intuition
The Perils Of Mercury Square Neptune
As an astrologer, it is my job to get information across to my clients in a clear and concise way, that won’t leave them perplexed or confused.
But on occasion there is a clear and present danger. There are astrological aspects that can challenge astrologers, muddle our minds, drape us in a fog of uncertainty and confusion. Such a dreaded hazard is when Mercury square Neptune comes along and clouds our normal channels of communication.
When this mentally perilous aspect rolls around, it is time to switch channels and watch another station. If there is ever a time we must trust in our inner wisdom and knowledge, yet speak the messages that come through from higher places, then it would be when this square rides into town!
We endured a triple whammy of this the past three months, with Mercury squaring Neptune in May, June and July, on the back of one of the most chaotic Mercury Retrogrades in a very long time.
Yes, when the dreaded Mercury square Neptune arrives it howls like Johnny in The Shining, “I’m here…!” Under this astrological influence we’re on shaky ground when it comes communication and getting your message across. It’s usually really difficult to talk sense, let alone think in any sort of rational, logical, coherent, organized way.
Mercury is all about the mind, our thoughts, our reason. Mercury is all about ‘just give me the facts,’ while Neptune wants to infiltrate our thoughts, sink into the murky depths of the subconscious ocean, and expand outward with absolutely no borders to stop its movement from spilling out all over the place.
This Neptune intrusion is way too messy for the fussy Mercury, who likes its contents in small, neat, digestible, bite-sized files it can dissect and differentiate. But being a curious guy, Mercury ventures out anyway, despite the warning buoys signaling chaotic doom.
Shield Your Soul From Negative Energy
There is an evil darkness in our world that seeks to destroy people’s lives and souls. As a highly sensitive person I have been a witness to it my entire life, and I don’t like it. I see people changing for the worse because of it and it’s simply unacceptable.
But I am not referring to a mysterious evil force or demonic entity. No, I’m speaking of the angry, hateful, negative energies that reside within ordinary people like you and me. These forces of evil roam the world seeking the ruin of souls, striving for the opposite of what is good, and positive, loving, and full of light.
We are all spiritual beings in the flesh, but not all of us choose to live our lives as agents of light and love. Instead, some succumb to going through life as energy thieves and psychic vampires. It’s easy to spot the difference. Ever been around someone that leaves you feeling drained and not good about yourself, or your life? Well, I have to tell you these negative souls will destroy your joy and happiness if you allow them.
Misery certainly loves company. To keep these negative souls from zapping your energy and constantly bringing you down, you must learn to surround yourself with the white light and unconditional love of Spirit, God, Source, the Universe. Ask the Divine to protect you from all forms of negativity: negative talk, negative behavior, and negative energy.
Negativity can come unexpectedly from a person that you may never have guessed would be capable of harming your spiritually. They may not even realize they affecting your energy and well-being, but there is a spiritual battle going on every day. So, please be more aware of the people you spend time with and ask your inner guidance system if it is good for you to be around certain individuals and groups. Is that friend or relative uplifting and inspiring you to be the best person you can be, through their words, action and deeds? If not, why are you even hanging out with them?
Can Anyone Read The Tarot?
During this past week alone, several people from different walks of life have asked me this very question. Yes, anyone can learn, but as some of my Tarot students have shown, it’s the passion you have for Tarot that makes the difference, and that can turn someone into a reader with a difference.
Tarot readings can be used for one’s personal growth only, or for doing readings for self and others. Often individuals learn the Tarot of their own volition, paying particular attention to its imagery and symbolism, as they develop their skill with practice, practice, and more practice.
Once they feel they can trust their higher self and their spirit guides, and feel they are being directed to the symbols and imagery in Tarot, which will kick start the required information to be revealed, they will be confident to do Tarot readings.
A good teacher or mentor will always encourage a student to be guided by the way the Tarot talks to them, and not just by learning ‘parrot fashion’ the many meanings each card may have.
It is the language of symbols which helps us more easily tune into the unconscious mind, especially when there is not always time available to spend many hours doing psychic development, and going within and meditating before a reading.
Many Tarot readers work with various spreads, or layouts, to help them answer specific questions and to define events, timing, important influences and important people in the questioner’s life. Tarot helps us find clarity as to the direction in which we are headed and even helps identify blocks which may lie ahead.
I have in my collection at least fifteen Tarot decks, but one or two would suffice for most people. I just love the way talented people have been able to bring Tarot to life in their own Tarot deck design, using their own imagery, shapes and color.
The Wisdom Of Intuitive Eating
I remember reading an article many years ago about a research study conducted with children suffering from various nutritional deficiencies and food allergies. The scientists invited about 20 of these kids into a room with a table on which there was a variety of foods on display. They allowed each child to help themselves to any of the food they preferred. The outcome was astounding!
Each child chose a selection of food that their body naturally would tolerate the best. In other words, they instinctively chose foods that would not a bad for them or cause an allergic reaction. Furthermore, the children also chose more foods containing the nutrients their little bodies were lacking.
This confirmed for me the fact that our intuition or inner guidance system is not merely something we rely on when we are facing major life challenges, or when we are engaging in some form of spiritual practice. Intuition guides us every day in everything we do.
Intuitive eating is very much about honoring the temple which houses our soul. I believe we could potentially become nutritionally much healthier if we learn to trust our intuition more when we make dietary choices, instead of following fad diets and food trends.
Intuitive eating is about challenging modern society’s ‘food police,’ as well as the negative self-talk about eating and food choices many of us tend to engage in.
Intuitive eaters soon find that they eat just the right amount of various foods to nourish and satisfy their body, as they learn to truly recognize their body’s signals. Once you can do this, you are on your way to building a healthy relationship with food.
Be gentle with yourself. Avoid those magazines and influencer images on social media that prompts you to put pressure on yourself to look a certain way. Don’t give energy to such things. Instead, listen to your own body. You are uniquely you, and so is your body. When you express self-love within, you will also express it outwardly. Self-love ‘turns head’s like no designer outfit can!
Connecting With Your Inner Wisdom
In a world rife with uncertainty and daily challenges, most of us are bound to turn to other people in our life to help us deal with our problems or regain a sense of direction. While this is perfectly normal and human to do, spirit teaches that it is best we also connect with our higher self to find the answers we are seeking.
Unfortunately, trauma and stress can significantly block the clarity of our intuition, prevent us from gaining access to our inner wisdom and divine guidance. The following strategies can help us reconnect with our inner being and build a stronger connection with our inner guidance system.
Ignore The Noise
Stop listening to the opinions and views of others. I am not suggesting that you should never take good advice, but be selective about who you choose to listen to. And if their opinion does not resonate with your inner being, walk away.
Too much external ‘noise’ can really block your instincts if you become preoccupied with what others think. There is also the fear of upsetting others or not living up to certain social norms or family expectations. If you were to give in to this, you may very well find yourself living other people’s dreams and ambitions instead of your own.
Avoid the kind of ‘well-meant’ advice that usually only serve the needs of the one advising you. Politely thank them for their interest and concern, but disregard their opinions and simply go ahead with what your inner voice advises. The Chinese Philosopher Lao Tzu said, “He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.”
Have Your Guides Led You Astray?
“My guides must hate me! They only lead me to things that cause me pain,” one of my clients recently complained. It is also not the first time I have heard something like this.
But how can this be? If our angels, guides and ancestors are here to help us, why do they lead us to things that cause us pain, heartache, or grief? Is spirit perhaps not actually guiding us, but hurting us instead? And if that is the case, what are we to do about it?
In my years of working as a professional psychic and energy healer, as well as my personal life experiences, I have come to the following conclusion on this matter. Our guides have only one mission: to love and support us unconditionally. Any deviation from our highest good is never due to the guidance of spirit, but instead the result of one or more of the following:
Ego Interference
Often, when we believe we are ‘following our guides,’ we are actually following a wounded part of our ego that continues to create a reality of pain – because that is all that we know. Your guides will never encourage you to do anything that causes you, or another person harm. Your spirit guardians will never make you feel belittled, intimidated or frightened.
Now, it is important to note they may steer you towards life choices and experiences that may make you feel somewhat uncomfortable or challenged, because it is outside of your comfort zone and they are wanting you to grow and expand. But there is a difference between being gently nudged towards personal growth and soul expansion, and simply being frightened or emotionally crushed
Lack Of Listening
The fundamental question with spirit guidance is whether are you truly listening? Sometimes we are in so much anger or pain that our guides are actually communicating with us, and guiding us, in vain, because we are unable to hear it clearly.
Explore ways to turn off the destructive self-talk and emotional intensity, and work on tapping into your inner guidance and listening to your inner voice.
For example, ask your angels, guides or ancestors to work with you in the dream state. Once the conscious mind that is hurting so much is asleep, it is much easier for our guides to come in and do their work.
Rediscovering The Untouched Soul
Our soul is always a clean slate when we are born. Knowing this and living accordingly is true spirituality. However, the virgin territory of our soul is often more or less blemished or darkened due to many traumas and challenges throughout our lifetime.
Along our life path, we often lose much of the spiritual innocence we had as children. Instead, we begin to dwell in shadows of darkness in various forms: indifference to the destiny of others, confinement in our own; laziness, vanity, greed, envy, violence, hatred.
None of us can deny having at times dark thoughts or toxic emotions, malicious habits or selfish behaviors. However, no matter how widespread and ingrained the darkness may become in us, it is also certain that something immaculate always persists in some corner of our inner being. Even if it is tiny, there is an eternal point of light within where our higher self always remains pure and original. The sacred we carry within cannot be defiled.
As much as life may have made us callous or cynical, we always have this sacred stronghold inside. Herein lies the hope of those who practice spirituality: to reach that virgin point and rediscover in it one’s original nature.
This original nature, pure and innocent, we have sometimes forgotten to such an extent that we need someone or something to remind us to look inside ourselves to rediscover who we truly are.
We sometimes need someone to explain that we suffer because we have stopped believing in purity, beauty and what is good. We need someone to remind us that our deepest identity is virginal and fruitful, empty and full, both things, however contradictory this may seem.