Life Design
Spiritual Enlightenment Is Not A Fireworks Display
Many seekers desire spiritual fulfillment, or yearn for enlightenment, assuming it would instantly bring them wisdom, inner peace, and serenity. But instead, true spiritual growth is often delivered in challenging ways we never expected.
Increased spiritual growth often begins with life-altering events, unsettling discoveries, or distressing insights – such as realizing what has really been holding you back from attaining spiritual fulfilment. These learning curves can show up in many ways. For example, as an unexpected ending of a relationship, a health crisis, or the loss of a loved one.
Often, it shows up in the form of disruptive events that expose dysfunctional thought or behavior patterns that have been stifling your mental freedom, or a toxic mindset that has been hindering your ability to see clearly to break free from limiting beliefs and self-sabotage.
The term ‘spiritual enlightenment’ is used very loosely these days and has become a confusing concept to many people. The truth is that authentic spiritual enlightenment is actually not a very big deal. It is seldom the ‘fireworks display’ that our egos might want it to be.
Spiritual accomplishment is nothing to be prideful or boastful about. It is actually a very quiet process; inward and intimate. People who go through this process in an authentic way, report the experience as being a modest, intuitive alignment, rather than a dramatic breakthrough of profound elation.
Only once we have improved our intuitive alignment, are we subtly encouraged by spirit to not to stop there, but to muster up the courage to take further steps in our spiritual growth and evolution. We become increasingly self-aware and are able to assess what we may have done to contribute to the disappointments in our life, and how these dysfunctional patterns may have started.
Astrology Forecast September 12 – 18, 2022
This should be a fairly calm and quiet week – not counting any annoyances Mercury retrograde might cause. But if we remain aware of this possiblity, it will be easier to sidestep any disruptions or glitches that do arise.
The week starts out on a highly productive note thanks to today’s Aries Moon. If you have a lot to get done with your team this week, then the Aries Moon sextile Saturn in Aquarius around midday will be the ideal time for a working lunch, as this transit is perfect for getting people together to discuss goals and important issues. It also heightens our organizational abilities and sense of responsibility, so tap into this energy opportunity to get off to a great start this week.
Wednesday’s Taurus Moon features a series of transits that can be useful in terms of love and romance. The Taurus Moon trine Venus in Virgo early on Wednesday morning will be a good time to ask that someone special out on a date. Don’t be shy – send that text while you have your morning coffee!
If you are married or in a relationship, then the lunar conjunction with Uranus in Taurus early Wednesday evening will be ideal for a surprise date night, but keep an eye on your budget as this transit can be precarious when it comes to financial loss and overspending. Also, if you choose to take your beloved out to dinner, remember to be cautious about what you eat and drink, as Wednesday evening’s Taurus Moon square Saturn in Aquarius is known to disrupt our metabolism and glucose levels, as well as increase indigestion. Avoid rich, heavy foods and overly sweet deserts, and most of all take it easy with the alcohol consumption! A light, healthy meal, followed by a romantic evening walk or some window shopping, is recommended instead.
Once the Moon moves into Gemini on Thursday, we’ll have three days to let our inner child come out to play, as this lunar transit promotes curiosity, exploration, and social interaction. Don’t be afraid to take a leap of faith if an opportunity to fully express yourself or let your hair down presents itself, for as they say, once you leap, you’ll either learn how to fly, or to swim!
Sunday is all about home and family as the Moon drifts through Cancer and gives us the opportunity to connect and engage with those dearest to us, as well as to restore order to our surroundings before another busy week unfolds.
True Healing Begins With Holding Space
A work associate and friend recently offered me a free healing session, which he describes as ‘holding space.’ It involves the healer simply ‘being present’ and mindful in the moment with the client during a video call.
He explained the process beforehand and informed me that was going to simply talk and express myself, with no prompting from him. I gratefully accepted his kind offer.
I was not sure what to expect, but having studied various healing modalities myself over the years and being naturally curious about all aspects of spirituality and holistic health, I was open to the experience.
To begin he invited me to just relax and focus on my breathing. Once he senses that I was ready to proceed, he encouraged me to simply begin talking about whatever came to mind.
“Oh no,” I secretly thought, “what on earth will I talk about?”
Well, I soon discovered that it wasn’t difficult at all! I spontaneously began talking, and soon it was pretty much non-stop! I kicked off talking about my concerns for my aging pets, and then went on to other everyday worries and domestic matters. Eventually, I switched to my family history – specifically focusing on all the times I had felt invisible or let down by relatives.
About halfway through, I briefly hesitated and asked my friend if he was not maybe getting bored? But he assured me that he was perfectly fine, adding that this kind of work was very much a calling for him. He later explained that he has overcome several life challenges and tragedies himself over the years, and subsequent soul-searching, as well as further training in various holistic practices, ultimately led him to begin holding space for others.
How To Do A Fearless Tarot Reading
Each psychic reader has their favorite tools, and what suits one reader does not necessarily work well for another. In all my years as a professional psychic, angel oracle cards have always been my primary divination tool of choice. Nevertheless, I am also well-versed in reading the Tarot. Surprisingly, I have had a few clients over the years who have asked me not to use the Tarot for their readings, often because they feel uncomfortable with, and even fearful of some the occult symbols and imagery found in traditional Tarot decks.
In fact, just recently I had a very worried lady contact me about a Tarot reading she tried to do for herself. She attempted a four-card spread, and three of the cards she pulled now had her very worried: The Devil, Death and The Hanged Man. She was very anxious what this might mean and begged me to help her make sense of it all.
She confessed that she had considered reshuffling the cards and starting over, but I advised her against this. It is not at all wise to try and make a reading ‘fit’ simply because you don’t like the cards you drew. Instead, one needs to look at what the original cards are conveying.
I also explained to her that it is essential to consider the order in which the cards fall in a spread, as it often reveals a narrative or pattern of events. Furthermore, Tarot cards are directive, not simply predictive. The cards point us in the right direction or reveal the best path to take to arrive at a desired destination, and achieve the best possible outcome.
I then helped her to interpret her four-card reading as follows:
Aligning With The New Earth Energy
Have you been experiencing unusual anxiety or restlessness in recent months? Many spiritually aware and highly sensitive people all over the world have been feeling tense or nervous lately, while there is nothing particularly bothersome happening in their lives to cause such feelings. The reason for this is that there is currently a lot happening in our world on a cosmic level.
Old energy patterns that are no longer serving us have been gradually shifting and falling away, to be replaced by the new, improved energies for a new age in human evolution. As exciting and hopeful as these energy upgrades may be, you may not feel very grounded or secure in your physical body at the moment.
Some people describe the feeling as sense of ‘floating’ or ‘drifting,’ and many also report feeling unable to accurately interpret the new energies coming in. They feel disoriented or even confused. It is like being a newborn baby having to readjust to physical reality and learn all over again!
The emergence of a New Earth has been unfolding on a subtle energetic level for several years now at varying rates and frequencies. This global energy shift and spiritual awakening is now once again speeding up. It is inviting you to ‘upgrade’ yourself and your life. It is offering an energy pathway to establish an enhanced connection with your higher self or higher consciousness.
We are all being encouraged and supported at this time to lift off the old armor, drop our tired, worn-out fears and limiting beliefs, and allow instead a renewed purity and innocence to permeate our being.
When we are aligned with the Divine Light, there is no longer any need for competition, strife or worry. We do not envy what others have, or compare our own failures to their successes. Once we are fully aware of our connection to Divine Source, to all of God, Spirit, Creation, the Universe, be know that we will be provided for and that we need not fear or worry.
How To Work With Oracle Cards
I like to use oracle or angel cards when I do readings, because they provide the client with a visual element. This makes the process of reading seem more tangible, and less intimidating. In fact, these user-friendly cards are so accessible that they can be used by anyone in their daily spiritual practice.
My regular clients know that I use the terms ‘angel cards’ and ‘oracle cards’ interchangeably. They are basically decks of cartomancy cards similar to traditional Tarot, but they tend to have more positive messages, images and symbolism than the Tarot.
The many ways one can use oracle cards in your personal practice are only limited by your imagination. For example, you could pull a card and use it as a journal prompt, and then use freewriting or brainstorming to explore how you’re feeling about a certain topic or issue.
You can also ask a question, hold the cards to your heart, and then select the cards you feel most drawn to for the answer. Once you have selected the cards, I advise clients to truly ‘listen’ to the story the cards are telling you. What thoughts, feelings and intuitions do the images and words evoke? How do they correspond with the other cards you selected? What are the common themes?
If it’s helpful you can place cards in a divination spread, or you could pull just one at a time. A simple oracle spread you can try uses only three cards. The first card indicates the past, the second the present (the anchor card), and the third reveals the future.
Sometimes, when a particular card doesn’t seem to provide an instant, clear answer, take a closer look at the different visual elements of the card. For example, what is the person in the picture wearing? Are there any images in the background that provide additional insight or inspiration?
Astrology Forecast September 5 – 11, 2022
We may experience a bit of astrological ‘whiplash’ this week, as we’re under the influence of a Waxing Full Moon, while Mercury gears up to go retrograde.
The week starts out with Venus moving into Virgo, a sign known for its idealistic tendencies and love of perfection. We’ll have to take care not to let our requests turn into demands and our expectations into commands, as either will have others running for the hills!
Today and tomorrow the Capricorn Moon casts an air of productivity over us, allowing us to catch up on anything that fell to the back burner last week. Take care however to not to adopt a lazy attitude this morning due to influence of a Capricorn Moon square Jupiter in Aries.
The mid-morning Capricorn Moon square Mercury in Libra may cause delays in communication and unexpected misunderstandings. Make a conscious effort to stay focused and mentally alert under this aspect. Be sure to send that email to the correct person! Most of all do not let your thoughts spiral into unnecessary emotional upheaval.
Expect flashes of brilliance to dominate the landscape under Wednesday and Thursday’s Aquarius Moon. These will be the ideal days this week to brainstorm, solve a mystery, or seek out new friendships with like-minded people.
The Pisces Moon will influence the remainder of the week, adding an ethereal tone as Mercury turns retrograde on Friday. The moon will wax full on Saturday. A Pisces Full Moon may cause some irritability, restlessness and mood swings. Try to follow your head, not your heart this weekend.
Sunday will be action-oriented under the Aries Moon, as it energizes our every move. Flexibility will be a must, and our main focus this week will be to pay attention. If we don’t, we’re sure to miss important messages from Spirit along the way.