play or Black Eyed Peas or Bruce Springsteen, or Beyonce (yep, I said it. She’s not my Queen) or any act that choses to lip sync.

 Honestly, no one can beat Prince, in my opinion. 

Herein lies my point. My opinion. Everyone has an opinion. Not just on the halftime performance but it seems like on every little blessed thing in this world AND everyone seems to think their opinion is the right one AND that they have to share it on social media AND they get angry if you don't agree with them. Most of the time the opinions that are shared are rude, disrespectful, derogatory and negative. We all have opinions but how about positive ones for a change? What happened to "if you don’t have something nice to say don’t say anything at all?" I'm so over everyone knocking everyone down. Where's the love? Where's the unity? Why is everyone so full of hate? Or is it they are just absent of love?

But I digress. Why was the Halftime Show my favorite part? Of course I love Adam’s voice and that smile would make a blind woman giddy.  M5 is a solid band and didn’t even begin to show its depth and talent during that short performance that, in my opinion, didn’t need the likes of Travis Scott or Big Boi. I would have rather heard Adam croon some more of his own tunes. Showing off his beautifully-tattooed torso and arms while movin’ like Jagger (although much more appealing to my eye than Mick ever was) was the icing on the cake for this girl. It’s just a shame that it had to end.

I could talk about my admiration for Adam Levine for days but there was one very important thing that resonated with me during that halftime performance.  Many wanted and even expected Adam to kneel during his performance or take advantage of being center stage and make some sort of protest. But instead, he vehemently refused to make this opportunity about politics. It was about the music and he said his music would speak for itself.  And that it did.

While performing, the huge Maroon 5 hit, “She Will Be Loved” (from their debut studio album in 2002), Adam made his point and it not only brought a huge smile to my face but an instant warmth to my heart and soul.  ONE LOVE in lights. We were all created out of love and our sole purpose as spiritual beings who are having a temporary human experience is to love.  Our life purpose isn’t about a career or material things as some may believe. Our life purpose is about passion and love. The haters and the skeptics and the media don’t want to talk about that though – they want drama and conflict and negativity. Well, guess what? Adam Levine wasn’t having any of that and, as a result, I have an even greater appreciation for him as not only an artist but as a human being.

As written by Adam Levine:

"When we accepted the responsibility to perform at the SBHTS, I took out my pen and just wrote. Some of the words that came to me in that moment eventually made their way onto the incredible lanterns that flew high and low tonight. We thank the universe for this historic opportunity to play on the world’s biggest stage. We thank our fans for making our dreams possible. And we thank our critics for always pushing us to do better. One Love. ❤️

And the list of words is...
Forgive 
Laugh 

Cry 
Smile 
Share 
Live 
Endure 
Embrace 
Remember 
Enlighten 
Preserve 
Inspire 
Sweat 
Fight 
Express 
Give 
Receive 
Elevate 
Climb 
Unify 
Fortify 
Soften 
Dance 
Scream 
Dream 
Educate 
Provide 
Inhale 
Exhale 
Persevere 
Stand 
Kneel 
Overcome 
Love 
Listen"

Take a moment, go back and read each of those words again. Think about what those words mean in today's climate. Think about what those words mean to you in your life. Think about how powerful those words truly are - on their own and together. 

This was an incredible statement that Adam Levine chose to make on such a monumental night in sports and television.  Many, no, ALL of us, could learn a few things about compassion and love from this man.  We need more artists like him who not only have the means, but the opportunity, to invoke simple, yet extremely powerful, statements such as these in this world!

Energy, new moon and desires

Moon rituals originated as part of the culture in ancient Egypt, India and China as a sacred and necessary practice due to the moon's influence on the growth of plants, animals and even human life. We are fortunate that these rituals still exist today and to many, including myself, they are a beautiful way to bring a primal sacredness to the world.  I know how easy it is to get caught up in the way society "says it should be" and getting back to the basics and focusing on nature is often the best way to look at life's challenges and heartbreak in a different light.

There are eight phases of the moon and I am still learning about each phase and its effects on the environment and our energy. What I do know, from personal experience, is how powerful the new moon and full moon phases are to our energy as human beings!!
Monday, February 4, is the next new moon and it is such an exciting time! Maybe some of you already have a new moon ritual. Maybe you don't. Maybe you want to have one but don't know where to start. Lucky for you, you happened upon my blog post because all you have to do is keep reading!

First, let's understand what's happening here. A new moon is when the sun and moon come into alignment; when they join in the sky. At this phase, the moon is invisible from earth.  This may seem boring to you but it is, in fact, quite the opposite. While the moon is empty of light, it is the perfect time for us to fill it up with our intentions!

When the energy of the moon and sun combine, it is the opportune time for us to set our intentions and to refocus on what we desire. The new moon connects us to our emotional needs and leads us to focus on those things that are truly important to us.  Any place in your life where you want to make a positive change should be accessed during this moon phase.  During the new moon is the perfect time to start something new! So what do you need to do? It's pretty simple.

In the days leading up to the new moon (that means now), start thinking about your dreams, what you long for, your desires, what may seem out of reach. See what comes up over the next few days and write it down. There may be a list of 10 or there may only be a few. It's truly up to you. using a guided meditation could also help at this time. Write down the things you want and desire in your life.  This could be a new job, a relationship, a trip, or even feelings or a positive change in behavior. Do not bound yourself with the common "I want this but I can't because I don't have...." This is where you co-create with the universe - where you manifest what you want. This is about what you want and not what you "don't" want.  Be positive and clear in your list. When you write down your intentions, you are committing to do your part to bring them to fruition.

On the day of the new moon, , follow these simple steps:

1. Clean and declutter the space where you are going to hold your ritual. If you have sage, burn it (refer to my earlier smudging post) to clear the negative stagnant energy. Don't only smudge that space, but also use the sage around your body to clear the energy and make way for the new.  If you don't have sage, you can use aromatherapy or even burn incense. If you have neither, that's ok, too.  Light a candle and turn on calming music.
2. Close your eyes and call on source energy. Source energy is the higher power you believe in - God, the Universe, spirit guides or angels. Ask them to please be present with you and to help guide and  protect you during this ritual.
3. Read your list of wants that you created a few days ago out loud. Yes, out loud. Speaking them is crucial. More emotion is found when you do speak them and that is very important to manifesting. How you say it is more important than what you say. Believe that what you want is going to happen!!! 
4. After you have set your intentions, sit quietly, close your eyes and visualize your desires coming true. 
5. You may want to meditate or even close the ritual with a prayer of gratitude.

New moon rituals provide me with such a sense of hope and a way to reclaim my power and set my desires. Remember, we are the source of our own happiness and we have the power within us to create the life that we desire. What better way then to use the new moon energy to assist! There is no wrong way. Do whatever feels comfortable to you and remember, the important part is to truly believe that you will attract these wants when you set your intentions! 

In concluding this post, I just took a break from writing and decided to ask spirit what we needed to know in regard to our new moon ritual.  I chose the Queen of the Moon Oracle deck (because it just makes sense, right?) and the Will card literally popped out of the deck.

What message does spirit have for us through this card? 

Decisions require action and you are in control of your own decisions and life, no one else's. Passion and will determine a great proportion of your success. To be willful means we have the power of control over our own actions and that will fires up the persistence we need to get what we want.  To use our will productively, we need to assess what we really want and make sure that this is what we want to reach for. 

For those of you for whom I've pulled cards for in the past, you will know that this is the time when I just smile and shake my head and say, "You just can't make this s*%! up." Spirit knows exactly what we need and will always find a way to present those messages to us. Now, start putting those desires on paper and let's get ready for the new moon on Monday!!!