fierceTRUTHS
Real. Raw. Awake.
ISSUE 6
MAGAZINE
The Lonely Journey of
Spiritual Awakening
OUR GIFTED GODDESS
Capricorn
Nicolle Edwards
RizeUp
Business, Balance, and Money Mindset
“To live your truth fiercely is the greatest gift you can give yourself�
Welcome! from our fierce founder
For this issues Gifted Goddess interview, we spoke to Nicolle Edwards, founder and CEO of RizeUp Australia. She talks about the importance of fighting social injustice and how her company contributes to the fight of domestic violence by helping women start again.
MAKEUP - Zoe Karabatos @zoekmua
Our intent with every issue of Fierce Truths Magazine its to deliver you spiritual- selfdevelopment-in-a-box. Hoping that one or more of our articles will be that missing piece you need to remember how extraordinary you are and how incredible your life can be.
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elcome to our issue 6 of Fierce Truths Magazine! With the energy of Capricorn overshadowing this issue, we’ve been influenced by the energy of soul business, money mindset and rising up to be the better version of yourself. You’ll receive insight into the importance of conscious parenting from a place of wholeness. How to regain body-mind-soul balance, so much more.
Then when you are ready to dive in a little deeper into your own soul growth. You can unlock your own purpose and get clear about the magic you are meant to bring to the world by diving into our Passion. Purpose. Pathway online course. With so much change going on in the world, there has never been a more important time to dive into Fierce Truths Magazine.
With fierce love,
Kim Bleeze Founder and CEO
@fiercetruthsmagazine @fiercetruthsmagazine
fiercetruthsmagazine.com
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Contents
Letter from Founder Meet our founder Kim Bleeze
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37
The Relationship Quandary A conscious relationship series
Contents Check out what’s in our issue!
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41
Our Fierce Experts Who are our fierce experts?
Our Team Meet our team this month
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43
Fierce Fitness Health and fitness
Rhonda Byrne's Latest Book Extract from The Greatest Secret
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45
Radical Thinking Re-think your way into joyous living
Loneliness of Spiritual Awakening A personal story
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47
Earth Whisper Words of wisdom from the Earth
Turquoise Our crystal of the month
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49
Spirit & Soul Spirit lessons with Colby
Our Gifted Goddess 19 Meet Nicolle Edwards
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Empowered Healing Transform yourself
Divine, Feminine and Business 21 A business special
51
Mind Your Mental Wellness Mental health and mindset
One-of-a-Kind Soul Business 29 A business special
53
The L-Plate Witch Witchy wanderings
Money and Your Mind 31 A business special
55
Horoscopes and Stars What do your stars say?
Rasing Children Consciously 31 Making the world a better planet
62
You Are Invited Are we looking for you?
Our Team Editorial Kim Bleeze: Editor-in-chief | Creative Director Scott Grasso: Editor Elizabeth Vigar: In-house writer Andrew Karabatos: Magazine Layout Designer
Guest Contributer Narelle Clyde Leisa Nadler Ashley Bradley Stephanie Benedetto Padovani Melissa Huges
Regular Columnists Jo Lastro: Fierce Fitness Renee McCready: Earth Whisper Lisa Westgate: Mind Your Mental Wellness Scott Grasso: Radical Thinking Karina Barca: Empowered Healing Kim Bleeze: Spirit and Soul Colby Rebel: Spirit and Soul Lana F Jackson: Astrology with Lana
Social Media | Research Kristina Colina Marissa Colosimo
‘“So close you can’t see it. So subtle your mind can’t understand it. So simple you can’t believe it. So good you can’t accept it. The Shangpa Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist tradition.” Loch Kelly, from Shift into Freedom
Why is it so few have discovered the truth? Why haven’t the majority of us realized who we are? How can billions of people have missed something so vitally important to our happiness? We’ve missed discovering the greatest secret because of one small obstacle: a belief! Just a single belief has prevented us from making the greatest discovery we can make. That belief is that we are our body and our mind.
“The worst habit we have gotten into over the millenniums is that we believe we are this body.” Lester Levenson, from Happiness Is Free, Volumes 1-5
“We have forgotten what we are, and we have identified ourselves with objects. I am this body, therefore I’m going to die.” Francis Lucille
“You fear that if the body isn’t, you are not.” Lester Levenson
Believing you’re just your body creates the biggest fear of humanity, the fear of death: when your body dies, you fear you will no longer exist. It’s like a dark cloud hanging over your life. “If you want immortality – stop holding on to the body.” Lester Levenson
YOU ARE NOT YOUR BODY “We came into this world to be a body in order to learn that we are not a body.” Lester Levenson, from Happiness Is Free, Volumes 1-5
Just as you use a car to get from one location to another, your body is a vehicle you use to move around and to experience the world. “If you have a car, you do not say you are the car. Why then, if you have a body, do you say you are the body?” Lester Levenson, from Happiness Is Free, Volumes 1-5
Being material, your body isn’t conscious. It doesn’t know it’s a body, but ‘you’ know it’s a body. Your toe doesn’t know it’s a toe, your wrist doesn’t know it’s a wrist, your head doesn’t know it’s a head, and your brain has no idea it’s a brain, but ‘you’ know each and every part of your body. How could you be the body when you know all the different parts, and yet not one of them knows you? It’s probing questions like these that enabled the great beings of the past to unravel the mystery behind who we really are.
It’s good news that you’re not your body, because your body is going to come to an end one day, as all material things do. The world is completely made up of material things, and not one of those things will last, including your body, which appears and disappears through the process of birth and death. What you actually are never dies! “What you truly are cannot die. The body will die, but the body is not what you are.” Mooji
“We have free will to identify with the body or identify with who we really are. Body equals pain and what you are equals infinite joy.” Lester Levenson, from Happiness Is Free, Volumes 1-5
Your way out of all difficulties begins with letting go of the belief that you are your body.
YOU ARE NOT YOUR MIND The voice in your head is not you, yet you’ve probably believed it is you for most of your life. While the voice in your head sounds like you, seems to know a lot about you, and has become very familiar to you, it’s definitely not
you. That voice in your head is your mind, and you are not your mind. “The mind is a collection of thoughts that constantly appear and disappear. “ Peter Lawry
“If there are no thoughts, then there is no mind. Mind is only thought.” Lester Levenson
Check for yourself. Where is your mind if there is no thought? Your mind isn’t there. “There’s nothing inside but thoughts and feelings, memories and sensations, but are you a thought? Are you a feeling?” Rupert Spira, from a public talk
If you were a thought – let’s say, a frustrated thought – then you would disappear when the frustrated thought disappeared. You are not a thought, a sensation, or a feeling, because when they end you would end too, but you’re still here after they end. You are here before a thought, you are here before a feeling or sensation, and you remain perfectly intact after they’ve gone. It’s fairly obvious when you look at it. Certainly, we do experience thoughts, feelings, and sensations, but we are none of those things. In some ways it’s easy to understand how we’ve missed seeing who we really are, because the body and mind are a very convincing combination. Our mind keeps up a constant tirade of thoughts, most of which include the word “I,” as though the mind is us. And you may be surprised to learn that all our bodily sensations come from the mind, too, which reinforces our belief that we are our body. “How others see you contributes to your sense of self. When things happen, they seem to happen “to” you, or you may bring them about… You care what happens because of its effect on you. You “hold” yourself with a wish to keep yourself safe and in a good light. You certainly do seem real.” Jan Frazier, from The Great Sweetening: Life After Thought
It’s not that you don’t have a body and a mind, it’s just that they are not the real you. Just like your car, they’re simply finely tuned instruments you’re using to experience the material world. “Identifying with the body and mind is the only thing that is covering up who you truly are. It’s this misidentification that is veiling your true Self.” Mooji
‘This is an edited extract from The Greatest Secret by Rhonda Byrne, published by HarperCollins Australia and available now in hardcover, e-book and audio.’
Rhonda Byrne, author of The Greates Secret
The Hard
and (Often)
Lonely
Journey
Spiritual Awakening of
Two years ago, I went through a separation. At the time, it wasn’t easy to understand the reasons that contributed to my relationship break down. To the unsuspecting eye, we seemed compatible and happy. But the truth was, after 14 years of “togetherness” I had completely lost myself, and I had been walking down a path that wasn’t my own. Choosing to go my own way has been a challenging experience because many of my familiar ideological structures have broken down around me. I have felt at war with myself which has made me feel disconnected and uncertain about the new path I (deep down) know I must travel. It took me a long time to realise what this uncertainty and sense of loss and loneliness were because it isn’t always easy to recognise when we are experiencing our spiritual awakening. For me, my spiritual awakening came in the guise of disconnection, alienation, dissatisfaction, and yearning. Gradually, the systems and beliefs I had relied on so heavily in my past were dissolving, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. As the reality I had once known crumbled away, feelings of intense sadness and loneliness swamped me. This loneliness was more profound than a desire for friends or a new lover. I felt lonely with myself because I was a stranger to myself. The path I had chosen thus far was not in alignment with my True Self. When we find ourselves in a situation like this, life will feed us experiences that force us to make changes so that we can keep advancing on the path that is right for us: our spiritual path. It takes courage to choose to live a life that is following who you truly are because it asks of you to step away from the crutch that another person or belief system offers. Often we make choices that we intuitively know are wrong for us, or we “go along” with someone else’s way for the sake of the family, or to keep the peace. I know I was guilty of the latter, and it got to the point where I was a stranger to myself. Choosing the path of spiritual awakening can be a difficult and very lonely experience. We no longer find comfort in
past behaviours, and we face our own “aloneness.” Spiritual awakening can be an intensely lonely experience because to find our true path; we need to understand who we are and what we want, alone, without the influence of outside forces. During times like this, it can help to remember impermanence. Nothing you experience, neither good nor bad, will last forever. Our existence is in a constant state of flux. When you are going through a period of spiritual awakening, you will likely experience complicated feelings because the ego is trying to fight against a dissolving self-image. It may even play tricks on us, making us doubt our sense of self-worth or the love we deserve. The truth is, as we disconnect more from others, it creates the much-needed space for us to develop a connection with ourselves. In doing this, you will know yourself better, feel more in tune with your spiritual needs, and become your own best friend. You will lose people along the way, but new people will come into your life, and they will be there because they are attracted to the new, authentic you. By following this path, you can develop more genuine and rewarding connections. There is a big difference between loneliness and being alone with yourself. Discovering that you, not only can handle spending time by yourself but that you enjoy it can be a very liberating and empowering experience. By spending time alone, you are actively choosing to love yourself more, and you will discover more and more about your true calling, which will help you to love life more, too. Spiritual awakening can be the process of experiencing a complete breakdown of everything familiar. Partners and friends may fall to the wayside, careers and jobs may no longer be fulfilling, belief systems you have subscribed to may no longer serve you. Losing these things will bring an inevitable sense of loss and with it, loneliness. For you to advance on your spiritual path, these former relationships and circumstances must dissipate to create room for the new. If you can get through the painful feelings that make you feel like you are in a darkened and unfamiliar wood, you will come out the other side and find yourself in a place of light, understanding, love for yourself, and Truth. You will be vibrating at a higher frequency, and you will naturally attract others who match your energy. During this time in my life, I have experienced the loneliness of my spiritual awakening. At times I have tried to resist it and wished that I was experiencing anything but this. After two years, I can say that new people and situations are coming into my life, that never would have before. My “new life” feels far more like an external representation of my True Self. I intuitively feel like I am walking down the right path for me, not anyone else, and this makes me feel at peace. Yes, the journey was arduous, and it didn’t come without it’s a fair share of grief, loneliness, and longing, but I wouldn’t have discovered the person I was meant to be if I didn’t have the courage to experience it. Written by Elizabeth Vigar
Fierce Truths Magazine
IMAGE © viktoriya89/ Adobe Stock
Turquoise
Feel its Calming and Cleansing Power Soothe Your Soul
Turquoise, connected to the life-giving element of water, reflects the shimmering and vibrant blue of the shallow coral seas. Turquoise evokes a calming mood and rejuvenating energy that promotes healing. In the same way that water inspires tranquillity and peace, Turquoise helps you design a space in your life that protects and nurtures. It is associated with the Heart Chakra, which allows you to open yourself to both love and compassion. Turquoise has been revered by many ancient cultures for, not only its beauty, but the powers it was believed to hold. Native American medicine men used Turquoise as part of their healing
rituals. The Ancient Egyptians and Aztecs thought it served the person wearing it by making them less vulnerable, acting as a personal shield. In battles, it was common for warriors to carry Turquoise for its protective qualities. Turquoise, a master healer, is considered a “highly programmable stone” which means that it will respond to the healing intentions you set for it. This can open up your perception and make you more receptive to recognising your individual needs. By harnessing the power of Turquoise, it will help you focus and determine your healing journey, responding to your focused intentions.
IMAGE Š Anna / Adobe Stock
The reason Turquoise is such a powerful healer is that it combines two powers. Firstly, its association with water cleanses the mind, body and spirit of negative energies. Secondly, cleansing creates space for you to receive its healing benefits. This is why Turquoise is such an all-in-one support system because these two powers work together in constant balance, uplifting and reviving you and keeping you connected with positive, loving feelings.
Ways to Use Turquoise Wearing Turquoise, especially around the neck because of its connection with the Heart Chakra, is a powerful way to channel the power of your stone, opening you to receiving love and positivity. Meditating with Turquoise can help carry you to that space of tranquillity and peacefulness, allowing you to connect with your inner self and discover what your body, mind, and spirit is asking for.
How to Look After Your Crystal The best way to maintain and maximise the powers of your crystal is to recharge it under the light of a full moon. First, wash it under cool running water and place it under the moonlight for a night. This will restore all of its natural energy. You could also try smudging your Turquoise with Sage. Burn a smudge stick and allow the crystal to be bathed in the smoke, while you visualise any negative energies disappearing.  If you are feeling overwhelmed or undernourished, Turquoise can be the healing stone that brings you back to yourself, facilitating a deeper understanding of what you need in your life right now. Its cleansing power will encourage new energies to flow and remind you of the power of positivity and connection with self.
The Health Benefits of Turquoise If you struggle with a regular self-care routine, Turquoise can be your daily reminder to take time out for yourself and reconnect with your needs and desires. If you want to open your heart to love, its connection with the Heart Chakra can make you feel more receptive to positive emotional experiences. On the other hand, if you are dealing with emotional pain, Turquoise can teach you to remember the power of compassion. If you are feeling depressed, Turquoise can remind us of the healing benefits of positive thinking and action. It protects us and gives us the strength we need to overcome adversity, bringing us out of stagnation. Written by Elizabeth Vigar
Fierce Truths Magazine
IMAGES © Nicolle Edwards personal collection
t e e M NICOLLE EDWARDS
Our Gifted Goddess
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e all have an inner light to shine. One that has the potential to create a positive impact on our little version of the world. Yet, we often may find ourselves shying away from that truthful part of ourselves. Choosing instead, to remain hidden and only dreaming about our dreams rather than daring to make them come true. Then there are those fierce women in the world who understanding their worth, their drive, their passion and see it as a non-negotiable. Taking a leap of faith with both feet first and going after what calls to their heart, instead of allowing their fear to be in the driver’s seat. It will be those women whose inner light shines naturally brighter and for no more a reason than choosing to know courage and own their fierce truth. They dare to follow their dreams and in doing so, become a beacon of hope and inspiration for others whom they touch along the way. These are our Gifted Goddesses. Women just like you and me who dared to follow their calling and leap with both feet, intuitively following their souls’ path and saying yes to where their intuition guides them. These women not only live with passion and purpose, they use it to create a massive impact too. I trust you will be as inspired by their stories as we are and for this month’s issue, let us introduce you to Nicolle Edwards Nicolle, an activist against social injustice, is founder and CEO of RizeUp Australia, A non-for-profit organization founded to fight against domestic violence, and help give women a fresh start. Nicolle's drive behind founding RizeUp, is nothing short of inspirational.
Here is what she had to say.
KIM: Who is Nicolle and what makes her tick? Nicolle: Sure. First and foremost, I am an activist against injustice that’s what is eccentric to me and has been ever since I was a little person. I was born in a country that is now Zimbabwe and moved down to South Africa with my mum, dad and brother when I was about 10 years old. For as long as I can remember I had this fire in my belly and as I grew older it was a signal for me. It was like a visceral effect of injustice. I never quite understood racial inequality. Ever since I was really tiny, I used to be that person that would lean in and speak out against injustice, and that’s secondary to who I am. A few years ago now, I heard about a woman that had arrived at the Gold Coast hospital. She had her baby, her three other children and a small backpack. She had jumped on a train in Perth and crossed our beautiful, lucky country and had landed on the Gold Coast with nothing except her 7-month-old baby, her children and this backpack. She was actually fleeing from this domestic violence situation so she couldn’t take anything else with her, so she literally just grabbed the kids. It gives me goose bumps even to this day. It sort of landed in front of me; how this lady would be in need of a few things. I reached out to my immediate friends and family and by the end of the first week, we had all but housed her. It was a real light bulb moment for me. I didn’t really know too much about domestic violence, my mum and dad are still together, they’ve been married 50 odd years, and my husband and I have been together 20 odd years. So it’s not my world, but it was a massive injustice I couldn’t get my head around and I couldn’t understand how prevalent it was. Coming from South Africa, we’ve lived in a third world – we know crime, we know racial inequality, we know it. The more I investigated and asked questions and started meeting these incredible front-line workers, one thing led to another. Where I sit today, we have 578 volunteers, we work all throughout Queensland, we are in New South Wales, we’ve had such a massive influx of volunteers in Victoria. So what motivates me is challenging injustice and social inequalities and lending my voice to help people whose voices have been taken away from them and walk alongside some of the most vulnerable in our community. I remember when I first started doing this work, my mum had said to me “You know Nicolle, dad and I have worked our whole lives to keep you from this side of life, now you are jumping right into it.” There was literally four of us, we immigrated, my dad was on a temporary visa with two small children, I was 10, my brother was 13 and we left South Africa. My dad had been in the war for 10 years and my brother was 13, and at 15 he was due to be constricted. My dad didn’t want that, so he just packed us up and came across to Australia. I feel like that’s given me the reason why I am passionate
about doing what I do. I feel everyone deserves to be safe, to have respectful relationships, to be loved. I am a bit fierce. KIM: You have probably answered a lot of my questions, which is amazing. You are a strong advocate for all types of social injustice and it seems the fight against domestic violence, well, it sort of found you. Nicolle: You know it did. I am a very big believer in the universe putting things in front of us. I come from a sales and marketing background so I’m not a front-line worker, I am the biggest baby under the sun. I couldn’t do what these incredible people do. They are heroes to me. I have been privileged to have some of the most incredible and strongest men and women working on the frontline who turn up every day. They advocate for some of the most vulnerable people.
IMAGES © Nicolle Edwards personal collection
I feel that we are all given these opportunities and we just need to listen to ourselves and our being. Don’t we? I am such a believer in letting things land, Kim. I say it all the time, let it land, the universe will present and allow it to land. This has landed tenfold. We decided to shut our own business down a few years ago, and now my hubby drives a truck, and we are in. We have made this decision and it is not the easiest running a non for profit. It is definitely massively challenging and definitely not as financially viable as having your own business. But for us, we feel if we can get to the end of our lives and know that we have given back and helped to create better outcomes, that’s kind of cool. And bring up nice kids that are good human beings that care for other people. There’s such a lack of that and it underpins a lot of our problems as a society. The lack of respect, and a lack of connectivity and we are being primed by the TV to buy that car or send our kids to that school I feel that doing this work gives you such a great sense of gratitude. When you stop thinking about how poor your situation is; it really gives you a chance to recalibrate. If we can drive towards a community that is trauma informed… It is my goal to really lean in and create an incredible micro cosmos that is filled with amazing human beings who care about each other and want to create and generate better outcomes. We are on the right track in addressing some of the more systematic issues that are currently enveloping us and tearing us underneath the carpet; the foundation of our society. KIM: I love that and that leads me to one of the questions I had about what your vision is, and we can answer that in a moment. But let’s backtrack a little bit and talk more about how RizeUp helps women. Nicolle: We add value to these incredible front-liner services. Going back, it’s the reason why I leaned into this work, and have started talking, and now, subsequently surrounding myself with these incredible human beings and volunteers that give so much time. Essentially, it’s to
IMAGES © Nicolle Edwards personal collection
shine the light on this beast (domestic violence). I always say we need to drag it out of the darkness and give it nowhere to hide. I say this all the time. When we shine a light onto something we can see all angles of it and we are not afraid of it, when we know what we are looking at. For me no one is talking about domestic violence, it is so massively prevalent. None of us want to talk about it. It is not fashionable, it is not a sexy topic, it is none of our business. So as a society we have been moulded to keep our noses out of other people’s business. But in the meantime, we have people who are dying and whose futures are being damaged. For me that was the driving motivation to go let’s talk about this, let’s unpack it, let’s shift the shame.
is, in good old altruistic manners, it’s about, we see you. As a community, you’ll never meet us, we see you though. And we support this incredibly tough decision you’ve made to restart your life and we are here for you. That’s a lovely embrace. When you look at these homes, there’s so much love that has gone into these properties by these incredible humans and that there is an anchor for trauma recovery. RizeUp create anchors that help women start again and we are about ‘you are amazing, you are strong, you deserve beautiful things’. That is it. We are working on our eleventh hundred and forty-four families now in Sydney. Just in South East Queensland alone, we work to support about 5-8 families a week. It’s a bit nuts.
For us, we created a couple of programs, because what we need to do to get people talking is to engage the community through a really practical mechanism. So that practical mechanism for RizeUp looks like:
KIM: That is nuts. Listening to you talk, we take so much for granted and that is one of the reasons why I love what RizeUp does. Where do you want to see this work go?
Our home’s program – is our busiest program and it’s essentially providing, what I love to call, our anchors for trauma recovery. We go in with 4-5 volunteers and completely furnish these empty houses that the women are coming into with their children straight out of refuge. Or if they’ve been homeless and couch-surfing due to domestic and family violence,they go through government or social housing – they’re going in with nothing and I don’t think many people understand that. There’s nothing! There are no carpets on the floors – a lot of the homes we deal with are government housing and it’s the cement floors, there’s no window furnishings. So if you can imagine a woman who has had her whole life ripped apart through trauma, she’s gone into a refuge for 12 weeks and she’s exiting out to press that restart button on her life, on independence, she’s going back to the situation. Because to have her children sleeping on the floor with no pillows, no bed, no blanket, no toys, they are traumatised, they’ve got post-traumatic stress, it’s not sustainable. It’s ridiculous. So we step in at that pivotal moment. We don’t meet the families that we support, we are an add-value to the front-line services and helping them with the work they are doing. The avalanche of people needing support is so massive, there’s just not enough time or workers to meet that. So the woman that is now leaving a refuge and starting out on her own, you’ve got workers who are now dealing with them, and they might be able to help her depending on the resources they can source; a bed or a mattress, but everything else… These women are being relocated in areas that are unfamiliar. They have no friends or support network because of at the time of moving, they have been disconnected from a lot of their friends and family due to the domestic violence. Because that’s what perpetrators do, they manipulate a situation where she becomes so isolated and disconnected. So she’s starting out, it’s horrifying. We work with these services and we’ll go in and we furnish these places so there’s food in the pantry, enough for 7-10 days. The beds are made, there’s beautiful linen, there’s fresh towels in the bathroom and everything else needed like the kitchen supplies. She can make herself a cup of tea, she can make herself some pasta on that night, she can sit with her children and lounge, it’s nuts. And what that
Nicolle: Obviously for me, my goal is for RizeUp to one day become synonymous with the community response to violence against women and children. It’s the men’s and women’s voices. It’s the revolution against violence. One day I would hope that people hear the name RizeUp and know immediately that it is the revolution against violence. We are volunteer driven and we need to be in every part of Australia, because we are being implored by services right across Australia who are desperate for our support. Our volunteers are all nationally police checked, they go through quite a rigourous screen on boarding. It’s not butter and cupcakes that we are doing. We are working with very vulnerable women and very dangerous perpetrators. It looks fun and fluffy on the Facebook pagedoing these incredible things, but behind the scenes we are extremely risk aversive. My biggest thing is keeping my people safe and we manage risks really carefully. Because (a), I think if anything was to ever happen to my people, I would be a broken person, I really would. If I haven’t navigated the risk, that would be devastating and I don’t know how I would function. And (b), we need to keep these vulnerable people safe. So everything we have put in place is to keep the families safe equally, and we manage all of that really carefully. We are excited at having just set up in NZ, that’s incredible. That is so incredible. KIM: That’s amazing, congratulations. I have always wondered what it would like to see you guys global because right now you are only in Australia. Nicolle: Well, you helped manifest that babe. I think the thing is with NZ where I stand, it’s the same beast, different country. I just feel that we are going in, in a really respectful way and this is what works in Australia and this is what service is needed from us and we do this pretty well. We have a good recipe, but it might not be what they need. Our service delivery might look different, but it is all about putting your ear to the ground and listening to what the services need to dictate our service delivery. I am always really humble, and I feel that we are very good, Kim, swimming in our lane. I always encourage people because there are many lanes in this work. I know we say to make
the biggest impact in something, pick a lane and do it really well. Do it really, really, well and keep people safe, especially in the space of domestic and family violence. There are some really well-meaning people, but if it is not done well you run the risk of putting people in harm’s way. So we really want to encourage people to reach out to services and find out what’s needed. KIM: I love that. You said this before; I will use this language, your intuition and leaning into your gut and into what shows up in your life. What would your advice to readers be if they want to start or support a cause they are passionate about. Nicolle: I think the biggest thing is to allow yourself to be vulnerable and surround yourself with people who share your moral compass, because it takes a lot of courage. Along your journey you will come across a lot of nay-sayers, those people that say it won’t work, and I have come across them. I feel it is very important to surround yourself with people that believe in you and share your vision. At some point you will have people that drop out of your life, for whatever reason, who you have known for a long time. But I also feel that is ok, because I feel that we are all on this kind of continuum of life and people come in and out of our lives for a reason. We just need to enjoy each other while we have each other, and if things are not being aligned it’s okay to let people go. It’s about finding your own path way. That would be my advice, to lean in and have courage and conviction. Allow it to land, don’t force anything. Have the courage to allow things to land naturally and they will present themselves. KIM: I love that way of thinking, and it’s what we are about too. Just letting things land and leaning into what resonates. Nicolle: Most women we are shrouded with self-doubt naturally, and that can be really challenging because society has always kind of preserved that in women. So, we are in a transitional phase right now for women, where we are now more than ever before, leaning in to find our inner courage. KIM: 100%. I have one more question for you Nicolle, ‘what is your fierce truth’? Nicolle: What is my fierce truth? My fierce truth is staying true around speaking out about injustice. Being able to walk alongside the people who are affected by any type of social injustice or human rights violation, that’s my fierce truth. That’s what I love, that’s who I am into my roots. I was born always speaking out, lending my voice to something. And I suppose to have courage and to retain your integrity and to be humble. Those are really important things to me and to ‘step left’ out of judgment and ego, as they are super destructive. That is some of my advice for women who are feeling ready to embark. What I feel is really important Kim,
is we must allow ourselves to step out of ownership, because ownership is the equivalent of ego. So, we lean into something that is greater than ourselves. I am talking about the social injustice space. It’s not about me, it’s not about you, it’s about the collective and how do we make better outcomes and to ‘step left’ of judgement. That’s part of that advice. We are actually born with a bit of judgment and then society further solidifies that as we get older. You really have to lean in and step left of it. I think those things are so important, Kim. I feel that as leaders we have a really good opportunity to generate the microcosm to wish this whole bigger landscape to life. And I always say that to my team. People often say to me, “Oh Nicolle you have created this thing”, but for me Kim, I might have had the idea… but we need to be super respectful about what everyone’s contribution is. That’s the whole thing of stepping left of ego and ownership. I look forward to the day that this gets so big, that someone steps into my place as CEO and take this even further. And I could be just out there advocating, and speaking and carrying on. I look forward to that point. The biggest thing for me is sustainability. We need to keep doing this work, to continue to advocate and to continue to sustain this help. It is so desperately needed and it’s about shifting the culture, the language and the tone. We have a couple of things going on with RizeUp. We are practical, but we are advocates. It’s movement. KIM: One last thing, how can people work with you? Nicolle: We need to be connecting with the community and corporations. That’s why we launched the change 5000, which is 5000 people giving us $2 a week. You don’t even see it, it’s tax deductable, and less than a cup of coffee, it’s ridiculous. We need this to change our story, change our ending. We are limited with storage. We have 33 storage units just in South East Queensland, it’s nuts. We don’t have a centralised facility. For use we would need access to trucks, etc. It costs, but we don’t have a product to sell. It’s really about how do we get that community helping us. Everyone has a different capacity. We would love volunteers, but some people just go I don’t have more time. I love what you are doing and I believe what you are doing. So they can say, here is my contribution, they can give more than $2 a week and then they know they are impacting long lasting change. It is helping us. KIM: Thanks Nicolle, it has been a pleasure interviewing you.
Please watch Nicolle’s TEDx talk, ‘Why did we start this and what has me going.’ CLICK HERE
Click here to support #change5000
CLICK HERE
Watch how RizeUp make a difference
Business Special
The
Divine Feminine & Business
By Ashley Bradley
“I just don’t think I’m cut out for it!” The tears that she had resisted throughout the conversation came spilling out as she spoke this deep truth. “I love being a healer and a coach, and would gladly do it all the time. But I just don’t enjoy doing the things to get the clients. I’m just not good at it.”
I began to wonder how we ended up here. How can so many spiritual AF, badass women (and some men!) be feeling so out of place in business when they clearly had so much to offer? Moments of my own struggles to charge, to sell, to be weird and seen - all came flooding back.
I closed my laptop and felt like I was punched in the gut, because I knew she wasn’t alone. In that moment all the fears, sessions, conversations and frustrated Facebook posts all converged in such a way that I could finally see the pattern. It was the realization that a large majority of our world’s most important leaders (the healers, coaches, lightworkers and conscious entrepreneurs) were feeling like fish out of water.
What we are collectively experiencing in the business world today is a byproduct of our patriarchal conditioning. It’s the product of a culture where the gifts and traits considered feminine have been undervalued, held back and often silenced. It was only a few hundred years ago when thousands of women were killed, as witch trials
Business Special went on all around the world. Women were killed for being too loud, too different and too weird. Whether you think about it from the perspective of past lives or generational trauma, there are some deep wounds to heal around owning your sacred feminine power. The culture of business and entrepreneurship as a whole is existing today in the wounded, ego filled, over-masculine energy that just loves to hustle, achieve and tell everyone how busy they are.
I watch so many business owners paint themselves into a corner by over-analyzing and creating strategies purely from logic. Adding in your divine feminine energy is allowing emotion and intuition to have a seat at the table. It’s taking a moment to say: “How do I feel when I think about this strategy?” Or even, “What strategy would be the most fun for me?” I'll guarantee that you do all your best creating and manifesting when you’re operating from the place of fun and aliveness!
Let's clarify that we’re talking about energy when I refer to masculine and feminine. Like the concept of Yin/Yang - two opposites that create balance, that's how we’re holding masculine and feminine energy. Whether you’re male, female, non binary or gender neutral - we're all meant to have a balance between our masculine and feminine gifts and energies.
And oh, yes, let’s talk sales and selling. While this can feel overly masculine and icky, I’ve got a simple reframe that will instantly shift you into a higher frequency. Start thinking about sales as invitations.
The masculine energy in business is the structure, logic, directness, planning and doing. Clearly all very important - no arguments there! The feminine energy is the flow, creativity, emotions, connection and intuition. This is all about who you are BEING as you plan and take action. This is also happens to be the part of you that holds your MAGIC! So what does all this have to do with money? Everything. You are blocking the potency of your magic when you deny yourself access to the wholeness of your power. You are choosing to continue to be shackled to other peoples’ definitions of what success is, how you should get there, and who you should be along the way. If you're reading this now, consider this your invitation to step into the energy of the divine feminine. Allow it to activate those deep remembrances within you of who you are and what you came here to do. Allow it to seep into all aspects of your life - especially your business.
Allow sales calls to instead become an opportunity to create connection and offer an invitation to experience more of what you do. Because who are you to NOT invite people deeper into your business universe?!? Allow everyone the free will choice to decide if they are a YES or a NO. If you don’t put the invitation out there, you are taking that choice away from them. Someone saying NO is not a reflection of you. It is not a reflection of your value. In fact, I challenge you to start celebrating the NO's. It's those NO's and failures that are moving you forward. You're learning, you're growing and confirming what doesn't work. Put that on your wins list! We are just starting to scratch the surface with the Divine Feminine and money, but I do hope you leave here with a new curiosity. With a new lens to see yourself and your business through. I challenge you to leave here today considering where the feminine energy is not-so-patiently waiting for a seat at the table. Be curious about how you might create more flow and spaciousness for imagining, growing and becoming. Your divine feminine is eager to share that divine wisdom and new paradigm of business success, if you will only be still enough to listen and receive.
Meet Ashley Ashley is a coach, speaker and teacher supporting healers and coaches in their business growth using the divine feminine approach to business. You can learn more about Ashley at www.ashleynbradley.com or by joining her community on Facebook, How to Make Money Being Magical.
Business Special
How to Create a One-of-a-Kind, Soul Aligned Business By Stephanie Benedetto Padovani
You’re here to change the world, and you can’t do it being silent and invisible. An awakening is often followed by the call to wake up others, and sometimes it takes the form of a business.
that you’d do it for free?
Coaches, healers, psychics and change-makers find themselves thrust into a business realm whose rules often run counter to the soulaligned path. It can be tempting to compare yourself to others or compromise your ideals.
What challenges do they face? Where are they now? Where do they want to be?
The first thing to remember on your journey of a world-changing business is that it’s yours, and yours alone. You get to do it in a way that lights you up! While you may learn from the strategies of traditional business, your course is navigated from within and your direction flows from a wisdom beyond the experts.
2. Identify what you love
A soul-aligned business is a path of the heart where there is no competition. No one else possesses your personality, experience, gifts and energy signature. The secret to a one-of-a-kind business that changes the world is to show up as all of you with a powerful message for change. This also solves the “problem” of how to stand out and attract your soulmate clients. You simply share what you believe, do what you love, and make a strong invitation to the tribe you’re here to serve. Answer the questions below to draw out your soul story and articulate your gifts:
1. Call in your soulmate clients: If money was not an issue, who would be so inspiring to work with
Think of specific friends, acquaintances, past clients, or even celebrities. What do you love about them?
Write down what comes to mind, as this is the description of your soul tribe.
If you could do anything to help your soulmate clients, with no limitations on your talents, skills, and abilities, what would you do? Notice how your heart is moved to serve your soul tribe. Set aside any questions of how it will happen for now, and simply write down what occurs to you.
3. Articulate your Contrarian Voice of Wisdom:
As a change-maker, sharing your beliefs is an essential part of the change you create because what you believe changes the world, and your impact grows as you share it. What do you believe that’s different from what’s typically taught in your profession? What misunderstandings do you help your clients shift to create results? What teachings by others absolutely drive you nuts? Don’t be surprised if your Contrarian Voice of Wisdom rouses your passions and feels somewhat judgemental. Embrace it for the
purposes of this exercise, and write whatever comes up. Your strong opinion arises from the way you see the world and the gifts you’re here to share; expressing without holding back brings it into the world with clarity and power.
4. Share your unique methodology: Now consider how you do what you do. If you’ve been getting results for clients, you have a process. It’s a blend of your beliefs, what you teach, how you see the world and any methodologies, equipment or tools you may use. Even the most intuitive changemaker takes their soulmate clients through a similar transformation. Write down the steps or pillars of the experience with enough detail to be clearly understood by someone who isn’t familiar with what you do. The message arising from your answers to these questions will infuse your business with your genius, gifts and calling. It issues an irresistible call to your soulmate clients. You don’t have to convince them to hire you or compete for attention. A potent message lets you be visible doing what you love and facilitating transformation in environments where you are recognized as an expert, creating clients naturally. Business is a sacred vehicle for transformation, and your message arises from what’s already alive in you. All you have to do is allow it to take the lead.
IMAGES © bitter / Adobe Stock
Business Special
Business Special
What Lights You Up? Once there was a girl who was dark inside. She looked around at other people. Everyone seemed so bright and shiny compared to her. She imagined that everyone else knew exactly where they were going and what they were doing because of the light living inside them. Somehow hers was missing. All she had was the darkness. One day the girl noticed a light so bright she was compelled to find its source. She followed it all the way back to a wise old woman with a lighthouse inside, projecting a beacon that could be seen for miles. “Old woman,” the girl said. “Where can I get a light like yours?” The woman smiled. “Everyone has a light inside them,” she said. “You’ve just forgotten how to see it.”
The girl struggled to understand. She looked into the darkness inside and said, “I don’t see anything.” “You must search out the sparks before you can find the light,” the old woman replied. “Let me show you.” The wise old woman put her finger on all the places inside the girl where she’d felt joy and inspiration. She touched the spaces where curiosity and wonder and delight had sparked an inclination to dance, create, speak, learn, play. “These are your sparks,” the old woman explained. “Follow them to find your light.” Finally the girl understood. The things she was naturally drawn to do were the sparks of light inside her, and she bowed to each one. The girl lit up with a light that was all her own.
Meet Stephanie
Stephanie of TheAwakenedBusiness.com helps coaches, healers and spiritual entrepreneurs craft an irresistible message to attract soulmate clients without hypey marketing or endless posting on social media. She's a Wild Creation Coach, Soul Storyteller and un-marketerer who uses curious questions, guided visualizations, stories, and play to alchemize joyful creation in all its forms. To find out more, go to www.TheAwakenedBusiness.com
IMAGES © 3xy / Adobe Stock
Business Special
IMAGE Š simona / Adobe Stock
Business Special
Business Special
Money, R elationship and
Mind
Your
By Leisa Nadler
Limiting beliefs and your current relationship with money are what is holding you back! Do you feel that you are holding limiting beliefs around money? Are you telling yourself that all you need is to have more money in order to play big in life and business? We often find ourselves thinking such thoughts, painfully holding on to those thoughts and ideas we had as a child, thinking more money would be the solution to finally getting the life we desire. However, the reality is that this story is simply a limiting belief that is, ironically, stopping us from achieving that life that we are aching to have. So, the solution seems to be quite simple: forget about the money and just follow your dreams! But how do we do deeper with this idea? How do we truly and genuinely learn to challenge and overcome those limiting beliefs about money so that they do not come creeping back in in a week, a month, a year?
Business Special
Ref lective work on your beliefs about money The first step is to recognize that limiting beliefs are ver y alluring as they ser ve as a way to play in your safe zone and they qualif y to you where you are at currently. Your current mindset, beliefs, patterns, thoughts, feeling you have all about money reflects your bank account right now. Since childhood, you have been undergoing programming that would shape your views and ideas around money. You might have been brought up in a single-parent low-income home with not much money left for pleasurable activities. You learnt to see any form of spending on leisure or treats as a shameful act, one that will eventually come to bite in the future. You might have been told, by a parent or a sibling, that rich people are bad, that money corrupts to protect you from comparing
Embrace the change and the uneasiness I remember the first time I decided to spend a lot of money. The first time that I leapt was when I committed to running my first big goddess retreat. I felt my ego stepping in and saying “ Who are you to do this? ” I felt the fear of “How will you pay the $10k plus for the accommodation Leisa? ” I felt sick, I felt fear of failure and I felt fear of success. When you find yourself in such a situation, take a deep breath and allow yourself to feel the uneasiness. Embrace them and acknowledge them. Journal about it or talk to yourself in the mirror. Then reaffirm your goals and ever ything that you desire. Recognise and visualise the end goal to what you desire. Visualising allows the subconscious belief to let go of the ego as it all unfolds. Match your energ y
yourself to others that had more.
and emotions with what you want. Connect with
Reflection and journaling can help a lot to bring back
this to life. To bring in ease and flow.
money and ask what she needed from me to bring
those memories and revisit those events as a third person. You can write down your obser vations, how you felt, and how these experiences are potentially playing out in your present today. Think back to childhood; what did your parents, the people around you say about money.
Let’s think about your Relationship to Money! This one is big. How you feel, think and act with money is a crucial part to what reflection you currently have in your life. Having a relationship to money is like any relationship. You must nurture it, love it, feel good about it, speak nicely to it, honour it, desire it, connect with it, feel it ’s vibrational frequency to match what you want and you must talk to it with up most respect. Ask yourself; what are your current thoughts and feelings around money
Trust yourself to new levels! Look for the following signs and feelings as confirmation that you are on the right path to your own abundance journey:
1.
Begin by thanking God, the Universe, the Divine,
and your Soul for navigating you and your higher self. Allow them to lead the way.
2. My beautiful ones, when an idea or concept speaks to your Soul, then hell yes – DO IT!
3. When your gut has that anticipation of something good and you get ignited with a passion that fills your tank to explosion levels – DO IT.
4. Visualise the end result with all your heart, to the expansive level of ultimate joy, and see it in all its
and if you were money and a friend treated you like
glor y, DO IT!
this would you stick around? When I did this it was
5. When you think about it and your higher self sends
like a kick in the gut. I actually hated money and blamed it for so much, I was living constantly in lack of and the reflection to money was that I only ever had enough to get by, no more no less. I was treating
the most wonderful all-over goose bumps – DO IT!
6. When you decide to release the fear of WHY and HOW, and you feel the biggest smile of “I have got
money like it should be in my life and I had guilt when
this” – DO IT.
it was, so I pushed it away. I suffered abandonment
When you keep living your life in a place of scarcity,
as a child, and like all my relationships, it reflected with money.
lack off, fear or the illusion you find yourself stuck, you are unable to live your life with purpose and passion,
Business Special
Don’t let the stories as to why you cannot do something get in the way More and more people have had this moment of activation, allowing them to realign and reconnect with their higher self and live in true abundance. To embrace this new life of abundance, bring your attention to your current assumptions and belief around money and remember that these are just stories that perpetuate the illusion of why you cannot do something. Recognize that there may also be some subconscious programming and old beliefs that are holding you back. Connect to your soul to seek the truth. What is on the other side of fear is the greatest joy you could ever imagine. It is where your true strength lies waiting for you.
L ove always,
L eisa Meet Leisa
Leisa is an Activator, Soul Alchemist, Trauma Release Practitioner, Light Language Facilitator, Reiki Master Teacher and a No. 1 Bestselling Author. She helps others with their journey to ascension and enlightenment and has the most enchanting and safe way of creating the alchemy needed to transform old worn out survival mechanisms that no longer serve you. For more, visit www.leisanadler.com
The Way That We Raise Children Directly Impacts on the World We Want to Create By Melissa Hughes It’s a question that’s echoed in my head since childhood. From the voices of my teachers at school: “What mark do you want to leave in this world?” At first I just followed what I was good at; being with children. But over time as I felt deeper into my purpose and what was really driving me, I discovered that what I really wanted was to make a difference. To the lives of children, their families, their tribes, and ultimately, to the planet. What fuels me deeply, is knowing that I’m leaving the world a better place. That the most effective way to do that – for me – is in the way we are raising children. In order to have a deep, positive, life-changing impact on the next generation, we must EQUIP them with the tools to NAVIGATE an evolving world. In essence, it is simple. The more we EMPOWER them
by equipping them with SKILLS to navigate, change and challenge, the more space they’re going to have to be able to navigate and thrive in the world. They will be able to live more fulfilling and satisfying lives that are in balance with the rhythms and cycles of the planet. In practice, this work is riddled with landmines and explosive bottles shoved full of emotions and feelings, bursting to explode outwards whilst desperately trying to keep it all in. It’s filled with generations upon generations of passed-down trauma, behaviour and thought patterns. Often, most of this doesn’t serve us, yet we still cling to it without completely understanding why. The amazing and beautiful thing about undoing unhelpful patterns and healing the traumas is the profound effect it has on the children we are raising. As
we begin to carve out a NEW path together, to co-create an INSPIRED and CONNECTED reality. Being on this journey has been quite fascinatingly reflected in the behaviour of the children in my work. I’ve noticed that the deeper I go to heal the unresolved within myself, the deeper the children thrive in my presence. I continue to become the clear vessel or container for their experience. A journey I am deeply committed to. This work is essential for everyone who spends time with children, so that we can stop the patterns that have been passed down to us. To re-write a world that has become largely unfriendly to childhood. The buck stops with us. In my 15 years of working with children, I have become acutely aware of how the programming and patterns running my inner world, and how I’m feeling, sets the container for the day with children. The more I have unpacked the way I operate and whyand how it impacts the children, and utilised a range of tools and modalities to re-write patterns- the more profound this realisation has become. What has shifted for me in my work with children? There have been many “aha” moments: • Children are MUCH more responsive when I affirm safe, reasonable boundaries • We drop into a deeper connection with a deep rapport and mutual respect (as they mirror back to me the respect I show them) • Children feel safe enough to let out their big feelings as I feel more confident to be the safe container for their experience, having confronted big feelings within myself. Raw emotion no longer scares me and they can feel it. There is a beautiful article by Chief Ladybird/Indigenous Motherhood (https://indigenousmotherhood.wordpress. com/2020/03/16/traditional-indigenous-kinshippractices-at-home-being-child-centered-during-thepandemic/) where she discusses how “during traditional Kinship systems, children were at the CENTER of the family system”. This has been largely highlighted during Covid. Many families have experienced being in the home together more often than previously and having a more traditional experience of family life. This offers
many benefits to the young developing child. How can we bring back elements of this way in the modern day world? I remember working with a family who was struggling with behavioural challenges and a general feeling of disconnect within their family unit. They were a busy young family with 4 children and 2 parents who were high achievers. The parents carried a general expectation for everyone to ‘fall into line’ to make things easier. I recall being asked to step in for the night one New Year’s Eve, so that the parents could go out and celebrate and party. In the build-up, they disclosed to me how their most challenging child had been “acting up” and struggling to settle into their new home, where they had just landed in the past fortnight. They weren’t sure what to do and how to support him. He had already been refused attendance at two schools. I made the (invited) suggestion that they spend this New Years Eve together as a family. That instead of going out to party, they spend their first NYE in their new home TOGETHER. To ground into their new space, discuss how they wanted the new year to look. To share what was important to each of them (those who were old enough-- there was one baby!), and set family goals for the new year. I suggested they could revisit their goals on a weekly basis during Sunday night family dinners. I also suggested that they put things in place to support every family member in achieving their goals, and have celebrations in place for when they were achieved. That they re-direct and recalibrate when they veered off track -- with compassion. They implemented this suggestion and saw a HUGE shift in how connected they became as a family. Everyone looked forward to Sunday night goal-revision and family dinner. They now had a roadmap that provided the sense of stability that was previously lacking. Their “challenging-child” thrived. He had achievable goals and support behind him to hit them with confidence. The guidance provided him with the scaffolding that he was craving (hence why he was “acting out”). The answers are often so simple. It’s time to bring childhood back to the centre, and plant rich seeds for the future. As the founder of the Australian Natural Nanny Network, I utilise my “Values Match” framework to connect families with nannies who share a Holistic approach to childcare.
Meet Melissa Melissa is founder of the Australian Natural Nanny Network. She utilises her values match framework to connect families with nannies who share a Holistic approach to childcare. Melissa offers Natural Nanny Training and 1:1 coaching programs for the Holistic Parenting skills.
The Relationship Quandary
Ongoing Series At some point in our life, we’ve all been there right? Navigating the ups and downs of an intimate relationship and doing the best we can to create harmony and lasting connection. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. Either way, each experience with a partner or potential partner can bring us an assortment of lessons, learnings, love and yes sometimes, heartbreak. Each month we will bring you conscious and authentic conversations with singles and couples alike. Discussing with them the answers to some of those important relationship questions we’ve all potentially asked at some point. “How we should communicate?” “What makes a relationship successful?” “What is key to lasting relationships?” “What does love mean?” “What should I look for in a relationship?” “How do I communicate what I want?” Intimate Relationships are an imperative aspect of emotional and mental wellbeing in human and spiritual development. So take a journey with us each month to see how others are navigating the relationship quandary.
Meet
Ryan Ryan Crawford is a speaker, guide and teacher He draws upon his business experience and intuitive energy, to inspire, align & empower others to reach their greatest potential. Kim: So Ryan, what would you consider your relationship status to be right now? Ryan: I am taking time for myself this year, so my relationship status is single by choice at the moment. Having taken a step back from the relationships to work on myself this year and dive into a number of points around my relationship with self, and the masculine / feminine balance.
Ryan: I’ve had some wonderful relationships in my life and each one has evolved and flowed in a different space. With each new relationship turning up at just the right time to teach me and learn / share something together. I don't regret any of the relationships that I've had.
Kim: If you could do anything different over that time in regard to all these relationships what would it be? Ryan: Anything, do you mean if I could get in a time capsule and go back? Yeah absolutely. I would say that I would open my heart more and that I would allow myself to be vulnerable - to both receive and give love at a deeper level. To be able to give more of myself to my partners and to the process, to the containers we shared.
IMAGES Š Ryan Crawfords personal collection
Kim: What has your history being like with relationships?
Kim: What do you love most about the dating process? Ryan: [Laughter] I’ve been out of it for a while, I’m going to have to think about this one. I find the dating process an interesting dance. I’m fascinated by the dance between the masculine the feminine. The quirky ways and things that we do, how we operate. I find it quite fascinating. I really enjoy the connection of two people coming together. The experience of it in the day to day, on the surface and feeling that deep undercurrent of energetic attraction. The connection between two souls that are meant to come together and spend some time learning and experiencing things about themselves and each other.
Ryan: The right partner will treat her with the same level of love and respect that she treats herself with - It starts with us first, in ourselves. How we treat and feel about ourselves is the energy that attracts the partners we meet.
Kim: What are your non-negotiables when it comes to relationships? Ryan: What's a non-negotiable as in something that I feel I would really need in a relationship to be fulfilled? I need to be challenged in a relationship and partner, otherwise I tend to get bored.
Kim: Is there anything you dislike about the dating scene?
Kim: How important do you believe self-worth is in a relationship?
Ryan: Yeah, I feel like it can be a little too focussed on the surface, and the word I’m looking for is disposable. Feeling like modern day dating, like most modern-day things, has introduced an acceptable disposable culture where I think everybody's looking for love, everyone's looking for connection. But maybe it's not a space where there's as much truth and people standing in their truth about what they want. I prefer to skip the small talk and really get to know someone, what they love and what makes them tick.
Ryan: It's everything, it's absolutely everything. I think self-worth is the core of relationship in life. And I believe the journey and the work in self-worth is the cornerstone around all the experiences we have. The more we love and accept ourselves, the greater we can experience our life and the better we can understand and give ourselves into relationships with others.
Kim: What do you look for in a connection with a partner? Ryan: Wow, I’m getting a lot of resistance coming up around some of these, it's very interesting. I love it. What do I look for in a partner? The connection. I would say I’m looking for similar values and synergies between us. Ones that allow us to be on the same page together, and support each other in our core values. Like honesty, integrity, truth, courage. Those kinds of things are really important because they're important to me. But also having differences that complement each other, challenge, push each other in different spaces and phases. So I would say yes, synergies and similarities in the core values. And then differences in some of the energies and energetics and talents and qualities that also create that. That strong polarity, strong individuals, is what I look for.
Kim: What do you believe is the most important quality in a relationship? Ryan: Truth
Kim: How would you expect to be treated in a relationship and what would be an example of that? Ryan: I would seek a relationship where respect and truth and love were the key cornerstones. An open and safe place to share, where I could give and receive those things within the relationship, whilst remaining true to my heart’s voice.
Kim: What would you want a woman to know about how she deserves to be treated?
Whilst we're in a space where we seek relationships or connections with others be it sex, intimacy or fully committed relationships. While we're in a space where we seek that connection as a validation mechanism for our ego. Or to make us feel better, or to give us that confidence of feeling. We're only ever giving shells of ourselves. Before we’ve learnt who we really are and our purpose, we don't love ourselves, we don't accept ourselves. So how can we truly love and accept other people until we come to that place within in our self? Where we love and accept ourselves and then decide and choose from a position of feeling whole. Feeling that we've accepted who we are. To then choose to stand alongside and create a relationship with another person. Not because we need them - thinking they have something that we need or can fix us. But because we choose to align with that person to learn to love, to grow, to experience.
Kim: What do you think makes a successful relationship? Ryan: Open and honest communication. Because I feel if we can communicate with our partner about anything, truthfully and openly, we're able to do so much from learning exactly who they are. What their needs are, what their fears are, what they're going through. To be able to share all that exists within ourselves, and to then both experience walking and going through that journey together, based on knowing the other person you're with. Rather than perhaps two avatars just rocking along on this journey together. Each side taking what they feel they need to feel better, or to feel worthy. Potentially never really knowing the person they're with - on a deeper level.
Kim: What is the biggest lesson relationships have taught you to date about yourself? Ryan: Hmm, that no one, no matter how fantastic they appear, or what they bring to the situation, can fix me. That a relationship is an opportunity to learn about ourselves on a deeper level. Because they allow us to go to such a place of vulnerability that we don't normally go to in the world. A place where we're loved, and we're held, and we feel safe with someone. A place that we can
go to the depths of who we are. We can admit the things that we previously perhaps wouldn't reveal to the world. We can show sides of ourselves that we keep hidden, and that's why I think they're so beautiful. But the lesson that I’ve learned would definitely be that that a relationship with someone doesn't fix or make up for the things that we're lacking in ourselves. That only we can do that.
Kim: What have relationships taught you about women? Ryan: For such a long time, I used women in my life as an opportunity and a means to build up my self-worth. Through an achievement of intimacy and relationships with the feminine, but from an inauthentic basis, from an inauthentic place. Although that dynamic, that motivation really served a very strong purpose in my life. Of creating meaning and creating motivation
and desire to drive and achieve and to feel worthy and good about myself. It kept me, it held me back from truly going into a deep container and truly allowing myself to be vulnerable and to go to that place. The women in my life continue to guide me how to let my guard down, and how to step aside from my ingrained inauthentic masculine / driven dynamic, which is often very much in my head, motivated by my egos desires. To a space of experiencing love, and being held, and feeling safe at a depth and in a way that I’ve not experienced outside that connection with the feminine. I feel it gives us men the opportunity to experience a whole other side to life that we don't get to see outside of that container of love.
Kim: Ryan, last question. What does love mean to you? Ryan: [Laughter] Bring in the big bombs today… [Laughter]. Wow, this, okay. Love to me means truly accepting yourself as you are and honouring that same place in others.
IMAGES © Ryan Crawfords personal collection
Ryan has since found love.
Tune in to this ongoing series in our next issue!
Finding Balance in Mind, Body and Soul By Narelle Clyde
If 2020 showed us anything, it was to expect the unexpected. Whether you thrived or feel as though you only just survived, one thing is for sure: finding balance within it all is key. “It’s not the blowing of the wind, it’s the set of the sail” - Jim Rohn We are always going to face challenges and uncertainty. That’s life! This is what helps us to learn, grow and evolve - as well as giving us an extraordinary adventure… if we choose it to be so. Being able to maintain balance throughout all of life's challenges is a wonderful gift to behold. So, what does balance mean to you? For me, it means harmony, ease, groundedness. Being in flow with life and all of the aspects that come with it. Being flexible and adaptable, knowing that at any given moment, we may need to shift our focus or attention - and being OK with that. Why is it important? Well, when we are not in balance, we are quite simply not in flow, not in harmony, not in alignment. This could be emotionally, physically or energetically - or as I like to think of it: Mind, Body or Soul. I have some tips that I would like to share. This will assist you in rocking 2021 with balance, so that you feel well equipped to handle anything that this year brings. I think it’s important to preface this with: we can often be way too hard on ourselves. We can make these grand plans and set huge goals for ourselves, only to become extremely disappointed when they don't come to fruition within 4.5 seconds (instant gratification anyone?!) Give. Yourself. Time. It takes at least 30 days to really solidify a habit. So give yourself at least that. And if you fall off the wagon, so what? No need to beat yourself up about it; just jump back on when you can. Be realistic with what you can incorporate into your schedule. Be accountable - do you have a friend, colleague or mentor that you can lean on for support? At least while you build up the habit.
MIND
Self Awareness. Our minds are one of our most valuable assets. When we have control over our minds, anything is possible! How often do you catch yourself in negative self talk? Saying things that you would never dream of saying to a friend or loved one? Awareness is the first key. When we are aware of how we are talking to ourselves, we loosen the grip that our behavior has on us. Every time you notice yourself being ‘Negative Nancy’ on yourself no matter how small or seemingly insignificant - flip it. For example: “I should have done XYZ…'' replace it with: “I am always doing my best”. Remind yourself that you cannot possibly get it wrong.
Nourish. We’ve all heard of having a “balanced diet”, right? You can keep this really simple by nourishing yourself with the things you know help you to feel good. Lots of clean water, Organic fruits and vegetables and go easy on the refined foods, sugar, alcohol and caffeine. When you eat intuitively - by listening to what your body is asking for - you will naturally find yourself in a much more balanced state.
Meditation. Our mind can really be like a loose canon - if we let it be! The best way to train your mind is to meditate. The point of meditation is not to have a mind clear of any thoughts, but more so to be able to control your thoughts. Think of it like strengthening a muscle, much like you would do at the gym. You’re not going to see or feel much difference (if any!) straight away. The muscle is strengthened over time. That’s why it’s called a meditation practice. Start with a few minutes a day and work up from there.
• Space. We are all too often giving of ourselves to others. Putting other peoples’ needs, wants and desires well ahead of our own. Not valuing our own time as much as we do other peoples. If you want more balance in your life, this has to stop, right now! You must become the most important person in your world. Because when you thrive, everyone around you has a greater opportunity to thrive. Give yourself the time out and space you need in order to be able to do this.
Visualisation. I often say that “worry is a poor use
of the imagination”. When we are worrying about something, we are bringing ourselves out of the present moment - out of balance - and into a time in the future which doesn’t actually exist. We are investing energy into things that we probably don’t want to happen! Where could that energy be better spent? Thinking and feeling into the things that we do want to happen. This is Visualisation.
BODY
IMAGE © Esranur / Adobe Stock
and appreciate. Spend at least 3 minutes practicing this daily to maximise the benefits.
• Movement. As a former Personal Trainer, I know very well the benefits of moving our bodies and having a regular exercise routine. Whether it’s lifting weights in the gym, dancing, yoga or learning the trapeze - find things that excite you and motivate you to move. When you prioritize things that help you to feel really good, you find yourself happier, more harmonious and leading a balanced life.
Breath. Your breath is your life force. The fastest
way to come back into balance can be as simple as taking some deep, cleansing, grounding breaths. We really do have all of the tools inside of us! I recommend Heart Breathing for added benefits such as: Emotional Resilience, Coherence, Reduced Stress, as well as being an Anti Aging - bonus! Simply focus in on your heart area while you take long, deep breaths in and out through the nose, thinking about something or someone that you love
SOUL
Follow the nudges. Nothing takes us out of
balance more than ignoring our inner guidance! The soul knows and is continually providing the roadmap to bring us further into alignment with our desires. It’s up to us to hear the call, trust ourselves and then take rapid, aligned action.
Boundaries. Be OK with asserting your boundaries and saying no when a situation, environment, invitation or person just isn’t in alignment with your highest truth. You always know. If it doesn’t expand or elevate you, it’s a firm “no”.
Meet Narelle Narelle Clyde is a Spiritual Life Coach and Multidimensional Healer based on the Gold Coast, Australia. Narelle works with women who are feeling blocked in one or more areas in their life and helps them to shift into the most elevated version of themselves, resulting in more energy, ease and flow in their lives and businesses. Join Narelle’s free guided Meditations in her Facebook group “Ascension Circle”. Click the Facebook icon to join.
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Fierce Experts Check in monthly to see what advice our experts have for you Spirit and Soul
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Spirit and Soul
Kim Bleeze
Colby Rebel
Lisa Westgate
A free-spirited gypsy traveller and creative at heart who has worked as a medium, psychic, mentor, teacher, speaker, and healer for over 10 years. She has passion for inspiring people to be real, raw, and awakened to their soul’s path, and will be sharing stories and bringing messages through from spirit.
Colby Rebel is a heart centered international Psychic Medium, Certified Master Spiritual Teacher, radio host of The Colby Rebel Show and Best-Selling author located in Los Angeles, CA. She is the founder of the Colby Rebel Spirit Centre where she teaches students how to develop their gifts.
Lisa Westgate is the Founder of Freedom Mindset Training. An inspirational Speaker, Trainer and Best-Selling Author on topics of Mental Health, Personal Evolution and Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
Fierce Fitness
Radical Thinking
Earth Whisper
Jo Lastro
Scott Grasso
Renée McCready
A 1st-Degree Muay Thai Kickboxer and sole owner of Jo’s Fitness Studio. Muay Thai has made Jo stronger, more comfortable in her own skin, and taught her to have faith and trust in herself. She now hopes to inspire, and help others overcome their own obstacles by sharing her expertise in fitness.
A Melbourne-based healer, intuitive and mentor. For the last 27 years, Scott has worked with men and women who want to find a new way of peaceful living that is in harmony with their true selves and others. He believes that any personal journey is an “inside job”: it begins with focusing on ourselves.
A plant wisdom keeper, ceremonialist, shamanic healer and therapist. Also a kitchen witch, plant based chef, yoga teacher, earth doula, bio-regionalist, and a practising animist. She runs workshops, sacred cacao ceremonies, mentoring programmes and will bring through earth wisdom.
Empowered Healing
The L-Plate Witch
Horoscope and Stars
Karina Barca
Meg Crawford
Lana F. Jackson
A Melbourne based Medium, Healer, Psychic, Reiki Master Teacher, Mentor, Forensic Healing Practitioner and Facilitator of ‘Sistahood Sundays’. Through her own healing and empowerment journey, her passion became very clear. To serve, inspire and assist all who want to grow, heal, evolve.
A word nerd (ie. writer, freelance journo, contributor and general pen for hire). Her side hustle is being a lawyer. She’s a rock dog to the core and likes Ghostbusters just a little bit too much. You can find her communing with chickens, bunnies and cats, when she’s not engaging in witch business under a full moon.
An Internationally recognised Intuitive Astrologer, medium, psychic and entrepreneur who has been working professionally in her craft for over 25 years. Lana will be sharing her invaluable expertise as our in-house Astrologist each month and is renown for her accuracy and detail.
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Fierce Fitness by Jo Lastro
SELF DOUBT AND EXERCISE This month’s column may trigger a few not-good moments in your life…I know it did for me! But it is something that affects us all sometime in our life – self-doubt! Self-doubt can be one of the hardest things to overcome. It can derail any fitness program, or can prevent you moving forward in your life if you don’t take control of it. If you added up the amount of negative vs. positive thoughts that occur inside your mind in a day, you would be amazed at the difference between the two. One of the negative thoughts that affects us all, even from different walks of life, is self-doubt. When negative influences and thoughts are widespread, generated from either within us or through others, it adversely affects not only the way we feel about ourselves but also impacts on our life experiences. Everyone struggles with self-doubt, even the most successful people. And yes, it affects me too. It’s normal! But you do not want self-doubt to take control and be the pilot of your life choices.
Big Decision Whether it is hiking, rock climbing, canyoning, white water rafting, skiing, stand up paddle-boarding or Nordic walking, you can find the perfect outdoor adventure anywhere that you live. All these adventures will make you feel stronger, more vital and energized. They will work wonders for your coordination skills and concentration.
What Does Self-Doubt do to Our Bodies It has been proven that self-doubt forms in our childhood. That’s when we develop an initial view of how we fit into this world. It can also affect us later in life too. Over time, self-doubt can lead to problems with anxiety and depression. This, in turn can lead to serious physical ailments like weight gain, high blood pressure, chronic fatigue and even increased mortality rates among those with heart disease. Self-doubt affects our physical well-being and has a massive
effect on our how we look and feel about our bodies, especially when we start comparing ourselves to all those posts on social media. This is the biggest one I find many people struggle with, so let us chat about this further.
Self-Doubt and Exercise When it comes to fitness and exercise, self-doubt would rank first. It’s then followed by a lack of self-discipline for most of my clients. If you have self-doubt it can be very difficult to get started and persevere with exercise. This is especially true now restrictions have eased. A lot of people have not done any form of exercise online, or even gone outside.
Exercise Improves SelfDoubt As a fitness coach, I can guarantee that exercise gives you more than just the health benefits. Exercise is a huge confidence booster. When I started Muay Thai Kickboxing, I thought the ceiling in the studio would collapse on me. There were only three women
there, and the rest of the room was flooded with men. They were wearing shin pads, mouth guards, and boxing gloves. They all looked like they had been in the boxing ring with Rocky! You may be asking what’s this got to do with self-doubt. The thing is, I chose this sport to get more fit, more empowered, stronger (for personal reasons), and to do something for myself. You see,
BANNER IMAGE © doozydo / Adobe Stock
To truly have a positive body image of yourself and be happy with the person you are, the following steps will guide you to throw self-doubt out the window. Trust me, they have assisted my clients and friends, and I love using them for myself too. 1. Exercise is good for your body
and mind. It can help you break bad habits like overeating, bad food choices and being sedentary. Once you start to feel better physically, you will feel better mentally.
2. Exercise makes your body
stronger, lowers your risk of high blood pressure and chronic diseases. It helps you to control your weight, reduces stress and anxiety. Your mental strength gets better and negative thoughts start to fade away.
3. Exercise builds confidence as
your body image improves. You are likely to strengthen and tone your body, and once you see these results, self-doubt will fade.
Overcoming self-doubt will not happen overnight; it may not even happen in a month or a year. It all depends on you. It depends on your consistency and your support system. Don’t be afraid to reach out. It depends on how badly you want change and to better yourself, not only for your family, children, and friends but also for YOU. It depends on how tired you are of being tired, and not accomplishing what you want (no matter how big or small). Make today the day you begin to overcome the mental immobility of self-doubt. Make today the day that you begin your journey by taking small steps and increasing them as you grow. Make today the day that you begin to believe and have faith that you can do it and that you are worth it because you
can, and you are! Make today the day to look after your health!
Conclusion If you find triggers that make you feel insecure or constantly selfdoubt yourself, think about who you follow on social media, who you surround yourself with and what you read. You can control what you see, and who you hang out with. Each time self-doubt creeps in, you block yourself from opportunities that can change your life. Trust that it will work out and take chances. You just never know how far it will take you. PS: I trusted myself and here I am writing for Fierce Fitness.
‘Never let self-doubt keep you captive’
Love Jo xx IMAGE © M.studio / Adobe Stock
for years I carried a lot of selfdoubt within me. I was told that I was inadequate, unacceptable, unworthy, and unlovable.
T
R A D I C A L
H I N K I N G
By Scott Grasso
The New 5D Earth Is An Inward Journey Since 2012, spiritual practitioners have been positively obsessed with the joyous idea that humanity is finally awakening, after a long period of unconscious enslavement. It’s the Age of Aquarius, right? We’re moving from a third-dimensional subsistence mentality (3D) up to fifth-dimensional abundance awareness (5D). It’s supposed to be the dawn of the New Earth.
western popular culture. Ten years ago, my Facebook feed did not include spiritual teachers, meditation education and mindfulness exercises. Even my 77-year-old mother now talks about sage sticks and negative energy.
beliefs and attitudes so that we move from fear to unconditional love. We are being asked to choose something radically different than our initial programming and education. 3D energy is the pool that we landed in when we were born. Your Higher Self, vibrating somewhere between 9D and 12D, chose to incarnate here specifically for the experience of waking up in this lifetime. How are each of you going with THAT?
To “ascend”, each of us needs to make a choice to consciously change our own personal
For me, 3D energy is very dense and centred around dis-ease in the base chakra. It
So if that’s happening, why does the world look like it’s de-volving into a total train-wreck?
Our beloved planet Earth, known to some as Gaia, and all of her inhabitants are in a cycle of conscious expansion. We have all been invited to ascend. This is a move upwards in “awoke-ness” or energetic frequency. People are literally waking up from an energetic coma, spiritually speaking. If you want positive evidence of this fact, look at the explosion of spirituality in
energy. To change the frequency of our unique vibration, if you like. To modify our
IMAGE © monsitj / Adobe Stock
Happily for all of us, even those who have not yet chosen love, we are moving out of a long cycle of darkness and density where the divine feminine was crushed. Where healing, compassion and intuition were replaced with logic, reason and the ego mind. Think about all the “witches” who were burned at the stake because they were “different”. We are now witnessing the rebirth of the divine feminine and a dialling-back of masculine, ego-centred energy. It’s a time of rebalancing.
is sustained by the belief that we have to fight for survival. My Italian grandmother Rose used to say to me: “Life is a battle, Scotty Thomassy.” I learned that existence was about struggle, lack, oppression, selfishness and greed. 3D is about duality and separation: it’s me versus you, us vs. them. It is the need to be judgmental and critical. 27 years ago a spiritual teacher asked me: “Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?” I responded with “What a stupid question. Of course, I want to be RIGHT!” So consciously choosing a different set of beliefs and behaviours is shaping up to be my lifetime’s great work.
By contrast, 5D energy is very light, expansive, joyous and centred in the high-heart chakra. It’s about a consciousness that we are all one, unconditional love, joy and acceptance. It features radical acceptance and non-judgment, allowing people to be EXACTLY where they are right now. 5D requires an understanding that each of us is on our own soul’s journey, and everyone’s path is sacred. 5D energy discards criticism and adopts detached, loving observation. We find ourselves being of the world and in the world simultaneously. This kind of talk always gets me into trouble with some of my friends. They think that I am dropping out and reneging on my responsibilities as a “good” citizen. Choosing unconditional love and radical acceptance does not mean that we lack passion about things that are important to us. We can still set positive intentions for ourselves, others and the planet. But it means that we surrender our connection to specific outcomes, to being right about knowing what is required in any given situation. Most importantly though, 5D thinking DOES require us to stop judging and criticising others. That perpetuates the us-versusthem duality struggle that is a hallmark of 3D. If you are against anyone or anything, you are still choosing to dance in 3D energy. Instead, be for those things that matter to you: peace, equality, democracy, opportunity, sharing. And stop needing to teach
others a lesson. Leave them where they are, with the loving knowledge that they are on their own path to awakening. Even when we don’t like it. We know we are vibrating in 5D energy when we observe something with curiosity or detached observation instead of judgment.
The New Earth isn’t a place. It’s a new attitude, an energy, an intention. I am chagrined to admit that I
had this convenient and utterly exclusive idea that those of us who were “awoke” would be whisked off messy, 3D planet earth and delivered to some new, shiny 5D version of earth. You know, a litter-free space of organic produce and lyre music, where everyone wears gauzy tunics and is unfailingly nice to each other. I always kept a keen eye focused on the heavens, for any Pleiadian spacecraft that were going to whisk me away from this “icky” 3D experience. But fifth-dimensional living is not about a better physical space. 5D is an attitude. It is a conscious connection to All That Is and less focus, obsession and judgment about All That Is Not. Let that statement sit with you for a moment. I’m asking you to practice your own radical thinking here. I want you to imagine pivoting away from the negative in the world, and focusing on all that is wonderful. I want you to choose to be loving and compassionate, when your ego wants to be right. I want you to stay silent and observe before speaking. For me, all of the drama that we’re seeing in the world is an important part of the spiritual awakening and conscious move from 3D to 5D. In order to for us each to choose love, sometimes it’s very instructive for us to see not-love parading around in front of you. It’s time for your choosing. Remember, being in opposition to others is very 3D. Being for something is very 5D.
Namaste, family.
EARTH By Renée McCready Lady Pachamama, Earth Wisdom Keeper
Altars as a Place of Right Relationship and Honouring the Sacred in the Everyday
"For thousands of years we have gathered in circle--around fires, around bodies, around altars-because we can't do this alone." ~ Wayne Muller There are so many ways to create altars. Altars are a very individual expression of your connection to spirit, the great mystery, ancestors and the earth. There is no right or wrong way to make an altar. They can be large or small, permanent or transitory, in your home and outside on the land. They can be for your personal use, or for use in group and ceremonial work. Altars are created and used by many people around the world. By indigenous, religious, and many people who have a strong spiritual practice. There is a common experience of creating sacred spaces for prayers to be focused, sent and received to and from the great mystery. Native Americans, Peruvians, Hindus, Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants, Celtic Druids, and many more find sacred objects for sacred spaces, in order to create an altar to speak to Great Spirit, God, Goddess, and the Divine.
Altars are a sanctuary, a sacred space. I see them as a portal, connecting us to the great mystery and the spirit that resides within all things. An altar space allows us to interact with totems, special meaningful objects, plants, crystals, stones, shells, photos or images of loved ones or teachers, seed pods, candles, incense or sacred herbal smoke, medicines, the elements, our ancestors. They are a place for meditation, daily focus or prayer, ceremony and ritual.
Altars are a microscopic container of the macroscopic biome ~ it’s a living relationship in your home that needs tending, being sure to always feed the spirit of place. I see my altars as the forest I live in and the lakes, rivers and mountains I was born to. I will always serve these spaces and places, in my heart
and in my prayers and offerings. I see nature as the temple and Earth as our altar. So when I collect sacred objects together to place in a considered way, I’m honouring through these objects my own physical and spiritual ancestors and also the indigenous ancestors of the land I’m living and breathing upon. An altar can be right were we are, in an open field, in your parked car, by the river, on a forest walk, in a hotel room, even just for a moment, in its ephemeral creation. Use this sacred space to ground and recalibrate yourself with whatever objects you have on hand, or natural objects you can collect from around you like a rock, seedpod, flower or leaf gathered in a meaningful and respectful manner.
How do I create a personal altar in my home? There are many ways to set up an altar. My offerings here are from a shamanic and earth wisdom perspective. You can also research other methods, or create your own intuitively. Firstly, set aside a place in your home that you feel drawn too. It might be in your bedroom on the bedside table, or on the top of a bookshelf in the living room. It might be a window sill or a special table you purchase specifically for this purpose. You can place a piece of beautiful fabric over it, or leave it as is, whatever feels
WHISPER water. Place a container or offering bowl for water, a shell or an object that represents this element and direction.
IMAGE Š LoloStock / Adobe Stock
At the top of the altar is the north, the element of air. Place a feather, your incense or sacred herbal smoke, or an object here to represent this element and direction.
most resonant to you. Next, gather all your objects together. These might be special crystals, rocks, sand, seedpods, leaves, plants or water you have collected from significant places. Feathers you have gathered or been gifted. Plants you have relationships with, photos of ancestors, loved ones, teachers or people of importance. Candles, incense or herbs for clearing purposes. Mala beads, oracle cards, wands, sacred geometry, statues of certain deities or goddesses, plant medicines or anointing oils. The list is endless. Sit with your objects and take each one cupped in your hands, thanking the object and taking a moment to feel into its meaning, offerings and individual story medicine. Take the object to your mouth and gently and lovingly exchange your breath with it, awakening its spirit and acknowledging its place on your altar. You can then mindfully, with focused intent, begin to arrange certain objects in each placement of the 5 directions to represent the element connected to each one. Where you sit or stand at the altar is the south, facing you, the element of earth. Place a stone, plant, salt or crystal here to represent this element and direction. To your left, on the altar is the west, the element of
To your right, on the altar is the east, the element of fire. Place a candle or some fire ash, something that represents this element and direction. In the centre, place an object that represents you and your journey at present. It may be mala beads, from your yoga practice, a statue of a goddess you connect with, your favourite crystal you're working with, your main plant ally or some sacred geometry like the flower of life. This is the space of the void, of all and everything, the space of creation, and the great mystery. Once you have honoured the 5 directions and the 4 elements, and have each represented on your alter, you can place all your other sacred objects intuitively around the altar, also gridding it if this feels powerful with your objects and crystals. Take your sacred smoke, light it and smoke cleanse your altar and sacred objects. You can sing, chant or say a prayer as you're doing this. Take some time each day to sit with and interact with your altar. Light your candle to the east, take some sacred smoke, light it and allow the smoke to awaken the spirit of place and each element. Say your prayers, create your intent for you day, speak your manifestations out aloud at your altar. Feed the spirit by making regular offerings of plants and flowers, changing the water, smoke clearing, lighting the candle and sending you breath into the centre, the void space. Creating an altar and having a mindful practice of prayer, ritual and gratitude helps to design a deeper connection to yourself, the great mystery and the earth. This ancient practice of prayer and altar work anchors your prayers from earth to the great mystery weaving intentions that are the songs of your own heart. It brings peace with focus through the heart. Try it and discover more about yourself as a sacred creator, a child of the earth, dreaming your world through greater love and heart-centred intentions.
Spirit & Soul
by Colby Rebel
Close the year with love. This has been a trying year for many. From ups and downs to uncertainty, it’s truly been a lesson for all of us in surrendering, and an opportunity for reflection and growth. 2020 has been a year to go within to see if there are changes that need to be made and to take stock of what’s important to your well-being. You may have experienced a mix of emotions this year ranging from frustration, fear, depression to hope and optimism. Perhaps, you have suffered losses this year. Loss of a loved one, job, relationship or opportunity. However, a new year is before you. A new year with a fresh opportunity to clean the slate, purge what no longer serves you and honor your soul. As the year comes to a close, it’s an opportunity for you to take stock. Where are you in your life? Are you feeling fulfilled? Are you happy? If you answered “no” to either of these questions, it’s time to reevaluate your life to see what needs to change in order to turn those “no’s” into “yesses”. Go through each area of your life. Look at career, relationships, finance, health and soul purpose. Most times when one area is out of balance, it impacts another area as well. Be honest with yourself in this process. This is an opportunity for you to get back on course with the new year on the horizon. Is there any area that feels “off” or out of alignment? Any area that brings sadness to your heart? Any area that you do not feel excited about? If you are unhappy for any reason, ask yourself what would you need to adjust in order to create that happiness and fulfillment you desire? Are you listening to your soul, or are you being held prisoner by fear? Change is difficult for many people as it forces them to let go of stability, even for a moment, to move in the direction of the unknown. However, you have your intuition to guide you. When you get that nudge, that feeling in the pit of your stomach, listen to it, follow it. Take the time to really sit with yourself with the intention of clarity so that you can receive these moments of inspiration. It’s not about knowing it all at once. It’s about following the little nudges that you get along the way, until they link together to give you the full picture. Before the year ends, forgive yourself for any past mistakes. You are having a physical experience and mistakes are not only allowed, they are welcomed.
They are literally a part of your soul’s growth and expansion. They are needed to teach you invaluable lessons of perseverance, boundaries and self-love. Have the courage to cut the cords with those who don’t deserve your energy. Do not beg these people to love you, and trust that not everyone is meant to be in your tribe. Stand in your power for the upcoming year, as you are a fierce being with a purpose and the new year is your opportunity to rise up. With the clarity of knowing where change is needed in your life, it gives you a chance to reorganize and make
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adjustments. Eliminate the tendency to be a people pleaser and focus on your higher self. Listen to the whisper deep within and spread those wings of yours and fly. Create an action plan and implement it with confidence. When you are connected to your soul, you will be guided in the right direction that leads you to the peace and joy you desire. No one is more deserving than you. So remember your calling, even when faced with challenges. Before the year ends, go through the exercise of writing a list to see where your energy is needed most,
and attend to it with love. Nurture your being, gift your soul and shine your light. There is no better way to close this chapter with love and open the next one with enlightenment.
Much love for a happy and safe holiday season and may the new year bring you peace, joy and abundance.
xo,
Colby
Empowered Healing Transforming Through Self Awareness
By Karina Barca
BUILDING SELF-DISCIPLINE AND RESPONSIBILITY Self-discipline is having the ability to focus on a task or goal to achieve a certain result. It is not self-discipline alone that is required to achieve such outcomes. Being responsible, focused, organised, resilient, persistent, consistent, ambitious, and having a strong work ethic are some other traits that highly self-disciplined individuals have and rely upon. This does not mean that you must have all these traits to achieve your goals. Like everything we have learnt throughout our lives, we too can learn and work towards achieving any, if not all, of the above. Most of us already have many of these traits within us but may only be applying them to one part or aspect of our lives. For example, you may find that an individual may be extremely self-disciplined in their work but may lack the responsibility to have that control in their personal and/or family life. For example, when an
individual’s role as a mother takes priority over everything else, she may lack self-discipline when it comes to her own personal goals. The reason this occurs is because of our own personal challenges. These could stem from many factors, the most obvious being a lack of discipline, low self-esteem, being emotional, withdrawn, insecure, rigid, stubborn, and overly critical. It could also be due to conditioning and dealing with karmic lessons. Everyone has shadow traits and challenges. The good news is that they can all be worked on alongside reaching your goals of self-discipline. Let us look a little deeper into the word and meaning of self-discipline. When broken down, there are three ‘self’ aspects that make up self-discipline. They are as follows.
‘Self-teaching’: This is where we learn facts and ideas, and learn from experience. Each person must have their own reasons in setting their own goals. They must also bear the burden/responsibility of any error in their choice of goals or in their efforts to achieve them.
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As you can see each subheading carries with it a responsibility. Responsibility, meaning answerable, accountable or taking charge. When it comes to self-discipline, the responsibility falls solely on one person, and that person is YOU. Self-discipline is a trait that is developed over time through habit and repetitive behaviour and action. Therefore, I will share some self-discipline exercises that have helped not only me, but many people worldwide. While these may not be related to your specific goals, making small actions a habit can support you in maintaining a disciplined mental state.
Here are some exercises you can try incorporating into your daily schedule: ~ Make your bed. When you make your bed first thing in the morning, you start the day by accomplishing a task.
‘Self-government:’
~ Meditate for 10-15 minutes a day.
This means to control one’s temper and emotions. It is managing one’s choice of goals and choosing the means to reach them. This also includes having the will to deny oneself a short cut and short-term results so that one can attain a greater good in the long run.
Meditation has become a valued tool. It is a popular practice for self-discipline and simple to incorporate into your daily routine. Meditation reduces stress and improves focus, both of which are important to achieve any goals you may have.
‘Self-chastisement:’
This involves avoiding distractions that take time away from working towards your goals. It can include the simple task of putting your phone on silent/aeroplane mode, or leaving it in another room so that you focus on a task.
This is where one can admit a mistake and be able to backtrack. It is also when one refuses to follow passions, relationships, or ideas once they are recognised as flawed. In other words, ideas that will not lead to the desired result. Many interpret chastisement as punishment. But it is important to be reminded that it also means correction, therefore, correction of wrong choices.
~ Eliminate distractions.
~ Revisit your goals regularly. Write down your goals and display them where they are visible. This will not only remind you of them, but keep you
motivated to continue working on your self-discipline.
~ Celebrate your wins. Take the time to celebrate your small wins. It is important to acknowledge your achievements along the way. The journey is just as important as the end goal.
~ Failure is part of succeeding. Self-discipline is achieved through setting habits or reaching goals. Along the way you will fall short of both those things and that is okay. It is not about perfection. Failure is a natural part of learning and succeeding. It is important to learn from your failures and to keep moving forward to get closer to achieving your goals.
~ Practice gratitude. Taking the time to recognise your wins and moments of joy in your day. Keeping a gratitude journal or writing 3 things you are grateful for each day is not only good for the soul but helps focus and keeping you motivated. Becoming self-disciplined is a challenging journey. The key is to implement small tasks that are achievable and do not overwhelm you. It requires time and patience with yourself to allow those tasks to become a habit and part of your daily routine. The most important task is to keep moving forward. And if you slip, give yourself the time and space to get back on track, as this process is one that involves many changes and challenges on a mental, physical, and spiritual level. Self-discipline is developed over time and requires you to take full responsibility on all the choices, behaviours, and actions you take to get there. It is you showing up for yourself, and you are worth it, so do not give up!
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Mind Your Mental Wellness
Boundaries What do we mean by boundaries? By Lisa Westgate here are physical boundaries we can practice. T For instance, making sure that you don't answer the phone after a certain hour of the day and
letting it go to message bank. Or not accepting work calls on weekends. These are really important boundaries to implement, particularly if, like many of us, you're working from home. It's hard to get
a physical distance between your workplace and your home space. It’s also important to talk about the value of energetic boundaries. An understanding that it is crucial to have a clear definition of what is your responsibility, what originates from you energetically, and what belongs to somebody else. I came to this realisation like I do most things, the hard way. My development of mental health concerns, including PTSD, was in part due to not having clear boundaries and not being clear on what was my stuff and what was other peoples’ stuff. Over a
Energetic boundaries are particularly important if you do any sort of work or you are in a role that necessitates holding space, or any other transfer of energy between yourself and your clients. And potentially, vice versa. There is a concept called transference, which is essentially the transference of energy or feelings in a working relationship between the client and the practitioner of any sort. There is an argument to be made that transference can be leveraged for therapeutic reasons. Once in that merged energetic space, great leaps forward can be made in the therapeutic journey. I personally would advise caution in playing in that space. You’ll need a clear understanding of a place that you can retreat to, which is very clearly on your side of that boundary, if and when the need arises. Boundaries are a key component to self-care. Self-care is often touted as getting a massage on occasion or spending Friday night in the bathtub with a glass of wine. True boundaries and true self-care is much deeper than that and includes the ability to trust yourself to say “no”. “No” as a complete sentence takes practise. To be able to say no to work, phone calls, commitments or even opportunities and invitations for growth can be very challenging when that mindset of lack rears its ugly head. If you're holding onto an idea that “I can't say no in case nobody ever asks me again” or “I can't say no because I might need this”, then that self-care option becomes almost impossible. For advanced-level self-care or “radical self-care”, one must embrace the idea of a mindset of abundance and appreciate that the universe has your back. There will be other opportunities, there will be other clients, there will be other phone calls. You will be rewarded energetically speaking for managing your time, for managing your valuable energy rather than giving it away to anyone that asks for some of it, born out of a concern of missing out. In actual fact the universe rewards your strong
standpoint. It sees that you are determined to be the best version of you. And part of that is being clear on who you are for and who you are not for. Don't be afraid of setting those boundaries. Be open to saying ‘no’ and practising ‘no’ as a complete sentence. If you return to society after a prolonged illness or perhaps return from a lovely quiet holiday, coming back into that world of appointments, zoom meetings and coffee catch ups can be very quickly overwhelming. If you have recently spent a lot of time on your own, in your own home or in a safe place, be measured in your return to greater society. Be measured in diving back into that energetic pool where everybody is pulling at you and needing a bit of your time. It’s like the astronaut who returns from space and is set upon by paparazzi and interviewers. Each would like to speak to her. There are also family and friends who are keen to catch up. Suddenly, the quiet of space might appear very appealing. Be measured in your reintegration into society. Take your time, set appointments for three days a week rather than five. Be clear about those hours that you work during the week, and your unavailability on the weekends for work related topics. All of this will enable you to be a better you for yourself, for your family, and for those that you then choose to serve and work with on your terms. You are precious. Your time and energy are precious. Stand in your power and be deliberate in who receives your unique gifts.
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period of about 10 years I collected, in my role as an Ambulance Paramedic, the grief and loss and pain of others in an effort to be empathetic in my role. This led me to develop mental health concerns and I became quite unwell. So when I give you this awareness, this insight is from personal experience of what not to do.
The
L-Plate Witch
Witchy Wonderings with Meg
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Witchcraft and Discipline How my magic sparkles: Establishing structure In a previous column I mentioned that I was once nigh on allergic to discipline. But, as one of my witch pals so crisply puts it, “you've gotta do the work”. And, as it turns out, I flourish within a paradigm. Conversely, without structure I drift.
relatively easy to drop in to meditation, and I always feel grand afterwards. Do I do it every day? Like fun. Hence, the necessity to develop a daily practice and to institute more discipline has been on my radar pretty much all year.
After years of trial and error, I discovered that I'm in the Andy Warhol camp. In his pithy gem The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A-B & Back Again) Warhol says, “If you do something once it's exciting, and if you do it every day it's exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it's not good any more.” Same, same Andy! Especially when it comes to establishing new habits. Being an all or nuthin' kinda gal, I need to do it every goddamn day, or else it'll wane and I won't end up doing it at all. A perfect example is the fact that one of my witchcraft teachers urges me to meditate daily. Now, I find it
Now that we're on 2020's home run, a clever tome on the topic called The Little Work, by psychotherapist, mystic and astrologer Durgadas Allon Duriel, came recommended in my Instagram feed. There's some irony here, because if I reeled in my social media consumption I'd have more time to practice. Duriel is a practitioner of Hermetic mysteries (ie. he's a more formal, ceremonial magic practitioner). The end-game of Hermetic magic is called the “Great Work" – it's where the practitioner becomes aware of their divine nature. Duriel coined the phrase and titled
his first book The Little Work as a nod to that mystical goal. It’s also shorthand for the day-to-day work that enables us to devote ourselves to magical practice. Accordingly, the book takes in everything from food through to – you guessed it – self-discipline, daily practice and structure. I'm incrementally implementing Duriel's suggestions (with success – I'll report back in future columns). However, in the meantime, I hit him up with some questions around my stumbling blocks. Reflecting on what I've learned from our exchange, I think I need to approach my practice with a little more compassion. Who knew? Going gently is not my strong suit either…
Were you always a person for whom structure or self-discipline came naturally? I wasn't. When I was passionate about something, like art and music, I was able to greatly focus on it, but otherwise, I struggled with structure and the concept of self-discipline felt stifling to me. My self-discipline began when I quit smoking during college. That felt almost impossible then and opened me to the possibility that I could make difficult changes. I recognised that I'd never really applied myself in school, so I started treating it like a job and excelled. That yielded a certain amount of selfdiscipline, but it wasn't until I was in my Hermetic training that self-discipline extended to other areas of my life.
The concept of discipline was anathema to me, but I learned (the hard way) that I thrive with structure. Even so, do you think I can maintain my daily meditation practice... When we hit roadblocks like that, what do you suggest? It was anathema to me too! I think it's important to stay clear about what you're coming to spiritual practice for, holding to that awareness when motivation wanes. Also, to build the compassion to recognise that having an off time doesn't mean we have to give up. We're humans who may be experiencing difficult life events and behavioral change takes time.
Do you ever have moments (now or previously) where you felt like you couldn't be bothered? If so, what did you do to push through? Absolutely. The short answer is I made myself do what I intended despite how I felt. Learning how to do that is one of my greatest takeaways from my spiritual training.
In terms of the Little Work, could you please describe your daily practice? My daily practice is about 20 minutes of ritual and fifty minutes of meditation. I read occult books for about 45 minutes, and I pray before meals and perform adorations to the Sun four times a day. Part of the goal of my practice is to live with an abiding sense of spiritual alignment, which is more of an ongoing practice.
If someone is really struggling with establishing a daily practice, where would you suggest they start? First, reflect on why they're doing it. That can help build motivation. Second, start small. My daily practice began with just five minutes. In my experience, it's better to practice briefly and attentively than with long practices we struggle to maintain or perform with focus. Another option is to set a rule, like “I meditate daily,” knowing you can change it if you must. That kind of boundary can create a helpful container, especially as we feel like we're on a streak.
What do you do when life intervenes (eg. work goes crazy or you have ageing and critically ill parents - asking for myself with this one…)? I have lines in the sand I don't cross, rain or shine. But that doesn't mean every practice is performed optimally. During difficult times, like when my mother was dying, that sometimes meant meditating for ten minutes in a hospital. I recommend making a commitment to yourself to practice in some respect no matter what, but with some flexibility.
How can regular spiritual connection help us? I think this will vary depending on who you ask. Personally, it's helped me find a great sense of peace and comfort with life, relationships, the world, etc., which has aided me in managing adversity. It also facilitates finding freedom from the beliefs of others.
The overwhelming feedback I'm getting at the end of this year is that people are fatigued like never before. How can the Little Work help? Also, how do you keep the Little Work up when you are knackered? I think the Little Work can help people establish an internal oasis space and help them develop coping skills. That said, it's also about pacing oneself and being realistic about our limitations. This year has provided many of us with tremendous destabilisation, and we can only do our best. One of the core themes of my book is developing compassion and practicing with that in mind.
Find out more about Durgadas Allon Duriel and the Little Work at durgadasallonduriel.com @DurgadasADuriel
Stars
&
By Lana F. Jackson
Planetary Movements for Capricorn
Please be aware that the timing of the planetary movements has been based on Australian Eastern Daylight time (AEDT).
As we draw to the close of 2020, we will move into Capricorn on the 21st December at 9:03pm. The energetic focus for the collective will be centred around responsibility, authority, career, status, business and finance, structure and karmic lessons. The Full Moon in Cancer, in opposition to Capricorn, will open up the opportunity to bring in the balance through energetically clearing and releasing this year and focusing on home, family, authority, responsibility and initiative to boost our intuition moving into 2021. As we settle into the New Year, Mars, the planet of goals and desires will move into Taurus on the 7th January. This will direct our focus around goals and desires towards structure, building, abundance and the practical steps to the success we desire to create. Mercury, the planet of communication, thoughts and ideas, will move into Aquarius on the 8th January. This will highlight humanity, detachment, innovation, change, technology, friendships, social connections and networks. Venus, the planet of love, relationships and material possessions will join the Sun in Capricorn, amplifying karmic lessons around love, self responsibility and relationships. The New Moon in Capricorn on the 13th January will team up with both the Sun and Venus in Capricorn. This creates the space to be mindful of our career, financial and business decisions. Also, to take initiative to work with the structures in society and honour our career path for what it is teaching us, and how we are contributing to the greater collective as well as our own big picture.
Enjoy the month!
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Horoscopes
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What does Lana have to say about the Planets this Issue?
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Happy Birthday Capricorn!
CAPRICORN
22nd December 2019 to 21st January 2020
What does Lana have to say about your Horoscope this Issue?
AQUARIUS
21st January to 19th February 2020
PISCES
19th February to 20th March 2020
ARIES
20th March to 20th April 2020
TAURUS
20th April to 20th May 2020
GEMINI
20th May to 21st June 2020
CANCER
21st June to 22nd July 2020
LEO
22nd July to 23rd August 2020
VIRGO
23rd August to 22nd September 2020
LIBRA
22nd September to 22rd October 2020
SCORPIO
23rd October to 22nd November 2020
SAGITTARIUS
22nd November to 21st December 2020
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