self-control
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.
Tarot Forecast August 2025: Strength
This month’s card is the Major Arcana’s Strength, which symbolizes inner fortitude, patience, and compassionate control. This month, we are invited to look within and embrace the quiet, enduring courage that lies beneath the surface.
The Strength card traditionally shows a calm, confident woman gently taming a powerful lion. Her white robe symbolizes purity and spiritual focus, and the lion represents raw emotions, instincts, and untamed passions. The infinity symbol above her head denotes eternal wisdom and the balance between the material and spiritual realms.
This scene beautifully captures the harmony between courage and compassion. Rather than dominating the lion through fear or brute force, the woman subdues it through love and understanding.
Her calm demeanor reflects her inner strength and her commitment to responding rather than reacting. Overall, the scene symbolizes the triumph of the soul over the ego and the mindful over the impulsive.
Instead of seeking power through force or dominance, the Strength card reminds us that true mastery comes from the heart, through calm resilience, loving intention, and unwavering self-belief.
The card calls for emotional balance, urging us to act from our higher self, even when faced with chaos or challenges. It’s time to align with your spiritual center, trust your instincts, and rise above fear with the grace of someone who knows their worth.
Feeding The ‘Good Wolf’ Changes Everything!
Since childhood, I have been fascinated by parables, folk tales and fables. I realized at a young age that there is something truly inspiring about a story that not only entertains, but carries a deeper message or spiritual lesson and speaks directly to the heart.
This love of meaningful stories hasn’t diminished over time. I still find myself drawn to stories that offer wisdom, healing, and perspective.
A few years ago, I came across a beautiful Cherokee story — one that spoke volumes to me and offers guidance to many of us as we navigate the emotional terrain of modern life.
The story goes that a young Cherokee boy found himself in a dispute with a friend. The boy felt that his friend had treated him unfairly. Hurt, and burning with anger, he stormed off to find his grandfather, a revered elder of their tribe who was known for his wisdom.
Sitting with his wise grandfather, the boy poured out his frustration, sharing the injustice he felt and the fire of anger that burned within him.
The old man listened patiently, his eyes pensve and kind. Then, with a nod, he spoke:
“I too have felt great anger at those who have taken from me what was not theirs or who have treated me unjustly. But anger wears on the soul like fire on dry grass. It consumes you if you are not careful.”
He paused, then continued, “You see, it is as if two wolves are fighting within me. One is full of anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. This is the evil wolf. He lashes out, trusts no one, and isolates himself from the world.”
New Year, New Habits, And A New You!
Many people make resolutions every year that are never kept. They make a sincere effort for a month or so, and then it just slips here and there until whatever they decided to do just falls by the wayside. This is normal, and you should never beat yourself up if you make a resolution or promise and don’t follow through. Growth is a process, not a straight line.
When I decide to do something, the first thing I do is meditate on it. I ask my guides and angels, “Is this right for me? Will this improve my life? If I don’t do this, will it hurt me or someone else? If the answers are yes, yes, and no, then I know it’s the right thing for me to do.
I do not reserve this for New Year’s resolutions. I do this throughout the year whenever I feel spiritual growth within myself or experience something that sparks change, whether positive or negative. A new year can begin any day you decide to change some aspect of your life. It doesn’t have to be January 1st; it can be any day.
Personally, I make a new “resolution” each month. At the end of each month, I reflect and ask myself if I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. If not, I set it aside and move on to something new. Eventually, I return to the unfulfilled goal, knowing that the timing wasn’t right. I don’t beat myself up about unfinished goals; instead, I send them love and leave them for later.
My most important resolution is to get closer to Spirit. I strive to understand what Spirit has in store for me and to guide me to become the best version of myself from the inside out. The outward appearance can be dressed up or down, but the true self must be healed, clear, and joyful. That joy doesn’t come from another person or thing – it comes from loving myself as it should be for you. Love yourself as you are in this moment, and nurture the new version of yourself with daily love, meditation, and surrender to your higher self.
Seeing The Spiritual Essence In Others
My world was turned upside down when my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For seven agonizing months in 2005, I became his caregiver, managing the extreme emotional and physical toll of his illness.
Even the hospice staff, experienced in end-of-life care, commented at the time that my father was not an easy patient to care for. Their observation confirmed my own feelings on the matter and highlighted the unique challenges of the difficult karmic relationship I had with my father.
Throughout this stressful time, I held out hope for a miracle. I felt compelled to seek guidance, but unfortunately Spirit revealed a timeline of six to twelve months. This devastated me at the time, but I’ve since come to accept that arrivals and departures are part of every soul’s journey. Spirit was simply confirming a poignant truth: at some point we are all called home to the spirit realm.
Despite his resistance to any form of treatment, my father allowed a trusted colleague of mine, a master in his healing modality, to visit our home weekly for body alignment sessions. These sessions became a turning point — not only for my father, but for me as well.
During their second session, my healer friend shared an observation that struck a deep chord. He sensed an immense amount of bitterness and resentment in my father, energies he had perceived without any prior knowledge of my father’s emotional state or life history. He then offered me a piece of wisdom that changed the way I viewed not only my father, but all of my relationships: “Try to see only the true spiritual essence that is your father.”
How To Deal With Negativity And Toxic Drama
Many people today feel overwhelmed, angry, frustrated, fearful. This is especially evident online in the social media landscape. Unfortunately, too often this leads to attacks on others, including innocent people and companies.
It can be challenging to know how best to deal with all this toxic negativity. I believe it’s best to approach this issue spiritually, from a metaphysical or energetic standpoint.
Energy, whether positive or negative, grows when we feed it. Consider a plant: in order to thrive, it needs water, sunlight, and nutrients from the earth. If neglected, it will wither. The same principle applies to our interactions with the world around us: by paying attention to something, we feed it with our energy.
This is crucial to remember when dealing with any kind of negativity, both online and in person. To thrive energetically, we must be selective about who and what we pay attention to.
Huna, an ancient Hawaiian spiritual tradition, teaches that energy flows where attention goes. Every time we choose where to direct our energy, we’re making an active choice about what we want to grow in our lives. When we respond to negativity – whether with anger, defensiveness, or frustration – we end up reinforcing the very things we want to avoid. To maintain peace and harmony, huna advises focusing on positive intentions and constructive energy.
By giving toxic energy thieves our attention, we allow their negaivity to take root in our hearts and minds. Feeding negativity or drama only strengthens it, which ultimately affects our own well-being. When we consciously choose to withdraw our energy from negative influences and redirect it to uplifting and positive areas, we create an environment where peace and growth can flourish.
Thanks, Mom, For Teaching Me Love And Kindness
We all know people who have come in and out of our lives saying or doing just the right thing, at just the right time. People come into our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. Some of these wonderful messengers and wayshowers may stay in our lives, or leave just as quickly as they came.
I have had several experiences with such earth angels. When I think of ‘earth angels,’ I think of one person in particular: my mother. She taught me many things that have helped me so much in my life. In particular she taught me the fruits of the spirit by applying them in her own life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Children don’t do what adults say…they do what we do. Parents who are great role models and truly involved in their children’s lives raise kind adults, who in turn gift the same values to their own children. I was very fortunate to have a mother who didn’t leave me to fend for myself when I was growing up. She was very active in my life and taught me to be kind and courteous to everyone; to respect the elderly; and to always smile and be positive because we attract what we put out in the world.
My mother also made sure that we ate all our meals at the table until we left home as young adults. My husband pointed out once that when my mother calls us, she always asks how everyone is, not just me. She is very supportive and interested in how everyone is doing. I know a lot of people like her who would walk right up to you and give you a hug and ask you how you are.