authentic self
Mercury Retrograde: A Time To Revisit, Reflect And Realign
Has it felt like the universe has been playing a cosmic prank on you lately? Maybe your phone or computer has started acting up, or your travel plans have taken an unexpected turn, or maybe every conversation feels like a confusing game of telephone?
You’re not imagining any it, and you’re definitely not alone. Blame it on the astrological phenomenon known as Mercury Retrograde.
Mercury began its current retrograde motion in the sign of Leo on July 18, 2025. This phase will last for 24 days, ending on August 11, 2025, with Mercury still positioned in Leo as it returns to direct motion.
But this energetic shift doesn’t stop there. After Mercury stations direct, we enter the shadow period, also known as the post-retrograde shadow or retroshade. This phase usually lasts for about two more weeks, meaning the lingering effects of the current retrograde may continue through August 25, 2025.
Mercury retrograde occurs three, and occasionally four, times each year due to the planet’s swift orbit around the Sun. As the innermost planet, Mercury completes this journey in just 88 Earth days.
During its retrograde phase, Mercury appears to move backward in the sky from our earthly perspective, creating a temporary disruption in its usual energetic influence. Because it is the planet that rules communication, travel, and information, its retrograde motion often stirs up confusion, delays, and misunderstandings in these areas of life.
How She Found Her Way Back
Not every psychic reading begins in light. Some start in silence — the kind that weighs heavy in the heart.
When she first reached out to me, her question was brief, but the energy spoke volumes. There was pain behind her words, and she barely dared to ask: “Am I still in here somewhere?”
She had been in a relationship that, at first, felt exciting—perhaps even fated. “He swept me off my feet,” she once said. “I thought he saw me.”
And maybe he did, in the beginning — just enough to mirror back what she most longed to believe about herself. That she was worthy. That she was seen. That she was loved. But what unfolded was far from love.
The charm that once made her feel chosen gradually twisted into control, criticism, and a subtle erosion of her spirit. What looked like affection became possessiveness. What felt like closeness became confinement.
She had once been a vibrant, creative soul bursting with ideas and dreams.
But as time passed, she began to disappear. “I used to feel like a magical flame,” she confessed. “Now, I’m no more than a tiny heap of ashes under his tyranny.” Her sparkle had dulled. Her job unraveled. Her friendships faded.
But then she called me on Psychic Access and the runes reminded her that the embers of her true self and soul essence were still burning.
When Walking Away Is A Sacred Act of Love
One of the most life-changing truths we come to face on the spiritual path is this: not everyone is meant to walk with us all the way.
As we awaken and align more closely with our authentic self, some relationships begin to fall away. While it’s natural to resist this because endings hurt and change can feel like loss, there is a quiet, sacred truth beneath it all: Letting go is often an act of love.
As your soul expands, you begin to see your relationships differently. They are no longer just emotional bonds or physical connections; they reveal themselves as soul contracts—agreements made on a spiritual level before you ever met people in the physical realm.
Some people come into your life to uplift you, to love you, and to walk beside you for the long haul. Others arrive to teach you about boundaries, self-worth, and discernment. Once their role is complete, the relationship may start to feel heavy, strained, or even harmful. This isn’t failure; it’s a sign that the contract has been fulfilled.
Yet, this part of the journey is rarely discussed. In spiritual circles, we often hear messages about unconditional love, compassion, forgiveness, and acceptance. These are indeed sacred spiritual principles. But we rarely hear the equally sacred teaching that sometimes the most loving thing you can do is walk away!
Letting go of a toxic or misaligned relationship is not abandonment or selfishness. It’s not also not a sign of weakness, cowardice, or a lack of spiritual depth. In fact, it often requires more courage and clarity than staying.
Finding Peace and Joy In The ‘No-thingness’
Like Neo in the movie The Matrix (1999) our minds occasionally slip into luminous moments of complete stillness and clarity — tiny mental pauses where all thinking stops just long enough for us to glimpse the truth of all existence.
In these fleeting spaces between our thoughts, it becomes clear that the comings and goings of life are just that… temporary ‘blips’ of experience that arise and pass through our awareness.
I have come to know these moments as realizations of ‘no-thingness.’
In these brief pauses, something quietly opens up within us. We notice the obvious — what has always been there — hidden behind the busy waking mind and its constant commentary. Our awareness shifts from being consumed by temporary events to seeing what’s always there: the background, the container, the eternal.
These silent mental breaks reveal something much deeper and greater than our own existence and awareness.
There’s a word for this in ancient Sanskrit: svabhāva. It means one’s true nature — the essence of who we are beneath the roles, stories, and conditioning. The term is used in many yogic and Vedantic texts to describe the innate reality or unconditioned self beyond our human ego and thoughts.
Our true authentic self is not something we become. It’s something we remember. When we glimpse the silence between thoughts, we’re not discovering something new — we’re reconnecting with our original divine self. Not the self that reacts and worries, but the self that simply is. Svabhāva is the part of us that doesn’t come and go. It’s the constant presence behind every changing moment. It is the essence of living a truly conscious life.
The Power Of Knowing Your ‘Why’
In a recent spiritual counseling session, I had the privilege of working with a woman who was facing a profound life challenge — stage 2 locally advanced colon cancer.
She spoke with a quiet resilience as she recounted her journey through chemotherapy before surgery, followed by four additional rounds of adjuvant chemotherapy.
There was little emotion in her words, but the weight of her experience was undeniable. It was a story of survival, perseverance, and the sheer will to move forward.
She then admitted that she longed to live a healthier lifestyle, but struggled with unhealthy eating habits. She had gained a significant amount of weight after her surgery, and despite her best intentions, she found it difficult to resist sweets and processed foods.
After hearing her story, I gently reminded her that I could not give her medical advice. Nor am I a nutritionist, and I advised her that professional guidance was essential for her dietary needs.
What I could offer, however, was a way to break the cycle of unhealthy habits. And I could help nurture her mind and emotions and guide her toward a life of greater wholeness and balance.
She lit up with hope. “That would be wonderful!” she exclaimed.
Learning To Trust Your Inner Truth
Have you ever noticed that whenever you’re really enjoying what you’re doing, it’s as if there’s an amazing energy flow or undercurrent carrying you along?
In these magical moments it feels as if the universe itself is moving with you, effortlessly aligning circumstances, people, and opportunities in your favor.
Don’t you wish you could live like this all the time? Imagine a life where every decision you make feels right, where your inner compass is so attuned to your truth that you rarely second-guess yourself.
Unfortunately, we too often worry about what others might think of us, or we choose the practical path – the road most traveled. We fall into the trap of following the opinions of others instead of tuning in and listening to our own inner guidance.
The fear of rejection or failure too often looms large, keeping us tethered to a path that feel safe but uninspiring. We convince ourselves that following our soul’s calling is a luxury rather than a necessity.
Following your inner truth is not selfish. Following the flow of what is true for you also doesn’t mean you’re shirking your responsibilities. It simply means that you are choosing, moment by moment, what feels right for your soul.
Society bombards us daily with standards and our families with expectations of what’s right and acceptable, yet how often do we stop and do a self-check-in? How often do we ask ourselves, “Is this really what I want?” instead of “Is this what I’m supposed to want?”
The Bliss Of Being In Your Element
A former co-worker I hadn’t heard from in years recently contacted me. She asked me how I was doing.
“I’m in my element!” I said. “Working from home, doing what I love, and surrounded by my menagerie of many.”
After our chat, I began to think about what I had just said. The phrase “being in my element” isn’t something I use regularly, so it made me pause and consider its true meaning. What does it mean to be in one’s element?
The saying “being in your element” has its ancient mystical roots. Historically, the concept of “elements” referred to the four classical elements — earth, water, air, and fire — that were believed to make up the world. Each element was thought to have its own characteristics, and people were metaphorically associated with an element that suited their personality or environment.
For example, to say that someone is “in their element” was to compare them to a fish in water — perfectly suited to their surroundings. Over time, this literal meaning evolved into the figurative meaning we use today: feeling comfortable, confident, and successful in a situation that matches one’s abilities or preferences.
As I examined my current life circumstances, I realized that I had intentionally set my vision and manifested exactly the work environment I wanted. This wasn’t an accident — it was the power of focused intention and alignment with my true calling. Continue reading