15 minute read
TAROTSCOPES
A BELLA Future
LIES AHEAD…
By Meghan Rose
As we enter a new year filled with hope and wonder, the idea of a new “you” becomes glaringly present. Reinvention is something that takes courage, strength, and action—a true testament to the ever-evolving being that lives within all of us, waiting to be awakened. This year, 2021 starts off with a powerful shift in planetary alignments, welcoming us with Mars entering Taurus on January 6th, Venus entering Capricorn on January 8th, and a New Moon in Capricorn on January 13th. We are entering into a whole new world spiritually. Can you feel it coming?
QUEEN OF WANDS: Expect the first two months of 2021 to be filled with opportunities to showcase your power and remind people what they’ve been missing out on while you were hibernating. There’s nothing but abundance waiting on the other side of you embracing your passion and purpose. Can you tap more deeply into your intuition as the new year begins? Spirit is requesting you to partake in money manifestation and intention-setting practices. Get really clear about what you want to use that fiery Aries energy on, and focus. This is the time to take action in the pursuit of bringing your dreams to life.
TAURUS
FOUR OF PENTACLES: Taurus, How have you been closing yourself off from the world lately? It seems like you’re in a bit of a slump, holding back from showing the world your full, vibrant self. Remember, when you avoid sharing your authentic self with others, it’s actually a form of greed. The world needs you to embrace growth and expansion–it feels like this is surrounding both your career and your love life. Whatever your career looks like now, expect it to change in the best ways once you start using your voice and sharing your opinions more freely. If you’re looking for work, try talking to more people about your search as you will find work through networking. In love, it’s time to embrace vulnerability. How are you holding yourself back from experiencing a real-life love story? Try letting go of the limiting belief that anything is “too good to be true” and watch how your life changes.
GEMINI
KNIGHT OF PENTACLES: Patience is a virtue, dear Gemini. Instead of constantly worrying yourself sick with the idea that you should be doing “more, bigger, better,” can you instead tap into what is presently here with love and gratitude? You are quick-witted, intelligent, and full of so much potential…but just like baking the perfect cake, it can’t be taken out early. Your guides are moving you as quickly as they can without causing a burnout (which is going to happen if you keep rushing the process). It’s time to take up a new hobby, or finish one of those half-read books on your nightstand to distract from the existential crisis you are creating for yourself. All in due timing, and what’s coming for you in January/February is better than you could have imagined. Trust the process.
CANCER
KNIGHT OF WANDS: A new adventure begins for you in 2021, Cancer! This year is starting off with the call of the wild. What (or who) have you had your eye on recently? January is when it all comes together and you begin to live more boldly. Been in a dating slump? Time to have a solo photoshoot and put yourself back out there on your favorite app. Tired of your current living situation? A new city may be the perfect remedy for you as the new year begins. Tap back into your inner child—what did he/ she want from life? No, this doesn’t mean you have to go back to school to become a vet or a lawyer. Instead, ask yourself: How can I make that “feeling” of success and happiness a reality in my life? Do that thing.
FOUR OF WANDS: Leo, it’s time for you to make (and sustain) divine connections in your life. You’re being called to live with more presentness and gratitude as 2021 begins. Is there anyone or anything that you’re currently taking for granted? Remember, connections to love, great friends, and idealistic working environments don’t come around very often. Is there anyone in your life that feels extra special lately? It might be time to roar from the mountaintops about this one, my Lion. This new year seems to be starting off with love coursing through your veins; romantic, platonic, familial or otherwise–be the example for how to show appreciation (even if it feels a little too vulnerable for your liking).
VIRGO
EIGHT OF SWORDS: Ah, my Mercury-ruled Virgos, are we surprised to see a card that represents overthinking and being trapped in the mind for you? You’re worrying yourself over the hypothetical, and just like all the “conversations you could have had,” let’s let go of the “conversations that may happen.” You’re being asked to get comfortable with discomfort; life is not meant to be easy, it’s meant to be enjoyed. I promise that the more you surrender to chaos and confusion, the easier this situation will be. Can you find happiness in the unknown?
LIBRA
SEVEN OF CUPS: There is a lot of opportunity cropping up in the early months of the new year, my lovely Libra. But for someone so indecisive, that may not feel like a good thing. Trust that when you tap into your inner voice, you can never make a “wrong” decision. For some of you, you’ve been entertaining multiple suitors, and it’s time to make a decision on who is healthy for you before they all decide to move forward. For those who are focusing on something other than love, this message could mean a big life-changing event is on the horizon. One that deals with aligning with your path, so if you’re unhappy with your job, living situation, or habits as of lately, jump on the ‘2021 New Year’s Resolution’ train. All aboard to happier horizons!
SCORPIO
SEVEN OF PENTACLES: Invest, invest, invest, Scorpio! You’ve been a little ungrounded in recent months, and Spirit is asking you to plant roots. Get comfortable with structure, stability, and longevity as you start off 2021. Are you moving into a new home? Committing to a love interest? Starting a family? Know that whatever decision you’re making is one from which you’ll reap the most rewards if you stick around and embrace dedication. For some of you this is a clear sign to get your finances in check; have you done research into the stock market, crypto currency, or any other avenues of passive income? Let your money start to work for you, rather than you working so hard for your money. You can expect the months ahead to be prosperous if you think smart and apply your research. FIVE OF PENTACLES: I’m seeing a lot of my Sagittarius babes battling with feeling alone (even more so than the average social-distancer). There is a deep ache here that just can’t seem to go away, and that ache is due to you avoiding vulnerability in your close connections. Take some time to lighten the load of your past wounds; you’re not meant to be abandoned, and you can forgive those in your past who have left you high and dry. Now is the time to create a more connected future for yourself and those around you. Think about joining a club, a new community, or even an online platform focused on connecting you to like-minded people. Explore a new pastime (do I hear “Queen’s Gambit” chess vibes?), or reach out to an old friend or family member you haven’t spoken to in a while. You deserve to love and be loved in return, my Centaur.
CAPRICORN
PAGE OF CUPS: I see love, forgiveness, and sweet offers in the pipeline for you, my Caps. It’s time to soften that tough outer shell and let your guard down. With the energy of this card projecting onto your 2021 beginning, allow this past year to be awash as you redefine who you are at your core: a lover. Maybe consider writing to a loved one or expressing apologies for something that’s still plaguing you from your past. Think about those who you’ve hurt in the past with cold words, or simply out of pride. Is today the day you let the past go and move toward a more joyous beginning? Let forgiveness set you free, and allow yourself to be born anew this year.
AQUARIUS
NINE OF SWORDS: I’m seeing fretfulness, stress, and trouble sleeping as my Aquarians enter into 2021. There’s been a sense of jealousy or comparison arising for you, and it’s time to really sit with what the fear underneath it all is. Are you afraid of being rejected? Left out? Feeling replaceable? Let the emotions bubble up to the surface fully so you can finally feel them and heal them. A reminder, Aquarius babe: You are uniquely, brilliantly, vibrantly YOU—the world does not need more of the same. It’s time to pave your own path forward and make 2021 your most authentic year yet. Buckle up, this is a new route we’re taking!
PISCES
PAGE OF WANDS: I’m seeing a lot of shiny new ideas for you in 2021, Pisces. Whether you’ve been in a creative lull, or simply had more important things to take care of, know that the juices are about to start flowing… and not just coming in spurts, but really rewiring the way that you operate. Each person, place, and thing will start to bring you ideas on your new project. How are you representing yourself with your work? Online? To those around you? More importantly, are you feeling understood? If the answer is no, this year is going to give you the opportunity to bring your thoughts and ideas to life. Ask a friend to use their studio space, take an art class, start sharing your writing on social media. This is the year to live with “accurate self expression” as your motivation. The world is ready to watch you shine!
A much-anticipated new beginning
How excited are you to turn the page on 2020? If there’s one thing we wouldn’t mind continuing from last year, it’s having a bit more time at home to read. If you’re looking to continue building your reading habit this year, then we think you’ll enjoy diving into these selections.
By Barbara Bellesi Zito
5 STEPS TO FABULOUS: CHOICES FOR LIVING BEAUTIFULLY, INSIDE AND OUT!
VANESSA COPPES
CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
You know her as BELLA’s fierce and fabulous editor-in-chief. (Those are our words. She’s much too modest!) But did you also know that Vanessa wrote a book?! Here’s why: “I wanted to encourage and support women in finding their own definition of what a fabulous life can look like for them.
Because we are all fabulous. You’re a child of God and you do not need fixing. Maybe just some healing, like I did.”
1 2 3 4 5
To make the most of a fresh start in 2021, here are Vanessa’s tips:
Transmit health from within. Practicing healthy habits is one of the building blocks to being beautiful inside and out.
Spend some time on your appearance. Taking the time to choose clothes that complement your body type and shape, as well as accentuate your features with accessories, ensures that you portray a more beautiful you. Also, take time to exercise.
Define your own personal belief and value system. As individuals, we know how we feel about a situation despite outside influences. Defining what our own personal beliefs are and living by those values align the body and mind.
Respect the individuality and opinions of others. Even if you have learned to practice the values you believe, your attitude can prevent you from respecting other people’s choices to be themselves. Pompous arrogance or self-indulgence, leading to the disrespect of others, is a trend you should not fall victim of, as it doesn’t make you more beautiful or better than them.
Volunteer. Grow your internal beauty by mentoring others, helping in your local community, or simply being a shoulder to lean on when someone comes to you for help. Volunteering will not only make you more beautiful inside, but it will also add beauty to the lives of others as well. Amanda Russell likens social media to the printing press, which she calls “a revolution in communication history.” But unlike that centuries-old invention, social media is a platform that everyone has access to, whether you are posting your own content or just scrolling by that of others.
“[Social media] has democratized the ability to have an audience so you don’t need the resources it takes to get a television show pitched and produced,” she says. “You can flip your phone around [and start recording].”
Even if not all of us aspire to be the next TikTok star, Amanda says we can still use social media as a platform to communicate with others—many, many others.
“[Social media is] a megaphone, basically,” she says. “If I told you a story via the telephone, the telephone doesn’t become the influencer. It’s the force behind it, the person telling the story.” Amanda’s book will help you become the force behind your story.
THE INFLUENCER CODE: HOW TO UNLOCK THE POWER OF INFLUENCER MARKETING
AMANDA RUSSELL
Hatherleigh Press
Social media is a powerful platform that can make small companies and ordinary people become veritable stars, seemingly overnight. If you’ve ever fancied yourself as an Instagram influencer, want to grow your business, or get more eyes on a cause you’re passionate about, those thumbs-up can add up to something big.
Get the scoop on building your own brand of awesome from Amanda Russell, YouTube star, professor, and entrepreneur. She’ll peel back the curtain on how you can tap into influencer marketing with a three-step code that will get your unique message out the right way to more people than you ever imagined.
Unlock your inner influencer
GIRLS WITH BRIGHT FUTURES
TRACY DOBMEIER AND WENDY KATZMAN
Sourcebooks Landmark
As the college admissions scandal played out in the news during the last couple of years, it gave novelists plenty of fodder for their writing. Exhibit A: this juicy novel written by two besties from Seattle.
When three mothers learn that only one student from their kids’ private school is getting into Stanford University, they take matters into their own hands for their daughters. One mom is a tech entrepreneur who leverages her fortune, another is a PTA member who tries to wield her status as a Stanford alum, while a third flounders as a single parent who wants the best for her child.
When one of the girls is almost killed in an “accident” right before the application deadline, chaos ensues in the community. How far will these mothers go for their daughters’ prospects?
This rippedfrom-theheadlines novel weaves a tale of the dark side of helicopter parenting.
SIRI, WHO AM I?
SAM TSCHIDA
Quirk Books
Many of us scroll mindlessly through our social media feeds. But what if we needed those images to restore our minds? This debut takes on influencer culture with a sense of humor and light mystery. That’s exactly what happens to Mia, a millennial who wakes up in a hospital with shortterm amnesia following an accident—she doesn’t even know her name until Siri says it on her iPhone. Mia’s clothes and accessories hint that she lives in a wealthy part of LA, but she needs her Instagram feed to trace her steps back home, which she apparently shares with JP, her billionaire boyfriend. He’s away for the weekend, but Max the house sitter is there. As Mia awaits the return of JP, Max helps her to put the pieces of her life back together. Mia soon finds that her perfect Insta feed is anything but—and her head injury might not have been an accident, either. DETRANSITION, BABY
TORREY PETERS
One World THE FOUR WINDS
KRISTIN HANNAH
St. Martin’s Press
Reese, a trans woman, was living a happy life with her girlfriend, Amy. A baby would have made everything perfect. But when Amy, also a trans woman, This moving debut takes makes the decision to detransition on gender to a man and sex named taboos and Ames, their what it relationship means to be ends.
a family.
Reese seeks solace in affairs with married men. Ames, unhappy at losing Reese and his only chance at having a family, takes up with his boss, Katrina. When Katrina gets pregnant with his baby and is unsure about becoming a mother, Ames sees this unusual situation as a way for them all to become a family. In Texas during the Great Depression, Elsa Martinelli is faced with a choice that many of her fellow farmers in the Dust
This muchBowl must also anticipated make— novel portrays stay the grit and and risk determination starvation, of people in or go to search of the California
American for a fresh
Dream. start. With her masterful storytelling ability, Hannah depicts this dark time of America’s history with the story of a woman whose will and courage proved to be stronger than any drought.
Loyal readers of this column might remember when we first talked about Kaley Cuoco’s new TV show,
“The Flight Attendant” (based on the Chris Bohjalian novel of the same name). Well, after production delays due to the pandemic, the limited series show is finally available to stream on HBO Max. The gist:
Hard-partying flight attendant Cassie (Kaley) is used to waking up with a raging hangover. But this time, she wakes up in a hotel room next to a dead guy. She can’t remember what happened—which means she could be a suspect.
