Energy
How To Deal With Toxic People
Toxic people can be incredibly difficult to deal with in both personal and professional relationships and can be detrimental to your personal happiness and well-being.
A toxic person is someone whose constant negativity and dysfunctional behavior causes drama in your life and drains you energy whenever they are around. Typical toxic traits include negativity, cynicism, apathy, lack of self-awareness, arrogance, entitlement, self-centeredness, domineering behavior, lack of empathy, being judgmental, dishonesty, anger outbursts, to name only a few.
The most extreme forms of toxicity includes personality disorders like antisocial, borderline, histrionic, and narcissistic personality disorder. A personality disorder is a rigid, deeply characteristic way of thinking, feeling and acting that severely affects the person’s mental well-being, personal relationships and social life.
Toxic people can however be tricky to identify at first, as their dysfunctional traits and behaviors can be very subtle. Some of them are also very good at ‘gaslighting,’ which makes interacting with them even more treacherous.
Gaslighting is a very toxic form of manipulation, game playing, or crazymaking in which you are constantly being misled, confused, lied to, and made to question your own truth and reality. You increasingly feel unsure about the accuracy of your own memories regarding certain events and your personal opinions and perceptions of the world. You may even begin to think that you are to blame for the toxic person’s actions, or that maybe something is very wrong with you, or worse, that you are losing your mind.
Astrology Forecast April 10 – 16, 2023
Things should hum along smoothly this week, with the only major astrological shift being Venus entering Gemini today. Under this influence we will feel encouraged to express ourselves more openly and lovingly, sharing unconditional love and support with everyone around us.
The Capricorn Moon will cast a productive air from tomorrow until Thursday, so the midweek will be the best time to focus on getting things done.
The Aries Sun conjunction with Jupiter tomorrow evening brings with it high energy, good vibes, fun times, and lucky breaks. Together with the Capricorn Moon sextile with Saturn in Pisces, it will be the ideal time for a rowdy girls’ night out. However, while it offers a great excuse to venture out on a school night, be careful with your spending, as this extravagant aspect is notorious for leaving maxed out credit cards in its wake!
Friday and Saturday’s Aquarius Moon inspires us to think differently, as we head into the weekend, so this will be a great time to try something new, venture out to meet new friends, or take up a global cause that is dear to your heart.
We can lay back on Sunday and relax, as the watery Pisces Moon will encourage us to turn inward and nurture our soul. Buit this might also make it a bit difficult to get much done in a practical sense, thus the need to take care of the essentials midweek!
The Ancient Art Of Meditation In Motion
I recently attended a Tai Chi class for the first time and absolutely loved it. I have seen this ancient martial art being practiced on television and in films before, and always thought I would like to experience it myself someday.
Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese tradition involving slow movements and breathwork that is essentially meditation in graceful motion. At this recent event, I enjoyed it so much that I intend to continue pursuing this practice.
Our instructor at the event also explained the many health benefits of practicing Tai Chi, which further fueled my interest. This may include reduced stress, improved mood, mental health and cognitive function, enhanced immune function, increased cariovascular health, better sleep patterns, and even reduced risk of falling in mature adults.
One of the key advantages of Tai Chi is that it has no age limit. In fact, I was surprised at the various age groups in attendance that day. It is certainly a wonderful mind, body, and soul pursuit for everyone, because it is a gentle and slow-paced ‘internal’ martial art that does not involve any competition.
The exact history and origins of Tai Chi is unclear. Some scholars believe it originated from ancient Taoist and Buddhist monasteries, while others contend that Tai chi is a purely Chinese art that originates from the spiritual wisdom traditions of Daoism and Confucianism. There are many styles of Tai Chi that differ in execution and training methods.
The Ancient Magic Of The Runes
The casting of runes is a fascinating divination practice dating back to the ancient Germanic and Scandinavian peoples. The rune symbols originally served as an alphabet for written communication in various Germanic languages until the Latin alphabet was later adopted.
But the runes retained their archetypal symbolism and time evolved into a powerful tool for divination, magic, and meditation. The origin of word ‘rune’ actually stems from the old Germanic word for ‘secret’ or ‘mystery.’ The modern mystique of the runes lies in how it connects us to the wisdom of the ancients.
The runes are a set of 24 symbols, each with its own unique symbolic meaning and energy signature. Traditionally it is made of natural materials, such as stone, wood, or bone. The most common use of runes is for divination purposes, where the symbols are cast, or drawn, and then interpreted to gain insight into a particular situation or question.
Like other divination tools, the runes offer a gateway to tapping into the collective unconscious. These symbols have been used for centuries by countless people, each leaving their own energy imprint on the universal interpretation of each. When we work with the runes, we therefore tap into the collective wisdom it represents and gain access to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
A charming aspect of the runes is their connection to nature. Many of these ancient symbols were derived from natural elements, such as trees, animals, and weather patterns. By engaging with the runes, we also connect with the natural world and its rhythms, which empowers us with greater balance and harmony in our lives and aligns us with the flow of the universe.
Astrology Forecast April 3 – 9, 2023
The way to get through this week without getting ‘wounded in combat’ is to choose your battles very wisely. In fact, it may be best to sit on the sidelines and let everyone else duke it out over the next few days! Taking things in our stride, biding our time, and holding fast to the ultimate goal, will help us to maneuver the ups and downs of the week.
We can set a cautious tone for the week by keeping our ego in check today under an idealistic Virgo Moon, as well as the inflexible attitude of Mercury in Taurus. These aspects may have us thinking our ideas and opinions are the best and cause us to dig our heels in, and perhaps we are correct, but striving for teamwork, being more flexible, and considering the needs and sensitivities of others will serve us best this week.
Grace, harmony and self-awareness will be a little easier to maintain once the Moon moves into Libra tomorrow, where it remain until it waxes full on Thursday. But watch your step Wednesday morning under the Libra Moon square with Mars in Cancer, as this aspect is known for causing people to be more easily triggered, impulsive, and even argumentative.
The Libra Full Moon on Thursday may continue to have us feeling moody, irritable and restless. It will however also entice us to let go of our preconceived ideas entirely once it peaks and a new and better dream emerges under Friday and Saturday’s Scorpio Moon.
Things may however be heating up again by Sunday. Watch out for more assertive energy, as the Sagittarius Moon will combine forces with the Aries Sun to bring out the aggressive, stubborn qualities in people.
Astrology Forecast March 27 – April 2, 2023
We feel quite invincible as the week begins, sharing our thoughts and hopes with anyone who’ll listen under today’s Gemini Moon. With all the planetary activity we experienced last week, this week is a good time of reprieve to turn inward and ask for spiritual direction before we make our next move.
This morning’s Gemini Moon sextile with Jupiter in Aries is a golden opportunity for business prospects, making lucrative deals and boosting our finances. This winning business streak will be carried forward tomorrow by a Cancer Moon trine with Saturn in Pisces, which will be an ideal time for that sales pitch or strategic business meeting. So, seize the moment and make lots of money!
On Wednesday, the Cancer Moon sextile with Venus in Taurus will inspire love and romance. Treat that special person in your life to a romantic lunch in the park, or spontaneously go on that blind date your friends have been nagging you about. Be careful however not to let your social life distract too much from your work and other responsibilities.
With the Moon traveling through Leo Thursday through Saturday, we’ll be drawn to focus on ourselves. Increased self-care, commitment to healthier living, and restoring our energy balance of give and take are all essential strategies now, before we don our spiritual armor and set out to slay all those dragons standing in the way of our dreams.
The Virgo Moon holds reign on Sunday, inspiring us to clear a physical path to our goals, so addressing clutter, clearing out our cyber inboxes, and organizing our homes and schedules will be a theme.
Astrology Forecast March 20 – 26, 2023
Expect a busy week. This week will be a decisive, inspired, action-oriented time that will feel like the actual beginning of the New Year for many of us. If you have been procrastinating with your goals for 2023, or been putting off making important life decisions, this week’s planetary energies are bound to change that!
The hustle and bustle begins with today being very special date for astrologers and metaphysicians everywhere, as we are celebrating International Astrology Day! This special holiday is observed every year on the day of the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (Autumn Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere). No matter where you are in the world, the length of day and night is equal today. The Spring Equinox also marks the beginning of a new astrological year, because the Sun moves into Aries today to mark the beginning of the Tropical Zodiac year.
The Aries Sun will revive us on many levels this week, as we cast off the pessimism, overthinking, indecision, and sometimes lazy vibes of Pisces, to enter a cycle of fiery creativity, passion, inspiration, and assertive action. The next four weeks can prove very fruitful and exciting for those who confidently embrace the energies of the new zodac year. Aries is high energy, upfront, and fast-paced, so make the most of this energy to propel yourself into new adventures.
To add to the excitement, tomorrow’s Aries New Moon will add further fuel to the fire to inspire fresh starts, clean slates, and new beginnings. This New Moon is the perfect time to set intentions for the rest of the year.