Release

Ritual, Mercury Retrograde, Full Moon in Gemini and Thanksgiving! – Phew!

Hello delicious lovely, happy Magnificent, Marvelous, Magical, Mighty, Manifesting, Majestic, Mindful, Mesmerising Monday! (Have to love the letter M lol). Did you know that in Egyptian writing, its ideogram is derived from the character for water, which explains why it’s so gracefully written. In terms of Roman numerals, it represents the number 1000? I really quite like the idea of the Egyptian ideogram and the letter “M”.

I don’t know about you but for me this last week has been an interesting weave of ups and downs and really having to manage my energy carefully as there has been someone around me who is sooooo self absorbed, rude, narcissistic and an energy vampire – it’s been most interesting to watch and very peculiar to experience. But later in the week, with the holiday season starting to roll in, we will talk about energy management and how to keep yours and mine clear, clean and strong.

The other week a few people talked to me about ritual and what I found interesting was their thought that it was highly complex, time consuming and that you needed multiple “special” tools for it. Hmmmm, I don’t agree with that. Sure you can make it that way if you would like, and there are certainly times that you really want to make it super duper special, but for the day to day it doesn’t have to be that way. So let me share with you how I view and interpret the word “Ritual” and what it means to me.

To me a Ritual is intention made manifest, it’s that place of connection with the Divine, Universe, God/Goddess or however you chose to name it. In other words, a ritual takes an idea, thought or emotion and gives it a physical form in the world. So for example when I invite or suggest that perhaps at certain times there are things that you might want to write down, release and burn – guess what? That’s a ritual. When you sit down at New Moon and write your wishes/intentions out, guess what? That’s a ritual. All it took was a brief moment of time, paper, pen and something to light either a candle or the paper with.

To me ritual allows your body, your cells, you essence to understand your intention. Does that make sense? So what makes a mundane activity into a ritual is your consciousness while doing it. If you are smudging yourself or home, what is your intention? If you are having a salt water scrub shower or bath, what is your intention? When you light a candle every day when you walk in the door, what is your intention? Remember energy follows intention and attention follows energy and actions follow attention. Thus, a ritual can be a celebration such as the upcoming Thanksgiving in the States or it can be a practice which can be repeated daily, monthly or yearly. When ritual becomes a practice this allows us to go deeper, to explore all the various nuances and of course as we all know – repetition leads to mastery (think of that daily meditation, exercise, journaling etc).

Here is an example; since being guided, led and pushed by the Universe to head off on an adventure and move to somewhere that I didn’t know, leave my home, dogs, kids etc and then having the landing being so incredibly bumpy with all sorts of drama llamas playing out. I felt rootless. That is not a feeling that I enjoy, nor one that makes me feel safe, secure and at ease. Thus, when I found my little nest in a gorgeous locale I set the intention of community, connection and roots. Great intention right? However, I took that intention and turned it into ritual and then into a daily practice and made a commitment that I would “do” this practice for 40 days. Thus, every morning I would bound out of bed, rain, wind or shine and I would do a loop into the massive park nearby, down onto the beach and walk by the ocean and when a rock called to me I would park my arse on a wet driftwood log and offer up my prayers, my blessings and whatever else needed to come up. Then I would pop the rock into my pocket, loop back home and drop the rock in a bowl and say thank you. Now doing this has introduced me to a plethora of people that live nearby, I have been invited for tea, had great conversations and have helped two of them with lifting heavy items! Talk about community. Now keep in mind I committed to 40 days and there was no way I was going to miss one as if I did, I had to start again. Well, I didn’t miss a day, nor did I give up at the end of 40 as this glorious daily ritual feeds my soul, my body and my mind. I now have 49 rocks in my bowl. I guess what I am saying is ritual is easy. Set the intention, let the energy follow it, then the attention, but the key piece is action!

Now let’s talk about Mercury retrograde shall we? (No, don’t go running to the closet to try and hide!) Mercury went retrograde on November 16th and this is the last and final Mercury retrograde for 2018 (thank goodness!) Now as the retrograde happened in Sagittarius there is a lot of heat and fire to this baby. In other words with all this hot headed energy flying around, choose your words carefully. Sagittarius loves to turn up the volume and can be very blunt and loud mouthed, thus with the retrograde happening it can make everyone doubly tactless. So remember to watch your words carefully and try not to go dashing down the hot headed rabbit hole that may be sending sparks off all around you – especially if you are celebrating Thanksgiving!

To all my American friends, Thanksgiving is coming up this week and I hope you take time to just BE, Play, be Thankful and Feel. For some people family holiday celebrations can trigger all sorts of stuff, some great and some rather challenging. So remember to take the energy of the Full Moon that happens at the same time and just get clear about how you want to feel and what is okay for you. Energy Management! Okay, I do have to ask what’s with the Black Friday Sale thing? I appreciate a good deal, but I went once to a store in the states on Black Friday and it was insane! People were pushing, shoving, being rude all for $100 off of an item they wanted. Totally terrified me and have never gone to a Black Friday sale in person again. With that being said I do wish you all a marvelous Thanksgiving filled with family, gorgeous food, connection, joy and big laughter and remember Gratitude!

The Full Moon is on Thursday November 22nd and this full moon is in Gemini and called The Beaver Moon. Now what is the energy of this wonderful moon? “The full moon in Gemini delivers the goods in terms of versatility. That’s because this lunation is ruled by none other than Mercury—the messenger of the gods himself. This full Moon is all about action and change. Will you choose remaining stagnant in the cycles of your past or will you be consciously moving forward by enriching your spiritual blessings? As we move in step with the coming end of our calendar year, we choose enrichment of spiritual blessings or remain stagnant in our past.

Suddenly life is moving at an accelerated rate and be prepared to keep up with it during this full Moon until the next full Moon in December. Be flexible and not so rigid with your thoughts or actions. This full Moon is about leaving behind the noose of old habits, patterns and broken dreams.

Here is an appropriate quotation from President John Kennedy who passed 55 years ago November 22. “For time and the world do not stand still. Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or the present are certain to miss the future.” Think on this quotation.

What has been cannot be changed and it is time to let it go, while we lean forward to embrace all that lies ahead.

The lesson, energy and influences of this full Moon helps us to create a new legacy and to finally free ourselves from all obstacles, barriers and blocks that prevent our individual prophecy and birthright.”

Well that is certainly an interesting Full Moon to accompany Thanksgiving don’t you think?

The cards that wiggled and giggled to come support this week are The Divine Circus Oracle, which made me laugh and nearly snort tea out of my nose! Of course they would come, especially as we may be rubbing up against people that we love but sometimes find quite challenging to be around. Now, if you have never worked with this deck before let me give you a brief introduction – “This deck is for those who find it hard to follow rules, conform, bend to authority and generally ‘do what they are told.’ May your rebel heart always be bold. May your spirit always be free. My you remember to live the Divine Circus and have fun doing things the way you aren’t supposed to, whilst living your most creative and unique divine destiny.” The crystals that came to play are the ones from the beach, the gorgeous rocks that I pick up every morning and bring home to their beautiful bowl. And of course some delightful rose petals and Selenite to amplify.

Thus, I invite you to take a pause and a moment for yourself. Just BE and as you breathe in a lovely deep breath resonant with giving Thanks/Gratitude and as you breathe out through your open mouth release the past, the old, the worry and tension. Breathe like that for a few lovely, luscious breaths and when you are ready ask for the guidance that you need this week and then pick the card or cards that resonate for you.

Did you remember to pick?

Let’s go have a little look see, shall we?

CROWN OF THE BUTTERFLY BAMBINI

Just as nature imbues the butterfly with an innate ability for radical transformation, so too do you have natural instincts within, guiding you to grow in dramatic, utterly life-changing ways. Progress is your perfection. Growth is your attainment. Do you shun what you have been or mistakes you have made? Or instead, do you wear your ability for transformation as a sacred crown of power?

Transformation is an ability, an art, a sacred power. It requires an ability to go through the death of an old self, to be reborn again. That death might be an identity, a lifestyle or career, or an inner sense of self that no longer seems enough to truly reflect who you are becoming.

It requires both strength and flexibility, to be like bamboo, to bend without breaking. Are you willing to let go of what you have known, who you have been, without judging it, except to understand that you are outgrowing your past and becoming your future in this very moment? This takes great courage whilst flexibility of mind allows you to believe there are other possibilities in this life beyond what you have already experienced. The strength gives you enough courage to bear the loss of the known and the terror of the unknown, perhaps even turning that terror into excitement for what may be.

Don’t dream small dreams, for you are capable of far more dramatic and colourful creations. Trust in the magnificence of what you are becoming, the expression of the transformational intelligence and power within you.

DATE WITH DESTINY

Out of the ethers and into your life, she arrives now because you have a date with Destiny. She is a mysterious creature; her ways are wild and her guidance is true. She may create chaos from which a new order can emerge, but there is no need to fear. She has come to inspire, uplift and direct you.

A date with Destiny is a big deal. It is the moment when you realise there is something helping you out, something intelligent, powerful, wise and, no matter how empowered you are, something even more powerful than your own efforts. All bets are off! Nothing is held sacred and anything can happen. If you are a control freak, this will probably scare you witless! You need to trust Destiny’s interventions on your behalf, even if her work seems to be causing your best intentions to go astray. Trust or go mad because you cannot control her. And you do not need to! Your divine destiny is your best life. It is you in the fullest and most beautiful creative expression possible. It is what you want and need, even when you don’t immediately realise it, even when that is rather different to what you once thought you wanted and needed.

The Universe has heard the prayers in your heart, and life is going to answer them by rearranging what needs to be rearranged to sort out whatever has been troubling you. Make sure you let it happen. The more you allow yourself to trust in her, the more you will realise that the universe is working with you, rather than against you, and if you are willing, it will show you the time of your life!

DIVINE DISGUISE

Some blessings are obvious – the door that opens, the person who says yes and the instant success of an idea. But not all blessings are instantly recognisable. Some blessings are so veiled that at first you might consider them to be an unwanted development. A concealed blessing is either already at work in your life or on its way. Don’t worry if you feel like things aren’t working out as they should. Soon enough, the disguise will be dropped, and the blessed unmasked in all its beauty.

Blessings are the mysterious workings of the universe, there to help us along our unique life path to live our truths and fulfil our potential. The universe has the knack of knowing just what it is we need, even when sometimes we might think we need something altogether different. This is how it can be that something we resist and reject in our lives can become the very thing we’re most grateful for later on. We realise it had been a blessing masked, something actually helping us, even though it might have come in the form of a challenge or a struggle before we eventually gain great benefit from it.

The real beauty of a situation isn’t obvious to you yet. But trust and have peace of mind and a realisation that the universe does really know what it’s doing. It’s in your corner, on your side, cheering you on and helping you avoid unnecessary pitfalls, even if you don’t know they exist. There is no need to worry, even that which appears to be most troublesome is going to reveal itself to be working in your favour!

Well delicious lovely, wishing you a stupendous week and I have an invitation for you. Think of the things that you do that nourish you, whether it is playing music, lighting a candle, going for a walk under the trees and give it the energy of a ritual. In other words, set an intention, let the energy follow it make it a conscious action. Also, no matter if you are in the States and celebrating Thanksgiving or live somewhere else, play with the energy of this wonderful Full Moon and give thanks and bless everything that is in your life. In my morning practice I always say “ I bless everything I have and I bless my increasing good and good fortune” and then I start listing them. So I might say “I bless my bed and the cosiness of it and I bless my increasing good and good fortune, I bless the sun filtering through the autumn leaves and I bless my increasing good and good fortune.” Yes? Give it a try and really think of everyone and everything that could do with a blessing. At the full moon take some time to write down the things, or aspects, that you are ready to release, then burn the list and allow it to become compost. Play with it and see how you feel. Sending you big hugs and squeezes and sloppy wet kisses! See you next week and most importantly be grateful for yourself and bless YOU!

New Moon In Gemini, Ancestors and Summer Solstice is almost here!

Jenny Heston · 2:00 pm ·

Happy, happy magnificent, magickal, mesmerising Monday! How are you delicious lovely? Have you had a glorious week? If you remember from our reading last week, the energy of this month is one of moving from Air to Fire (ideas to manifestation) and also Discipline and Action. Thus, have you played with either of those energies in the past week? With the New Moon in Gemini on the 13th (Wednesday), this is a glorious time to really take the ideas (Air) and set wishes/intentions towards the passion and intentional action (Fire) you want to take. If you have forgotten how to make New Moon wishes, don’t worry, we have you covered!

The last few days here have been far cooler and rainier, which in a way has been quite lovely as it has saved me watering the garden, the plants are growing in leaps and bounds and it’s also meant that I have to be indoors more. Thus, those lovely housekeeping tasks that I had been putting off due to the weather being so stupendous, got done! But what I found really interesting was the whole concept of Ancestors that came up as I was doing things like polishing the furniture and taking down the cobwebs. (And no, no hallucinogens were being used whilst cleaning the house!)

How it all came about was as I finished polishing the 70 year old dining room table, I was gently smoothing a gorgeous hand tatted tablecloth over it and I realised that that particular table cloth was 99 years old! What??? My great aunt had made it as part of her wedding trousseau, and as my hand ran along the intricate hand tatted lace I could imagine her as a young woman sitting by a coal fire, with a lamp lit, gently putting together all the pieces that she would take with her when she got married and started her own home. Wow! Ancestors. Then a little while later I was sorting through papers and getting things ready to pop into the post today. I am renewing my British passport and so I had asked my mother if she happened to have a copy of my father’s long form birth certificate. She most certainly did and when it arrived in the mail there was also another long form certificate written all in Gaelic. Hmmm, what is this? It was was my father’s fathers long form birth certificate from 1883 where he was born in County Mayo Ireland and there were the names of my great grandfather and my great grandmother and the profession of the male. Holy Hannah, that was cool. I know back to three generations on the maternal side, but only 1.5 generations on the paternal side. Ancestors. So this got me to perking even more, how often do we acknowledge, invite or even explore our heritage, ancestry? I know quite a few people who have done the DNA Ancestry Testing and have been quite surprised by the results, and as cool as that is I guess I am thinking more about the faces and the energy aspect of Ancestry than the DNA piece. Does that make sense?

When I used to Karma Krew at Enlightened Warrior, one of the sayings that we used a lot was “AHO” as an acknowledgement and in various of the “processes” that would occur in this format of camp often you would hear “aho mitakuye oyasin”, which is a phrase from the Lakota language meaning “I welcome all my relations”, it acknowledges the connection to lineage and to nature. Ancestors. This in turn got me to thinking about when I meditate or when I am out in the woods, what if I were to invite the wisdom, teachings and supportive energy of my Ancestors to be with me, would it make a difference? Well I tried it yesterday out in the woods, and all I can say was it was pretty stupendous. I felt like I had my own special entourage with me, guiding me, whispering words of encouragement and holding me in an energy of love and safety. I highly encourage you to give it a try!

Phew, so with all that being said let’s crack on with the reading. I was delighted to see The Oracle of the Sacred Rebels come out to play, as I was highly curious to see which deck would pick up on the energy of Ancestors and New Moon Intentions. Then I asked the crystals who would like to come and they literally pointed me to the rocks. The rocks that are part of the biggest crystal we know of – Mother Earth. This made me giggle in delight as often when I think of Ancestors I think of “The trees and the stones, the plants and the bones.” Therefore, the reading was done outside on a bed of glorious rocks.

So are you ready? I invite you to ask your ancestors for guidance as you breathe and look at the cards. See if they are willing to come show you what you need to know for this week. If you need a bit of support with really tapping into this type of energy, I have created a pretty interesting visualisation for you. There is a little cosmic travelling, but it won’t take long and you will be totally safe. So just breathe and let’s go on a little explore.

Did you pick the cards or cards that whispered to you?

Shall we go have a little look see?

FOLLOW YOUR OWN RHYTHM

Deep within you are moved by an ancient, powerful force that cannot be tamed. It is the rising pulse of your connection to the life force. You feel it in your bones, in your blood, in your heart and in your belly. When there is something dying within, you sense it falling away, no longer needed. You sense when it is time to rest and be patiently in transition. You feel the stirring of agitation and restlessness when new life calls you to create, to act, to step forward and to take a risk. You know that you march to your own bet, that no-one else can tell you what your inner rhythms are and that you must trust in your own timing. You cannot be rushed or forced, nor can you be held back when it is time to burst forth. Life celebrates and supports the natural rise and fall of your inner rhythms.

You cannot miss what you are destined for nor will you gain anything by trying to push yourself. Trust in the life cycles within, and you will feel the perfect balance between effort and surrender, discipline and letting go.

When it is time for the rhythm of rest, you will feel a natural slowing within and be drawn into contemplation and environments are more gentle, spacious or nourishing and perhaps more peaceful. When the rhythm of play beats in your heart, you will reach out to others to connect, dance, converse, sing, make music, make love and share your wildness. You will be drawn to uplifting groups and places where you can experience a positive energetic exchange.

Your needs will be met in harmony with your rhythms. All that you will miss out on by trusting this, is anxiety. What you will gain is peace.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL?

There are many opinions around you. Some are helpful but others are distracting you from your truth. Although it can be helpful to hear the thoughts of others, when it all comes down to it, you will have to come to your own decision. Do you know how unique you are? How your path is your path to be chosen, lived and created – only by you? Someone else cannot become the source of your decision-making power without negative repercussions for both of you in the long run.

You have become swept up in thinking things through. You have been thinking about which way to go with a matter of importance and you have got a bit stuck in the logic of the decision making process. Sometimes we have to accept that any path is a path forward and if it is not the best path, we can change our approach later on if needed. If we are slightly off base with a decision, life will often shift and move to guide us back on track. We don’t have to be perfect. In fact, there is rarely ever a perfect choice to be made – just some choices that feel more heart-honouring than others. Sometimes we can only really know in hindsight if we made the best choice possible in that moment. At the time of decision-making, we only really have our internal wisdom to rely upon. And that is all that we need.

Don’t punish or traumatise yourself with possible choices. Just making a choice will set things in motion. The best way to catalyse the situation you are in and bring about healing change, stimulate your creative juices and find a more inspired, energised and enjoyable approach to your life, is to just make a choice based on what you feel right now. Not based on anyone else’s feelings. Just yours. So ask yourself – what do I feel right now? And go from there.

GOING BEYOND NORMAL

On the path of life there are deciding moments where we can choose to go with the mainstream or we can dare to take a bolder, more authentic and trusting way – even if it seems riskier or less safe. To rely solely on logic and science, without incorporating the mysterious and magical is a recipe for an existence that is far too dry! The sacred rebel within our hearts will always choose a juicer approach to life. You are currently approaching such a choice point. You could say that the choice is about balance. It is less about choosing to honour either art or science, gardening or architecture, and more about integrating all approaches so that you enhance rather than hinder your life journey.

There is a time and a place for logic, strategy, planning and measurable outcomes. These are not bad tools to have but we must be vigilant not to worship them or allow them to quash or less rational, but equally valuable decision-making tools: intuition, feelings and those things you know, without knowing how you know them! The flowing, inspirational energy of the heart may have no conceivable basis in logic or reason and still be uncannily accurate. To remain rebellious we must not sacrifice the art of emotion, instinct, passion and intuition, for the science of logic and strict planning!

You are being asked to stay open to the intuitive approach in your life, your work, your creativity as well as in your spiritual journey. The intuitive approach can be likened to the method of a gardener or an artist. There is a sense of what might work where and a loose or even a detailed plan, but how the plan is carried out will depend on and respond to the flow off its surroundings. There is no need to control the situation but rather a desire to nurture an idea to fruition.

You are moving outside of the plan! You are living on the border of what is socially accepted. This is good. This is fringe-dwelling freedom. Others might not see this about you straight away as you seem pretty normal but that secret eccentric streak is just waiting to show itself. And, maybe you are an out and proud fringe dweller, completely comfortable with this way of being. Either way, you have a chance to live from the heart more deeply and expressively than ever before. You need to realise that this is a legitimate, empowered and creative way to live that honours all of who you are. You can give up forcing or squashing yourself down into a very limited set of so called desirable qualities like intellect and control. It’s time to get a bit wild and let nature take its course.

What a glorious reading! How did it feel for you? There is lots to perk at this time with both of the different energies of June, tapping into your ancestral line for support, New Moon and Summer Solstice next week. Holy Hannah! Don’t get overwhelmed, don’t avoid either. Just relax and ask for guidance and support. Two things, firstly, thank you all so much for your lovely emails and comments, I really appreciate them all and the sharing of stories. Secondly, the reading will be coming out on Tuesday of next week, as I am driving for 12 hours on Monday. This will be a lovely Summer Solstice reading and there will be an idea for ritual to help you really hook into this wonderful energy. So do make sure you are signed up for this as you won’t want to miss it. Have a fabulous week and remember to lean back into the guidance that is always there for you. Huge hugs and squeezes! (Oh yes and yummy choccie biccies with hot tea). See you on Tuesday next week.

March is here and the energy has changed! And only 15 days until Spring Equinox!

Jenny Heston · 2:00 pm ·

Happy magnificent first Monday of March!!! Whoot! So excited March is here, there is a sense that winter is leaving (not when I look out the window so much), but definitely in my body and spirit, and the theme and energy has changed – more about that in a moment. First, I would like to say a huge thank you as so many of you sent me glorious messages and emails about my having to say goodbye to my lovely Uma, and I really, really appreciated them and the sharing of stories. So a huge heartfelt thank you!

Have to say, this week has been a week of “firsts” without having her around and at first I was so sad and angry about it all, which I noticed manifested in an odd cough and sinus pain. Duh! Sinus stuff is repressed anger, lung stuff is grief. Thus, I was very gentle with myself (and others – so no one ended up in the freezer) and made sure I was clear about what I was willing to do and what I just couldn’t, or even didn’t want to. Which shocked a few people, but felt very much like honouring where I was at and I wasn’t going to dumb it down to make others feel “okay”.

I took time this weekend to go play in the woods and just do some healing and releasing. On Saturday I went with a friend plodging through the snow and we bushwacked! What does that mean? It means we followed deer trails, elk trails that wended and winded through the forest and the deep snow, first up, then down, then up, along and slightly down and we had no concept to where we were. We had to crawl under brush, scramble over fallen trees covered with snow, or slide down a cliff on our bums, but I laughed and laughed. By the time it was all said and done we had done about 8 km and from the knee down were soaked, but it felt cleansing and gloriously grounding!

I also spent time bundled up just sitting outside and watching the dance of the squirrels and the crows. Every Saturday I put out seeds, peanuts in the shell and gorgeous little tidbits for them and then I laugh! A huge crow flies in and grabs a peanut whilst calling in all his friends, a small squirrel dashes along the top of the fence and has a face off with the crow (who does fly off) and grabs a peanut and sits very contentedly munching away, until a different crow flies in and the squirrel dashes off. Then this dance is repeated until everything is gone. I have to admit, I really admire squirrels, they are ballsy! Have you watched them? They go out on the thinnest of branches that bow under their weight, look at where they want to go and then just leap! I watched this little chap leap a good 4 feet onto the tiniest of branches, bounce up and down for a minute and then crack on with the mission of getting to the peanuts. They would make exceptional diamond thieves!

So as I mentioned earlier the energy has shifted and the theme for this month is Creative Adaptability. “Many of us are leaving February in a state of grump resistance to how things are unfolding both personally and globally. It will be both a challenge and a relief to have the opportunity to work with something new. It is time to change and step into a more proactive role in how we experience our lives. We need to be adaptable, not in a resigned acceptance, but rather in way that has us creating new recipes using familiar ingredients. Creativity is a key element this month.” If you want to learn more I highly suggest following Lena Stevens of the Powerpath.

Thus, it was no surprise that the deck that jumped out after this last week and weekend was The Oracle of the Faery Forest. Interesting to see that the crystals that came to play all remind me of birds eggs for some reason. So we have Angelite – a gorgeous crystal of heightened awareness, Chrysocolla – which revitalises and calms the base, navel and solar plexus and helps to ease emotional heartache, Sodalite – brings mental calmness and rational thinking. I use Angelite everytime I do a reading, I tuck it into my bra and have it next to my skin – would love to say I popped it in my cleavage but being long and lean it would probably drop all the way through to my ankles!

So with that overshare, let’s crack on! Take a moment to just come into your body, feel your feet on the ground and lengthen your neck and tuck your chin as if you are holding a large grapefruit under it. Just feel the energy moving up and down and breathe. Allow your wise inner self to come up and when you are ready pick the card or cards that resonate for you. If you want to get deliciously grounded and connected to the heavens, there is a glorious visualisation for you, although a helicopter decided to pop in briefly.

Have you picked?

Let’s go see who want to come support you this week.

THE GOLDEN UNICORN

Everyone deserves to have another person in their life to whom they can turn for protection and care. When this card comes for you, the Golden Unicorn is showing you the path to a person, advisor, or mentor who will assist you through the challenges you are now facing. When the Golden Unicorn appears, it is a beacon of hope, for with the right guidance, what seems to be impossible can be achieved, and you will no longer feel so raw, vulnerable, and unable to go on.

If you are facing unjust circumstances – you will be shown, step by step, how to get through this time, when it seems that all friends have fallen away, and the world is no longer a safe place. The glorious golden unicorn leads with reason, intelligence, and intuitive brilliance. With their guidance you will come to a safer place within the world, and be wiser in choices regarding friendships, alliances, partnerships.

You are wiser now, and will never be quite so hurt again. There is now protective energy about you, and it is safe for you to leave the current circumstances and create a new path. The judgment you have sensed about you will now dissipate, and true, good people enter your life to help heal the pain of friendships that have fallen.

OATH

An oath is a sacred bond that we make. It is more than a promise, it is the bond of a soul contract through the spoken word – and thus we must be cautious when we offer our word, and think through what it is we mean when we give it. It is impossible to ever know what another thinks we mean when we give our word, so when this card comes, there is a slight undertone of a warning – that another person may take your word and twist it to mean they have your loyalty forever, regardless of circumstance, behaviour, or treatment. An oath is made between equals, and an oath can be broken by both parties, and by circumstance.

You may now be considering a partnership or a contractual agreement. It is almost impossible to know how to ensure that this is a good thing, because the truth is, within every contract there is much that cannot be comprehended, even when it is read. If this is the case, ask the other party in the contract to explain what is meant by clauses you do not understand – and ask them to offer examples, so you can best understand the paper oath you are taking.

In some cases, it may be a handshake you are sealing an agreement with. Whatever its form, consider the weight that comes with the feeling of making this contract. Consider the future and the karmic load the agreement brings to you, along with its immediate benefits. It is the truth that when considering our word, we must understand as fully as we can what we have agreed to. Be sure to do this now.

CUNNINGWOMAN

Now is not the time for talk or action. It is a time to be independent, watchful, and intelligent.

This being holds with her very specific knowledge – the value of silence and watchfulness. Her message to you is to watch, and observe what people and beings around you are doing. It is through their actions that you will know them. There is also an element of secrecy – you must keep close to your heart certain information and thoughts at present. It is necessary for you to be very shrewd and careful about the next step – and this is no bad thing. It is wise to conserve your energy at this time, to be silent, to withhold, and to begin to see the patterns around you. You will soon know what to do, and exactly when to do it.

But now is not the time to share, to offer forth your most tender secrets, nor is it time to speak of what you know. It is time to be quiet, to observe, and to allow others to reveal who they are.

Quiet your mind, steady your gaze, resolve to be focused, and then your innate and clever nature will be able to make sense of what is taking place about you. Be the point of stillness, watchfulness, and wisdom. Let everything just drop away. And begin to see the truth, as revealed by what is actually happening, uncoloured by story, imagination, interpretation.

Wow! Well that is quite delicious – protection, oaths and silent observation!!!

Holy hannah! Well glorious one wishing you an amazing week where you feel your roots are strong, your trunk is flexible and your canopy reaches to the heavens to receive love, nurturing and joy! Oh yes, and if you are surrounded by snow and rain, treat yourself and buy a lovely cheerful bunch of daffs!

Oh yes, and I’m creating a free glorious “Spring into Life” challenge. 5 days of easy ritual, tuning up all your energies and aspects of your life, releasing the “blaugh” and ending with a glorious ritual on Spring Equinox. So you feel clear, joyful and on purpose. More info on that coming out later this week.

Big hugs and squeezes.

We are near the end of February and what a week it has been! Weekly Reading February 26th.

Jenny Heston · 2:00 pm ·

Happy glorious Monday delicious one. How has your week been? Do you realise that in a week we will be in March (thank goodness, as that means Spring is going to be here soon). I will be honest, this was a really tough reading to do. It’s been a heck of a week here, my gorgeous gal and most favourite dog – Uma went to sleep on Friday. So the week has been a rollercoaster of emotions everything from tears, hope, deep sadness and anger – big anger. I noticed on Monday she wasn’t her usual self and took her to the Vet’s on Wednesday to find out she had bone marrow cancer and then on Friday she looked at me and literally asked to go. So incredibly hard. Sometimes I hate being a grownup!

On Saturday I had to attend a meeting at the Legion and it took everything for me to keep it together, to stay prickly enough that people wouldn’t come near me and ask me dumb questions (as I felt very inclined to advise them of their stupidity – I know, not kind, but I wasn’t feeling kind). I was feeling deeply sad and wounded. I did really well and just stayed quiet, took the minutes and was counting the time until I could bolt and then someone walked up with a service dog. I literally bit the inside of my cheek and dug my nails into my palms whilst looking at anything other than that dog until the meeting was done and then – well all bets were off. I bolted out the door and the tears came hot and fast. When I got home I realised that I needed to write, to write to my gorgeous gal, to write to the pain and the loss and this whirlwind week, so I did. I wrote an Ode to my gorgeous gal. Interesting to see that the weather has been reflecting my mood, it’s grey out there with continual snow and blowing winds – bleak. But I know Spring will come, the snow will stop, the sun will shine and these waves of overwhelming emotion will gradually get further and further apart.

I thought the Rumi deck, or the Wild Kuan Yin would be the ones that wanted to come play, however, they weren’t. It is The Divine Circus which did make me laugh a bit “May your rebel heart always be bold. May your spirit always be free.” The crystals that wanted to come play are:- Amethyst, Aragonite, Smoky Quartz.

So with all that being said, I invite you to gently close your eyes down and take a glorious deep breath in, nice and slow through your nose and then a lovely sigh like exhale through your mouth. Keep breathing in this way and see at your heart centre a glorious ball of warm light. Envision this ball of light moving down your body and going out the soles of your feet, down, down, down into the gorgeous molten core of the earth. Feel it click into the gorgeous grounding earth energy and then move itself back up and through your lovely body and out the top of your head. As it moves up, up, up it expands completely around you so that you are standing in the middle of this lovely warm light and feel, as it expands out into the Universe, feel it click into the universal energy – the realm of infinite possibilities. Now that you are connected to earth and Divine, your ball of light moves slowly back to your heart space and gently sits there, nurturing, guiding, healing and loving. With this energy surrounding you, in you and through you, gently open your eyes and trust yourself as you pick the card or cards that call to you.

Ready to go see?

SWEETHEART

You’ve know violence in your life; maybe on the outside, maybe on the inside with a mind that has tortured you with fear, shame, darkness and doubt. Enough of that now. It is time for a gentler way – less pain, more gain. No more torture. It’s your time for sweets and treats.

There is so much violence in the world, and in our own minds, that we can assume this is just the way of the world, that we have to accept it, deal with it, and thereby forget we have the right to question it and even change it, if we so choose. Even the most ambitious desires for healing the world start with us as individuals. We cannot bring more peace to the world if there is violence in our hearts. Regrets, shaming judgements, fear of not being good enough, uncertainty and constant pushing to become more, to do more, to have more, can become the energetic equivalent of beating ourselves up every day. This creates invisible bruises that never have time to heal because we don’t give ourselves the sweetness, kindness and compassion we need to break free from the abusive cycle.

This cycle you are coming to is sweeter, one that is more loving, one that promises new life. But you have to be willing to dispense with the violence, one step at a time. You deserve to give yourself a gentler life journey. Would you accept this for yourself? If there are abusive or toxic relationships in your life, then you’ll need to do some relationship overhauling. No matter how much the people involved may proclaim their love, if underneath it is unhealthy, if a relationship is holding you back rather than helping to lift you up, then reconsider its place in your life.

You can’t taste the sweetness that life wants to bring to you if you are crammed full of stuff you don’t need or want anymore. Create some space. Ready yourself for receiving life’s nectar and believe in the power of your new beginning. You are a true sweetheart of the universe. Let yourself be treated accordingly.

CONFETTI

You will soon have cause for celebration. Whether a big win or a token gain affirming that the best is yet to come, sweet success is headed your way. Prepare to celebrate! It’s time to find the celebratory spirit within. Maybe you already feel it, or maybe it’s the last thing in the world you can imagine feeling right now, but whether it’s on your radar or not, a cause for celebration is imminent.

It’s time to spend your energy in playfulness. If you want more success, happiness and celebration in your life, you can enhance that right now by being happy for the success of others around you. Do you know that success is like a wave? When you genuinely congratulate another and feel happy for their happiness, your own energy field gets a jolt of that same energy. You attract it into your own life. You deserve success for all you are and all you’ve accomplished just as much as anyone else.

So be happy for another – even if a part of you wonders if there is enough to go around, if maybe they have taken your piece of the pie, or if you wonder if their success is really served. Let such thoughts be without adding to their power for thinking such a way. Just take charge and choose how you want to respond. Be happy for them and be happy for you as the universe is giving you notice of a party – and you are most definitely meant to attend – and it’s heading your way.

DEATH SHALL NOT TAKE HIM

You are going to witness the impossible made possible. Whatever you think is lost, is not. Whatever you think cannot be, shall be. The universe is going to intervene and what seems to be over, shall in a new way, live again.

Sometimes, just when you think it’s all over, the eleventh hour comes. You can practically hear the opening chords of your swan song, and when you have finally given up, suddenly, somehow, right before your eyes, everything changes – just like that. You were free-falling and then, suddenly, you are soaring. Fate steps in, destinies are altered and life demonstrates its creative, restorative power, even if all seemed lost.

No matter how defeated you feel, no matter how many dead ends you’ve encountered, how many setbacks, how many failures, no matter how impossible success may seem, the universe has your back and is going to right things in your favour. You will succeed. So if you really must (sigh) doubt for one more moment – go ahead, then replace doubt with trust and participate in the divine defiance of life refusing to be stepped on or crushed. Why not just frigging relax and bear witness to the universe’s impressive display of life-giving power with reverence and delight? Gorgeous one – get out of your own way!

Wishing you a glorious week where you treasure every moment, laugh as often as possible, tell the people and animals in your life how much you love them and remember that everything is transitory – so celebrate everything! My lovely sister sent me a blessing this weekend that is absolutely beautiful and an amazing reminder that life is good, life is love and there is always someone there to hold us, help us dust off our dirty knees and to remind us that this too will pass. The blessing is called Beannacht by John O’Donohue and starts off with –

On the day when
The weight deadens
On your shoulders
And you stumble,
May the clay dance
To balance you.

8 Rituals to help you celebrate Winter Solstice.

Jenny Heston · 8:31 pm ·

I love Winter Solstice and I can feel the energy of it for a few weeks before it even arrives. It’s dark far earlier, much colder outside and there is a desire to cocoon, wear warmer clothes and eat soup (at least for me). There is a sensation of reflection, going inwards and questioning that arrives naturally from this energy. To me this is a time where I notice those “meh” moments more and really examine my life and ask the question “Am I showing up and embodying what I am called to do?” That’s why, to me, I feel it vital to take some time out to honour this energy and work with it which in turn allows me to feel aligned. In fact I feel more balanced, connected and inspired after I have taken some time.

So what is Winter Solstice and why celebrate it? Why take the time to honour it? Good questions, so let’s explore from whence it came and what it means.

Winter Solstice takes place on the day where the night is the longest and the hours of sun or daylight are the shortest. In fact “Solstice” comes from two Latin words: sol meaning “sun” and sistere meaning “to stand still” because it appeared as though the sun and moon had stopped moving across the sky. This longest night of the year, followed by a renewal of the sun, demonstrates the cyclical order of the cosmos. In this way, celebrating the solstice can be a beautiful remembrance that our lives are part of a larger order, always changing, always renewing. It’s a gorgeous invitation to not be afraid of the dark or the shadow, as it is in that place is where we shift, grow and recharge.

Winter Solstice has been celebrated in various forms and for thousands of years across a myriad of cultures.

There was Saturnalia in Ancient Rome which began on December 17 and lasted for 7 days. These celebrations were held from as far back as around 217 BC to honour Saturn, the father of the gods.

Feast of Juul – This is where we get the term Yule from at this time of year, was a pre-Christian festival observed in Scandinavia at the time of the December solstice. People would light fires to symbolize the heat and light of the returning sun and a Juul (or Yule) log was brought in and dropped in the hearth as as a tribute to the Norse god Thor. This log was burned until nothing but ash remained. The ashes were then collected and either strewn on the fields as fertiliser every night until Twelfth Night or kept as a charm.

Yalda – or Shab-e-Chelleh (night of fourty) is an Iranian festival celebrated on the “longest and darkest night of the year” – Solstice. Every year, on December 21st, Iranians celebrate the arrival of winter, the renewal of the sun and the victory of light over darkness on Yalda Night.

Santo Tomas – a celebration in Guatemala where the Mayan Indians indulged in the ritual known as the Palo Volador, or “flying pole dance.” Three men climb on top of a 50 foot pole as one of them beats a drum and plays a flute. The other two men wind a rope attached to the pole around one foot and jump. If they land on their feet, it is believe that the sun god will be pleased and that the days will start getting longer.

If I were to try and explain this celebration in a nutshell it would be a time for introspection, embracing of the shadow, a willingness to walk into the dark, to then celebrate the returning of the light within and without. This is a celebration of honouring the dark before calling into the light and then most certainly celebrating the return of the sun and the light.

So let’s talk rituals – some people get really weirded out when the word “ritual” is mentioned. So let’s put some myths aside right now – there is no right way or wrong way, you don’t have to have all the ingredients for a certain ritual, it doesn’t need to be complex and over the top (but if that’s your style, go for it). I personally like simple rituals that I can do with my kids, on my own, with friends I trust and I don’t ever want them to feel like I am adding to my “to do” list, especially in this frenzied time.

To me ritual is intentional and all about creating space for you to tap into the seasons, the reasons and yourself. By performing simple rituals with personal meaning to celebrate the solstice, these rituals will serve as touchstones to help you cultivate an attitude of receptiveness and appreciation that will carry you through the holiday season with more ease. A good starting point might be to make a promise this winter to spend more time listening, watching, and honoring the slower, quieter rhythm of the season.

Always, always start with setting the space. Whether it is lighting a candle, hanging a wreath of evergreens or just sitting in silence for a while. Honour yourself, your connection to Gaia and Spirit, the celebration and get clear on your intention. Let’s explore some rituals to help you tap into this gorgeous energy, gain more peace and clarity and release whatever is not serving you.

Be Still, Be Quiet – Tools – You, a candle.

The minute I wrote that title I thought of the song based on “Christina Rossetti’s” poem – In the Bleak Midwinter.

If you don’t know this poem the first stanza is “In the bleak mid-winter, Frosty wind made moan; Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter long ago.”

Yet for some reason this poem captures the energy of this celebration. It is a time to stop, stand still.

So if you are willing (appreciating we are all very busy – as we tell ourselves), take some time to just be quiet. Turn off all the electronica, the TV, the cell phone, your laptop or whatever it is. Sit in the dark and just breathe and as you breathe imagine a glorious sunlight coming into your heart space and as you breathe out release the strings of darkness that we all have. Keep breathing in this way and with those intentions and when you’re ready gently bounce up. Turn on the lights, light a candle and eat something sunny. An egg perhaps?

Release, Cleanse and Create!- Tools – Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedar, Juniper Berries or Sage, a candle, journal for writing in. Peace and quiet for 20 minutes.

Create a space. Just sit, light a candle and give out a blessing. Anne Hayman has a lovely one that I work with – “ Bless me on this holy day, as I honor the traditions of my ancient sisters. I hold space for myself + for all living creatures on this planet. I stand strong in this long night of darkness. I trust that the light returns. I see my own energy reflected in nature as I go within, only to emerge full of light. May the blessings be… And so it is!”

Then take a bit of time to write out what you want to release, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. Where are you holding it in your body and how you will feel when it is released? When you’re finished writing, rip the paper up and place it to the side.

Then using Frankincense, Myrrh and Cedar (if you are using the real thing then you will need a charcoal disc to burn them on). If you don’t have these, no panic – use Sage smudge or whatever you have. Light this sacred incense up let it waft through the air and take a moment to think about all you have released. Then with the candle you lit at the beginning, over a safe container, light up the pieces of paper you ripped up.

As you watch the flames devour your darkness and releasing see it all absorbed back into the sky, the Universe, healthy, cleaned and transferred. .

Sit for a moment with the waft of incense around you and your candle burning and say to yourself – “Light above me, light around me, light within me, light below me. My light is my strength and my protection.” You have just welcomed the light back.

So now you have created a glorious, sacred space within yourself with this ritual. What do you want to fill it with?

Imagine yourself as fully connected to the Divine and the Earth, you are a conduit in the middle. With this glorious energy pulsing through you – what do you want to create? What makes you feel energised? What makes you feel vibrant and alive? How do you want to share your light with others? Write it all down. If you use cards and feel fully connected to them, do a yearly spread. If you want some help, let me know.

When you are done, place both hands on your heart and breathe long and deep. You have just done something that is powerful and changes energy in a deep, subtle way. Breathe in, breathe out and know, trust you are a delicious being of light and love. So it is, and so it will be.

Get outdoors! Tools – You and the outdoors.

Is there a trail you can walk or a field or bank of snow you can lie down in?

A perch that provides the perfect view? Perhaps it is the top of your apartment building or a rocky outcrop. Wherever it is, even it is in your yard, find a quiet place to just acknowledge and BE. Get outside, whether it is at night or to watch the glorious sunrise. Get outdoors.

Create a Giving Tree – Tools – Food in the fridge, popcorn strings, a tree, candles.

This is deliciously easy and can be done on your own, with your partner or with your kids. Create a giving tree (this is where the idea of Xmas trees came from). Make some strings of popcorn and berries, apple slices or whatever you would like to do. I have done nuts on strings, apple slices covered in peanut butter embedded with seeds, popcorn and cranberry strings.

Take all your glorious offerings to the tree you picked, whether inside or outside. In the dark hang your strings on the tree and tell the tree how you welcome the light back so that there is more than enough abundance for everyone and everybeing. Stand back in the dark and revel. Then light your candles up and just take some time and appreciate where you are, your glorious tree, the offerings you made and the light coming back. If you want to burst into song with something like “Here Comes the Sun” by Simon and Garfunkel, then you so need to send me a video!

Invite People for Dinner! – Tools: You, friends or family, candles, food and a willingness.

This is a celebration time and what better way to celebrate than share food with others.

Sharing food is an important part of any celebration, it is particularly meaningful during Solstice as it represents faith in the return of the sun and the harvest. So have a friend or more than one over for dinner! Light some candles, share your goals, intentions and what you want to “harvest” in the next 6 months.

Turn off the Lights! – Tools: You, lights and thermostats?

This is super easy, turn off all the lights in your home, turn off your furnace, radiators, , baseboard heaters or whatever form of heat you have. Open the doors and windows wide and allow the cold air to flood in and breeze through (I highly recommend you bundle up).

In that soft darkness sit and BE in silence for a good 5 minutes or more. With the combination of dark, cold and silence it cultivates a stillness in yourself. You may feel a tad wiggly or odd but just keep breathing.

I used to do this with the kids when they were younger (and this is also my youngest monster’s birthday) it was quite profound to see what came up and out. When you are done with the dark (and don’t run from it), go around and gently close the doors and windows, put on your heating supply and as you do send a little blessing out “As the darkness begins to retreat and light begins its return once again – I am grateful”.

Then light candles galore (this welcomes back the sun), sing songs, share food and stories and what came up. And most importantly relax, enjoy and celebrate! If you are doing this on your own, after you have lit your candles, put on music that makes you feel awesome. Move your body and eat something delicious that is not your norm and give huge thanks.

Walk into the Dark – Tools – evergreen boughs, candles, apples and again – a willingness.

I have done this one for quite a few years with my kids and friends and it is stupendous and delicious. The Spiral Walk.

A few days prior to Solstice we go gather a truck filled with cedar boughs (keep in mind I do live on the side of a mountain). Then on the white snow we create a spiral that you could walk like a labyrinth. In the centre of the spiral is a tree stump covered with nature’s offerings – berries, shells, pinecones and crystals and a large candle.

The evening of Solstice we all gather together and each has an unlit candle in an apple and the only lit candle is the one in the centre of the spiral. One at a time gently holding the unlit candle someone walks the spiral into the darkness, towards the light they whisper what they want to release. When they hit the centre they light their own candle and as they walk slowly back out of the spiral they say what their creation, hearts desire, manifestation are going to be.

When they see a lovely spot that resonates for them they put their apple candle on the spiral and so it goes. By the time this ritual is done the spiral is lit up all over the place and then we would go inside, turn on all the lights and eat a meal and celebrate together. Have to say, every time we have done this as a family the spiral has been lit up all night and the centre candle has never gone out, no matter the snow or the winds.

Gift and Share – Tools: You, your stuff, large bags.

You’ve heard the saying “What is one man’s trash is another man’s treasure?” What better way to release and invite in the abundance that comes with the sun than releasing things you don’t need. Now I’m not talking about those tatty, ripped stained jeans – but what about that sweater you haven’t worn in years, those jeans that are lovely but you don’t like? Things like that. What about the food in your pantry that was given to you or brought to a gathering that you are never going to eat as it isn’t your thing? (For me I think of nuts as I don’t eat them).

So intentionally gather these things together and as you bag them up to drop off where they can be really used, set the intention of releasing for yourself and that you have created space in your physical life for more abundance and light and that your donations are welcomed and helping someone who will really enjoy them and appreciate them.

So wishing you a stupendous Solstice and a massive release and intention setting. Remember there is no right way, you just have to take the time, set an intention and do it.

Happy holidays to all of you, whether it is Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice or none of those. May you feel peace, love and tap into your light.

Release

jennyheston

Release Anxiety And Claim Your Power