Metaphysics
When Two Souls Collide
Clients sometimes ask me if a recently deceased loved one or pet will eventually reincarnate and return to them. In my experience, they certainly do. Sometimes in this life, and certainly in a next life.
There have been times in my life when I would meet someone and there would be a kind of ‘knowing’ or a sense of familiarity about them, as if I had known them before. I believe we all have these experiences of soul recognition from time to time.
A clear sign for me that I am experiencing a soul recognition during such an encounter is that I feel my body tremble when making eye contact, or my hands are shaking. In my experience, the more intense the physical sensation, the more incarnations I may have had with that particular person.
I have had this experience with people who turned out to be someone I only briefly had contact with, but also others with whom I had more lasting relationships. I also experience this ‘knowing’ with my pets. It is something in the way their eyes connect with mine, as if to say. “Hello, it’s me. I’m back!”
One particular incident, which remains vividly etched in my mind, was an event I witnessed about a decade ago. Someone I knew had fallen pregnant when she was going through a difficult time in her life. Despite the father of the child not wanting to be involved, she decided to keep the baby, and she did her best to make sure her baby was going to have the best she could manage to offer her child.
I was very surprised when she asked me to be the guest of honor at her home for the natural water birth. As honored as I was, I was also a bit stressed about it. She outlined the process and reassured me that a trained doula (midwife) would be present. She had done much research into having her baby at home, as well as substantial prepping with her doula. I agreed, but knowing it might be a very long process, I had mentally prepared myself.
Astrology Forecast May 9 – 15, 2022
Two major astrological events mark this week as a time of transition. The first is Mercury turning retrograde in Gemini on Tuesday, and the second a Scorpio Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on Sunday.
It’s important to focus on preparation for these two events under tomorrow’s Virgo Moon. For example, backing up your computer, saving your passwords, updating your phone’s software, and so on, is crucial, as all aspects of communication may be affected this week by Mercury going retrograde.
On a different note, if you are prone to easily feeling down, or even depressed on a Monday morning, then the Leo Moon opposition with Saturn in Aquarius may affect you negatively this morning. This could manifest as feelings of dissatisfaction, melancholy, self-pity or simple moodiness.
Vital details not only have a way of slipping through the cracks during a Mercury Retrograde, but is even more likely under a Libra Moon. So take lots of notes in meetings and keep records of everything on Wednesday, and review and rebalance on Thursday and Friday as the Moon moves through Libra.
The weekend could toss a few unexpected changes our way with the Moon moving through Scorpio and culminating in a powerful Full Moon Lunar Eclipse. This is the second eclipse in a two-week time period, the first having occurred on April 30th. It sets the tone and focus for the next six months. We will experience deeper spiritual awareness and establish more balance between the material and mystical world, making it easier to approach all aspects of our life with increased wholeness and confidence.
Ritual In A Modern Spiritual Lifestyle
Rituals, rites and ceremonies are the oldest forms of spiritual practice and essential aspects of all religions and belief systems. A ritual is a meaningful or symbolic action or series of actions that has a standardized format or sequence and can therefore be repeated in exactly the same way by individuals, groups or even communities.
The metaphysical energy generated when we focus our intent using symbols, tokens and metaphoric activities during a ritual that has special meaning for us personally can be highly transformative! Whether you practice ritual in a group or solo, it can supercharge your manifesting ability and aid in any mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual healing processes you may be going through.
When some people hear the word ‘ritual,’ they tend to imagine darkened, smoke-filled rooms with mysterious people in long robes, chanting strange refrains perhaps, all choreographed with everyone knowing their roles. I’m sure there are people who practice rituals in this way and elements like incense and chanting can indeed be party of a rite or ceremony. But a ritual can also be more simply crafted in a way to fit into a modern lifestyle and everyday spiritual practice.
In my own practice, I created a little ‘altar’ for myself. A small sacred space where I have placed a few candles, some incense, crystals, feathers and a few other symbolic tokens which hold special meaning for me. I also added a picture of my mother and a statue of an angel given to me when my grandpa passed away. In this way I created a sacred space that has deep meaning for me personally and brings me into a spiritual mindset.
You don’t need to have a lot of room for this in your home. So, you can even create a small sacred space for yourself on the corner of a dresser or table top. As my practice has evolved, I now find that any spare surface or quiet corner in the places where I have lived can become a nook for little spiritual treasures that I find during my adventures. Once you start creating a sacred space, the Universe will send you little gifts to help you along.
Astrology Forecast May 2 – 8, 2022
Venus will move into fiery Aries today, kicking off a week of inspiration, assertive action, and heart-centered progress.
The Moon cruises through Gemini from today until Wednesday, inspiring us to gather, share and assimilate information at record speed. Conversations will be enlightening and fun as we ponder the possibilities and sort through details to discern fact from fiction.
Be careful to not let the energy of the Taurus Moon trine Pluto in Capricorn distract your focus this afternoon. This trine tends to make us intensely emotional and prone to restlessness and extreme actions.
This evening’s Taurus Moon sextile with Venus in Pisces is a perfect constellation for enhancing our love life and bringing renewed harmony to a committed relationship or marriage. If there has been conflicts or arguments between your and your beloved over the weekend, this evening will be the perfect time to kiss and make up! You may find your partner to be in a much more forgiving mood than expected.
The pace will slow on Thursday as the Moon moves into Cancer for a two-day visit, turning our attention to home, family, and security. With Mercury turning retrograde in a few days, this is the ideal time to update and back up computers, phones and other electronic devices.
With the Moon traveling through Leo over the weekend, we’ll be focused on social events, self-nurturing, and generosity. We may not get many chores done this weekend, but we’ll be gifting ourselves with light-hearted interactions and satisfying activities. Enjoy the smooth sailing vibes while you still can, before Mercury goes retrograde early next week.
Astrology Forecast April 25 – May 1, 2022
The major event in the heavens this week occurs on Saturday when the Taurus New Moon and Solar Eclipse sets the stage for a shift in focus, energy and direction over the next six months. This is the first of two eclipses in as many weeks, the next one occurring on May 16th. As we examine our lives for the next two weeks, we’ll be better prepared to make changes once the second eclipse occurs in May.
With an ethereal Pisces Moon overhead today and tomorrow, we should avoid making any hard and fast decisions, as information is cloudy and doubts tend to hold us back. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just the Universe protecting us from moving in the wrong direction!
This evening the Pisces Moon conjunction Mars in Pisces may cause us to be irritable and egotistic. Relationship tension and conflict is also more likely.
Clarity returns on Wednesday as the Moon charges into Aries and doubts fade away. We’ll be inspired to take action and more action, especially when Mercury moves into Gemini and Pluto turns retrograde on Friday.
Gemini is one of two signs Mercury rules (Virgo being the other one) and so our thoughts and mental prowess will pick up full power under this influence. Our thoughts may pop up faster than we can speak them as new ideas and inspirations bubble to the surface for the next few weeks.
Pluto’s shift to retrograde motion may be almost indiscernible, as it’s more a generational influencer than a personal planet. However, as it retrogrades for the next five months, we may see improvements in global concerns, such as climate change.
Astrology Forecast April 18 – 24, 2022
The Sun will move into Taurus tomorrow, turning our attention to our physical, material reality for the next four weeks. Taurus is an earth sign and it channels the Sun’s energy into tangible change, alerting us to where we need to ‘up our game’ in regard to health, finance and security. This is potentially a time of attainment, where after much effort, we will reach important goals. For example, graduating from high school or college, or finally purchasing a home or other big-ticket item.
The week starts off with a Scorpio Moon today, where things might seem a bit ethereal, but take heart, as once it moves into Sagittarius tomorrow, things will become much clearer.
This morning’s Aries Sun square Pluto in Capricorn can cause some tension and upheaval, leading us to be impulsive, argumentative and arrogant. This aspect creates a high risk energy for road rage and accidents, so if you commute to work drive carefully, keep calm, and be highly aware.
This afternoon the Scorpio Moon trine Jupiter in Pisces offers the potential for both social success and material gains, so put in some extra effort after lunch to get that deal or score that sale.
Thursday and Friday are the days to mark your calendar for productivity, as the Capricorn Moon can aid in any projects or work obligations you’ve been meaning to get to.
We’ll relax over the weekend under an Aquarius Moon, seeking out friends, family and new acquaintances to connect with and share fun times with.
Enlightenment Is Not An Exclusive Privilege
One of my Yoga students once asked me if I consider myself spiritually enlightened. I told him that I struggled with that idea, because it implied someone is ‘done’ with their spiritual mission.
It would mean I had accomplished the ultimate spiritual goal and therefore would have no need to continue my spiritual growth and work. It also seems arrogant to say that somehow, some people are ‘more enlightened’ or spiritually more evolved and superior to others.
I once heard a celebrity state in an interview that she knew she was “born to greatness.” I cannot comprehend such blatant entitlement and self-importance…to imagine that anyone was born more for ‘more greatness’ than another! We are all born for greatness in our own way, and none of us are greater than any other.
Therefore, I believe we are all enlightened. Some of us just don’t know it yet.
Spiritual growth or expansion is an eternal process. It is a journey, not a destination. There is no ‘arrival’ and no end. We will always continue to grow more, love more, heal more and learn more.
With that said, I have always felt Earth is a planet for new souls. But even old souls can still learn. There is no special ‘status’ in being a new or old soul. It is simply a matter of how much one has experienced as an individual energy entity.
I have heard over the years clients and students complain they have such a hard time being around people who are “not as enlightened as they are.” I find this arrogant, not spiritual. I believe that all paths lead to God. Just because someone isn’t on the same path doesn’t mean they aren’t headed towards God. Just the thought that we believe we are more enlightened or superior or working harder, shows we have a lot more learning to do.