Hat Trick Magazine January 2016 by Hat Trick Magazine

UNDERSTANDING

NEEDS

ISSN 2058-198X

STEPS TO A CONCRETE

BIZ PLAN DETOX YOUR SPIRITUALITY

RETROGRADE SURVIVAL GUIDE

BELLELiving SOPHIE the American Dream Volume 5 • Issue 1 • January 2016 £3.00 GBP | $4.50 USD | €4

Hat Trick (noun): 1. A sports metaphor for three achievements by a single player in a game. 2. A magic trick. We happily accept both definitions. Hat Trick Magazine is a special project targeted at sharing spiritual and professional growth with like-minded people from around the world. We share strategies that truly will change your life, business and career (with a little help from some pro friends). We’ve all been there: under/un/employed, in a bad situation, in transition, wondering what the options are and not knowing the skills we would need to get us there. We won’t lie to you. Coming out the other side isn’t easy, but we can show you what we learned along to way and help you get the confidence to turn that leaf over and pursue that which is your destiny. Knowledge is power. Not everyone fancies themselves to be an entrepreneur but the truth is, even when seeking employment these days, pulling together your resume requires some sly articulation to showcase your skills, be keyword-optimised and with a strong, personable presentation to get noticed. We feature inspirational people who have great careers, amazing businesses, tips and a host of amazing stories will inspire and amaze you. Our editors and contributors are some of the most connected in their industries and specialisms. Hat Trick Your Life! Take control of your lifestyle, your career, your dreams and your journey. We’ll share what we know and we invite you to join us. If you or your business would like to be featured or simply would like to contribute a feature in an upcoming issue, please email us on: content@hattrickmagazine.com

Hat Trick Strategies cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited coverage made by our contributors including reviews, articles, manuscripts or photographs of products, services. While every care is taken, prices, details or availability of items are subject to change and we cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit letters or correspondence received via email, social media or other communication. All advice is given in general terms or as a matter of opinion, for entertainment purposes only, and may not be exhaustive nor suitable for all situations. Always seek specialized professional advice, specifically suited to you or your business needs. Absolutely no part of this magazine should be taken as medical, professional or other advice - always seek the advice of a qualified practitioner.

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Editor-In-Chief Michelle Fitz

Design & Illustration Michelle Fitz Michael Thomas Hartley Eleni Sofroniou

Your Life

Your Skills

Charlene SanJenko Cherie DeBurger Tanya Jackson Joey & Michael Phelps

Andrea Sullenger Sukh Pabial Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse Michelle Holmes

Your Look

Your Spirit

Michelle Fitz Rachael Pontillo Marina BerBeryan Sandra Cunningham

Karen Salmansohn Kate Spencer Manish Kumar Arora Katie Clifton

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From the Editor Understanding Needs.....................................................................................................................8

Cover Story The Story and Life of Belle Sophie........................................................................................... 10

Your Life Powerhouse Portrait: Carli Travers........................................................................................... 22 What Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Reading..................................................................................................................... 32 Lil Nipper Snappers Cartoon......................................................................................................33 Failed Birth Control.........................................................................................................................34 Spanish Rice.................................................................................................................................... 40

Your Look Things We Love...............................................................................................................................44 Detox & Spirituality........................................................................................................................ 46 Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist.......................................................................................... 52

Your Skills 3 Steps to a Concrete Biz Plan.................................................................................................. 60 Diets & Change.............................................................................................................................. 64 Be Your Vision................................................................................................................................. 70

Your Spirit Karen Salmansohn..........................................................................................................................74 Mercury Retro Survival Tips.........................................................................................................76 Your Zodiac Predictions For February 2016.......................................................................... 82 Looking Back................................................................................................................................... 88

Click an article to jump straight to the corresponding page

From the Editor

UNDERSTANDING

NEEDS The human condition is as vastly complex as it is esoteric. We live totally unnatural lives – from ‘grab and go’ foods, app based dating, the canned education farm of the 21st century, and the digital focus across every aspect of our lives. Native and 3rd world peoples may face elements, sickness and survival, but depression amongst these groups is nowhere near on the scale of the first and Western world. Why is that? Perhaps my picture of Native and 3rd world peoples is conveniently simplified, but there is

no dispute that modern man has largely removed itself from a threadwork of intertwined community, and to me this is a problem. We all learn in school about basic human needs – things like food, water, shelter – but what about the things that assure our mental wellbeing, our ability to really thrive? Even birds have psychological health, so to discount human psychological needs in this picture (a far more complex, feeling and emotive organism than a parakeet), is a mistake.

Six Needs That Drive Our Emotional Health And Behaviours: 1 Certainty: a peace of mind in knowing that certain aspects of your circumstances are reliable, taking comfort in the assurance that you can avoid pain and experience pleasure. 2 Variety: we all have the need for new stimuli, variables in our existence to bring about new opportunities and hope for change.

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3 Significance: this is the need for individuality, to feel important to others with a sense of belonging, validation and acceptance of our identity. 4 Love: this need not be in the romantic sense, it can be a simple feeling of closeness and affiliation with someone or something. 5 Growth: very similar to variety but all human beings need the assurance that they are growing, expanding, becoming more aligned to the person they want to be. This could be in our abilities or in our knowledge and understanding for the world around us. 6 Contribution: this is very centred around giving back, helping others, etc and is very much linked with feelings of significance. Some people see this as acts of service, community-mindedness, or literally contributing physically to the achievement of goals. So, I wish to return to my criticisms of modern life and embracing that old chestnut of ‘no man is an island’. It is my personal belief that when any of the above items are missing or out of sync, when we face bullying, rejection, lack of acceptance to our individuality, or even sometimes rejections of our contributions and offerings, that this is when psychological dysfunction, confusion and dissatisfaction manifest. Many of us are wounded from various phases in our lives. We carry scars that directly stem from a lack in any or several of these areas. Does this mean we are damaged forever? No! It is easy to get trapped in the cycle of thinking which says because of circumstance x, I can never proceed to the next stage in my life or change in ways to reflect the person I really want to become. So some activities for you – evaluate the 6 areas and take personal accountability for finding ways to have areas where you are lacking met at least in part. Sometimes, focusing on one area will meet the needs in another. For example, if you are estranged from your family, perhaps you volunteer time and service to others. This could open doors (variety), build new connections to establish personal or professional relationships (love), and fill a missing piece to your identity (significance). Hat Trick stands for personal accountability for our life and circumstances. It’s a cornerstone to fixing what is wrong in your life, and for breaking free of the shackles of past traumas.

By Michelle Fitz, Editor-In-Chief

Michelle Letter From the Editor, Michelle Fitz

Cover Story

THE

STORY AND LIFE OF BELLE SOPHIE

“Regardless the form, one thing is clear: Belle indelibly touches the lives of those whom she meets.” Comfortably dressed for warmth in a blue hoodie and sweats, Belle Sophie sits unselfconsciously behind the hotel front desk as we talk. Her co-workers have fittingly donned her with the title of “Cinderella”: a young woman who used to work part-time in a low profile kitchen, scrubbing dishes morning and night, day after day. Regardless of her duties, she works with a sharp mind, a kind disposition and a physical beauty that arrests the attention of those who meet her. Originally from Tanzania,

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Africa, and after several years and countless moves in the United States, Belle now calls California home. She boasts a blossoming career in entertainment and the performing arts as a much sought-after model for independent photographers and filmmakers across the San Francisco Bay Area. Despite the excitement of her recent breakthroughs in the industry of her choice, Belle speaks matter-of-factly about her life between Tanzania and the U.S.

ARKANSAS ARRIVAL

“There’s such a black and white line, and I don’t just mean colour,” Belle says about her arrival seven years ago into Arkansas, “It was the way of life —where you belong, where you stay, what stays, what doesn’t…It wasn’t easy, but it was something that I needed to go through. And I take that experience with me in everything that I do.” Belle moved to Arkansas in 2009 to attend college at Henderson State University. Under agreement with her parents, who wanted her to earn a “practical” degree, she enrolled as a student of Communications and simultaneously

pursued her ambition for stage acting and a life in the theatre. Financing the endeavour put the family under strain in TA, but they never failed to support her. They understood the importance of her education. However, when she arrived onto the campus she faced what she calls the “quintessential Mean Girls moment” (“If you’re from Africa then why are you white?”) due in part to her refined manner of speech and the lack of her peers’ exposure to African culture and people. And when the time came to audition, she remembers feeling freshly self-conscious.

I had no background and didn’t really know much [about acting]. I remember we read this book in Tanzania called Things Fall Apart, a really famous novel by a famous African novelist, Chinua Achebe. We took the book apart and from the parts wrote our own play, but I mean it was hilarious. We took it to competition and somehow ended up winning! Even though we didn’t know what we were doing we knew it was the Performing Arts and we were adamant to do it. Set on success, Belle carried this dedication forward to college at Henderson State. After a first tumultuous year, she settled into life as a student and then took her work a step further. She devoted herself to the affairs of the Theatre Arts Department, under the direction of Dr. Claudia A. Beach. She attended every event. She responded to every call. When anyone needed anything, they would ask, “Where is Belle? We need her!” Reflecting upon her graduation, she feels fulfilled having left a lasting impression on her colleagues there.

The Story and Life of Belle Sophie

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Both then and now, Belle’s charisma and charm shine from her like a ray of sunlight. Something about her, her openness and willingness to focus and to learn, carries over to those in her company. Throughout her years at college she received a broad base of support from her classmates, professors and mentors. Sometimes the support came in the form of funds to cover her tuition expense; other times it came as a role—a chance to hone her instincts and skills on the stage. Regardless the form, one thing is clear: Belle indelibly touches the lives of those whom she meets.

HOMECOMING SURPRISE

“A pivotal moment was when I won Homecoming Queen in my junior year of college. It was insane, I was so shocked.” Arkansas, like other southern states, houses a long-standing tradition of Homecoming King and Queen, titles (stereo)typically held by American students involved with Greek life. Belle, unassuming and interested, thought it would be fun to be involved but had no expectations. Only until she received a surprising phone call from the Resident Dean who reported to her that the dormitories were being overrun with fliers sporting her name and face—none of which she distributed herself—did it become clear that something bigger was happening. On the night of the Homecoming Game, she stood on the football field with the other contestants, clapping contentedly for the winner. But her friend had to nudge her forward because she hadn’t realised what had happened. The winner was announced and Belle had won. She remembers feeling incredulous. “I was the first international student to ever have gotten that, the first Black student to ever have won. It opened a lot of doors for other ethnic girls after that: the next year it was a Black girl, the year after that a dancer—and that is rare.” Four years on American turf and Belle had already begun to influence the perspective of her peers and the community. People in her small college town would recognise her from the papers and congratulate her, The Story and Life of Belle Sophie

happy for her unexpected victory. In the midst of all the attention of her peers and press cameras, Belle remembers bursting into tears. “They would have loved to be a part of this moment,” she recalls, thinking to her family back in Tanzania, “but they had no idea what had happened.”

TRAGEDY OF FLAMES

The summer of 2015, Belle received news that several members of her family in Tanzania had passed away in a house fire during the early hours of the morning. No ambulances or emergency medical staff came; no fire department exists in that small town of the still-developing Tanzania. Only her cousin, one of several uncles, aunts and children, had survived and been left traumatized. “At 7am they all lost their lives. Seeing caskets and dead bodies on the news and not being able to be with my family was hard.” For Belle, she bears this frightful loss as fuel for her mission. It renews her sense of purpose for leaving her family to come to the United States. “I’m there in spirit for them, for my parents, and I have to be here and stay here. Now, I want to fight even harder. I have to make it, to have something to show for it and to honour their lives so that all of this will not go in vain.”

SAN FRANCISCO, USA

Belle graduated from Henderson State University in 2012 with a B.A. in Communications and extensive coursework in Theatre Arts. Afterwards she worked as a beauty consultant for Elizabeth Arden. During her time there she again made great impressions, developing strong relationships with clients who often returned just to visit her. In time, she decided to return to school, but financing the return seemed impossible. Belle recoiled at the thought of asking 16

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her parents for more help. She knew well the hardships they had endured to fund her undergraduate years in Arkansas and she had pledged never to ask them for more. “This was my responsibility”, she announced. With the help of friends and “good Samaritans” she collected enough money and enrolled herself on the final day of registration into the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, as a graduate student in the Acting Department. Unfortunately, the expensive realities of American higher education plagued her. Housing, work and school each took their toll and, upon completing her first year at the Academy, Belle elected to take time away to save money and get organised. Her passion for acting and modelling did not drift, however. She gathered the resources and skill she attained at the A.A.U. and began to reach out. In 2015 Belle joined SF Casting, a networking resource for actors and models who have not signed with formal agencies, and began to audition relentlessly. Indeed

her time at the Academy was not in vain: she began to find work with fresh faces from around the Bay Area and with former classmates who knew well her charm, professionalism and work ethic. Recent breakthroughs in Belle’s career include a part in a short film titled “Brownie” by David T.W. Wu for a graduate thesis, poster-child status for Hat-trick Strategies magazine since 2011 and an array of photo shoots for fashion and commercial print across the Bay Area. Belle continues to arrange work for herself year-round as she builds her portfolio.

“For Belle, she bears this frightful loss as fuel for her mission.” The Story and Life of Belle Sophie

In time she hopes to move to Los Angeles in pursuit of a high-velocity career in the industry of commercial arts and entertainment. “For me it is not about fame or stardom or ‘cool’ philanthropy. I work for two things: influence and affluence. I want to use both to make a difference in my country, where people use buckets of water to put out a burning house because there are no firefighters—that’s crazy.”

THE POWER OF HER

She admits that patience is not one of her virtues, but Belle’s strength in the will to push forward in spite of setbacks says something else. From being awarded Homecoming Queen in a small southern town to working simultaneously as an undervalued waitress and a dishwasher earning minimum wage, she carries her experiences along as a reminder of what she has endured. In the Cinderella story of Belle Sophie, there is no glass slipper, no silver spoon and no Prince Charming (not yet). Those hold little value for a woman such as she is today. Of greater importance to her are her mother, father, younger sister and

brother who send her strength across miles of ocean and land. She owns her talents, intelligence and intuition and uses them to tactfully navigate the terrain of her life outside of the highlystructured plan of the classroom. And she has, beyond all that, her inner conviction. For Belle Sophie, she lives into her purpose as she answers the Call. From all this she can speak, unfalteringly, her will into life: “Keep going, you’re going to make it. This is your path, this is your destiny.”

Belle has recently been invited to feature in a short film produced by MTV that reflects about the struggles women of colour face in relation to identity and acceptance, in their quest to finding love.

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Elisa Cicinelli Photography

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Your Life

Photo Credit: Maggi Woo photography

Find me online here

By Charlene SanJenko

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Even in my wildest dreams, I never imagined that I would be a mother to over 20 children and be living on the other side of the world in Uganda, Africa.

the tender age of 21, I moved to Uganda with only a Diploma in Social Work under my belt. I was terrified and excited for the adventure before me. I was eager to learn and embrace a beautiful culture full of vibrant and compassionate people. I was not going to save anyone or become the next Mother Theresa. I was going to live life as I believe everyone should; with every intention to walk humbly, to seek justice for those in need and to show love and mercy. Over the next 10 years, I married my incredible husband, Robert, who I met in Uganda, and together we brought more than 18 children into our family home and gave birth to five. We fully embraced ourselves in village life, where the majority of families lived in mud huts with no running water. Our work with the families and the community kept us very busy on a daily basis. Elders help to raise our village to its fullest potential by educating children, especially the girl child, providing advocacy for physical and sexual abuse and rape survivors, running sports programs for the youth, literacy classes and loan programs for the women, and providing daycare for children with special needs, and resources for them and their families. My ultimate mission is to see our project Abetavu (Safe Haven) become more self-sustainable, completely grassroots, and operated and run by Ugandans. Specifically, by the people in our village and the children in our care.

Powerhouse Portrait: Carli Travers

any foreigners have come to Uganda with their hearts in the right place, but they make the mistake of thinking that they are a super-hero ready to save the day. They forget to take the time to sit and learn from the people that they have come to help. For example providing a village with a well when what they most needed was a school. I try my best to work at the ground level with the people in our community by holding regular town meetings, educational workshops and by placing them in leadership roles. I never go in with the mentality that I know better, but as a student to learn and help guide when possible.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Helping is not doing everything for someone; it is believing in them and supporting themâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? On a daily basis in Uganda, I am surrounded by beautiful people who have a dream and plan for their life just like the rest of us. Sometimes they lack the tools and resources, or merely the encouragement to persevere. Helping is not doing everything for someone; it is believing in them and supporting them while they are trying to get out of a rut. My biggest hope and dream for our project has already come true. Two of the oldest children in our care, my amazing daughters, have furthered their education and used their new skills and training to help develop and run our project. They have taken on the responsibility of two integral parts of our project and are doing an incredible job. These are two fierce and brave young women who were once living on the streets as children without any hope.

Powerhouse Portrait: Carli Travers

Two heroic young women I was once told were worthless and a danger to my family if I brought them into my family home. People often praise us for saving the children in our care, but there is a lot more to the story. These children that we were discouraged to take into our family have blessed us beyond measure, and I am so proud and honoured to have them call me Mum. Life for everyone always seems to take twists and turns. At times I feel like I am on a roller-coaster ride that won’t end, but one huge gift that Uganda has given me is learning life at a completely different pace: To live in the moment, never take anything for granted and to appreciate absolutely everything. I have trouble being in the West. Trying to keep up with all of the demands of life and restraints that everyone seems to put on themselves.

My fellow women, nothing is ever going to be perfect, and neither do we have to be. So many precious moments slip through the cracks when we get so caught up in striving for the world’s expectations that make us way too hard on ourselves. We all have scars and battle wounds. Some of us are able to hide them better than others, but those scars, the imperfections are a part of what makes us beautiful. It’s what sets us apart and makes us shine! Never be ashamed of where you came from, what you have overcome or what you are working through.

“ In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” A famous quote that I often cling to is by the amazing Maya Angelou, “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” 26

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One

of my biggest mistakes early into this was not holding value to self-care. I have been burnt out numerous times, and ran on empty more than I would like to admit. For a long time I struggled with the belief that I was never doing enough, it was hard being surrounded by so much despair. During one of my fundraising trips to Canada I was counselled by an incredible woman that was able to get through my thick skull and help me understand that if I continued any longer in over-drive I would not only hurt myself, but that I would also not be able to be there for my children and husband.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am not required to set myself on fire to keep others warm.â&#x20AC;? Slowly I have taken baby steps towards making time for myself and not feeling guilty about it. A big part of this was understanding and accepting the fact that I am never going to be able to prevent all of the hardships that I encounter on a regular basis. I needed to delegate more of my responsibilities to others so that I was not the one carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. At times it is hard, especially when faced on a regular basis by extreme poverty, having to bury children on a regular basis, and facing some atrocities without any justice provided for the victims. At the end of the day, I have to remind myself that I may have not been able to prevent or solve the problem but at least they did not have to go through it alone. That alone fills me with joy and gives me the courage to persevere.

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Click here to continue reading Carli Traversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; inspiring story at powHERhouse.com Powerhouse Portrait: Carli Travers

Charlene SanJenko is the Founder and CEO of PowHERhouse, a digital platform that provides solutions for women to keep them strong and powerful, evolves the role that we allow to fitness to play and our lives and celebrates positive, natural female role models in fitness, sport, business and community.

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By Joey Phelps & Michael Phelps Lil Nipper Snappers Cartoon

Failed

Birth Control

By Cherie DeBurger 34

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“It was a magical moment made even more special by my oldest daughter being there.” Ask anyone and they will tell you the world is now faster and more furious than ever. The World Wide Web has enabled the human race to advance in all areas of life. This technology makes it a synch to solve problems and answer questions that in previous times we would have forced us to spend hours in the library flipping through index cards organized by the Dewey Decimal System. (You youngsters go Google it.) We basically have the world and everything in it, at our fingertips whether we like it or not. When it comes to our children we try to monitor and limit the type and amount of access they have when it comes to the information highway. Unfortunately, with the availability of all the technology, it would be easier to cut the lawn with nail clippers then keep them off the web.

Each child is different and matures at their own rate so I believe it is up to the parent to determine when their child is ready to be educated about the “birds and bees”. My husband and I have been very open with my teenage daughter and have had many discussions, both uncomfortable and awkward but necessary, about

Failed Birth Control

drugs, peer pressure and sex. As every “talk” begins it takes only moments for the blush to come to her cheeks and the nervous little smile or giggle of embarrassment to escape her lips. Her protests or suggestions of talking later are all in vain so finally she gives in and fidgets while she listens, silently wishing for a magical hole to appear and swallow her up, ending the torture that we are making her endure. When I was pregnant for my fifth, and what I hoped to be my final, child I had an epiphany. To a teenager a parent knows nothing or what we do know is old and outdated and there is no way we could ever understand what they are going through so why not put the proof in the pudding so to speak? What if instead of telling her about the possible outcomes of unprotected sex I invite her into the delivery to witness the joy of birth. I think seeing things first hand, up close and personal would accomplish more than any conversation ever could. When I first presented the idea to her she reacted

with sheer horror and disgust when she realised the parts of anatomy she would see before the actual delivery. An angel appeared on my one shoulder and a little red devil on my other as I let her ponder this. The angel told me to tell her she wouldn’t be seeing anything while the devil told me to wait and let her think about it, when I saw her experience a full body shudder I decided to let her off the hook before she began to dry heave. I told her she would be sitting safely up by my head, with no direct views of the lower half of my body and as she contemplated this she started to warm up to the idea.

“I hoped I was doing the right thing and that this wouldn’t backfire and scar the poor girl so badly that she stopped wanting children of her own.” 36

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As the due date approached every twinge of pain would bring her running to my side asking “Is it time?!” I don’t know if she was more excited about the delivery or getting to skip a day of school. I prepared her as best I could telling her there would be blood, bodily fluids, and most likely some screaming but that it was all normal and to be expected. I hoped I was doing the right thing and that this wouldn’t backfire and scar the poor girl so badly that she stopped wanting children of her own.

When the time came to head to the hospital her eyes were wide with excitement and she bubbled with nervous giggles. It was eight o’clock in the morning so not only did we all get a good nights sleep but she was going to get the entire day off of school which just made the whole situation better than she could have hoped for. Two hours later, with my daughter cemented to her stool situated at the head of the bed, we were getting close to the final act of the show. I had always had quick deliveries and this being my fifth baby we knew it would happen fast. Since the labour progressed so quickly there was no time for pain medication. I began to cry and uttered the words that my daughter, to this day, says it was the weirdest thing she has ever heard me say, “They won’t give me my drugs! I want my drugs!” I don’t care how many children you have the actual point of expelling the child from your body is the most pain you will ever wilfully endure especially with the lack of pain medication. So as I lay there, crushing my husbands hand, sweating, contorting my face into unrecognisable expressions, screaming with each contraction and ready to ask someone to please just kill me, I was told I could go ahead and push. After a few excruciating pushes my daughter was delivered into this world and into my arms. It was a magical moment made even more special by my oldest daughter being there. As the nurse took the baby to check her over the attention quickly turned from me to the newest member of our family.

Failed Birth Control

As things calmed down I was anxious to speak with my daughter, even though it was a mercifully quick delivery no child birthing experience is easy and I couldn’t wait to see how the event had affected her. While my husband was across the room talking to the nurse I took the private moment to ask her what she thought of the whole experience and I was totally floored by her response.

“It wasn’t that bad,” she said. This from the girl who screamed when she got her ears pierced!

If you have any comments then please feel free to email me at lifes.moments@live.ca 38

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Spanish

Rice

After the Christmas holidays I was determined to try something new. After much thought I decided I would learn to make tamales by hand. My mantra has always been, “If you can read, you can cook,” my own way of not letting myself off the hook because a recipe didn’t fit my Southern roots. If I didn’t understand the food I would look it up or ask someone. Most people are very friendly if you ask them about the foods they love to make. So, I asked an international student at my school what his favourite tamale was. His answer was different than I anticipated. Bursting out of the room, he said, “Oh I love the pink ones! They’re my favourite!” I soon found out that tamales can be filled with just about anything and can be just about any colour. His were pink, sweet and filled with raisins…my version however is a little more traditional!

By Tanya Jackson 40

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INGREDIENTS 1 cup uncooked rice Small amount of oil 1 med onion 1 med green pepper 1 large can of diced tomatoes (drained – save this liquid)

Liquid from tomatoes & water to make 2-21/2 cups liquid 2 tsp. salt 3 tsp. pepper 4 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. cumin

METHOD ww ww

ww ww

Brown uncooked rice in oil, stirring constantly. The rice will turn brownish in colour. Remove rice or scoop to side of pan. (I use a large frying pan so I don’t have to use a gazillion pots!) Add onion and pepper to pan over heat and cook until tender.

Add tomatoes, liquid and spices. Cover pan and let rice cook, absorbing liquids in process (I usually use white rice because it’s quicker, about 30 mins, but you can use brown rice which takes about 45 mins). Be sure it doesn’t stick, as tomatoes tend to do!

I made mine with tamales, Spanish rice, olives and peeled-cut grapefruit. Yes, you can try other foods too, go for it! Have a blessed 2016 and Enjoy!

Spanish Rice

About a Homemade Year

Your Look

3 2

By Michelle Fitz

FINALLY better al a ternative to Scents y!

1 2

BODEN – CORD & DENIM SHIRT DRESS

AQUATALIA – ROYAL-DRY 4 5

MULBERRY – DELPHIE CLUTCH

TEN – PERFECT BLEND MASQUE

WAX CRUMBLES – FROOTIE LOOPERS

Detox Spirituality

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By Rachael Pontillo 46

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body’s ability to detoxify itself is a huge part of its brilliant design. Toxins enter into the body via our food, the air we breathe, and what our skin comes into contact with, in addition to the toxins the body releases just from performing its daily functions. Negative thought processes and stress also increase the release of endotoxins in the body. Fortunately for us, our bodies are well equipped with several ways to get rid of these toxins–the lungs, colon, kidneys, liver, and skin play a huge role, as well as the lymphatic system. In a perfect world with clean air, fresh, local, organic food, and little stress, these five detoxifying organs would manage just fine on their own. However, that’s not the world we live in today, so I’m a big believer in helping my body along with periodic cleanses or detoxes, where I do a combination of an elimination diet, liquid fasting, detoxifying herbs, homemade vegetable broth, and herbal tea for a set period of time.

I eat really healthy year-round, but I’m not gonna lie. I have a sweet tooth, and even though the treats I enjoy are fresh from Whole Foods or homemade, they are still sweets and sometimes I eat too much of them. There are also times I eat out, enjoy an alcoholic beverage, or travel to places that don’t have ideal food choices for me to eat–so I eat

what I want. And I’m OK with that–I love the 80/20 rule where I do the best I can 80% of the time and then the other 20% accounts for these other moments. But I also think it’s really kind to my body to help it get rid of the extra toxins that come in from that 20% with periodic detoxes.

I noticed something really interesting when I first started with detox… Detox & Spirituality

When I’m doing a detox, I find that it’s REALLY easy for me to meditate and visualize. I also find that my Reiki flows much stronger than when I’m not detoxing. During my meditations and visualizations, I also find that I receive intuitive guidance much more clearly than normal, and my recollection of that wisdom is stronger. At first I thought it was because with fewer toxins in it, I was able to let go more and be open to receive intuitive guidance. I then thought back to before my first Reiki attunement, when the Reiki master I was working with instructed me to fast and take salt baths for 3 days before the attunement, so I’d be a better vessel in which to receive the attunement. I remember having some pretty intense dreams during that time, as well as waking visualizations. Though in Western Civilisation, detoxification is a fairly new practice, and is more associated with maintaining proper digestion and promoting healthy skin (remember, the skin is a detoxifying organ), in other parts of the world and even here before the Europeans arrived, native peoples have incorporated some sort of detoxification into their lifestyles, sometimes for physical health, but more often for spiritual reasons.

…it’s important to understand that detoxing in and of itself doesn’t make you more spiritual or pure. 48

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Of course mind-body-spirit healing systems like Ayurveda, Mayan Herbalism, and Traditional Chinese Medicine do not differentiate between physical and spiritual health, as all is connected–but often detoxification or purification rituals were done in preparation for all sorts of rituals, divination, prayer, shamanic journeying, questing, etc. Detox methods like fasting, hot springs, sweat lodges, herbal preparations, sauna, binding the body, and fasting continue to be used not only for physical health, but also to aid one’s spiritual work.

Why do you think that is? There are several ideas which I think have merit–my original thought that accumulated toxins interfere with one’s ability to be open to receiving spiritual guidance is one, because toxins are built up negative energy in the body. They also cause stagnation along the body’s energetic pathways, which prevent the flow of life-force energy (AKA chi, qi, prana, chu’lel, etc.)–which some believe is the same type of energy as intuition. There’s also the belief that ailments have equally as strong mental, emotional, and spiritual causes as they do physical causes. Whether someone’s poor diet and lifestyle is linked to mental or spiritual illness or vice versa isn’t the question–you might as well as which came first, the chicken or the egg–but recognising the validity of both causes is important. So often in a native tribe or community, when someone is ill, the shaman or wise woman will seek to figure out whether the cause is physical or spiritual, and regardless of the findings, some sort

of detoxification technique is utilised. I personally believe that skin conditions have both physical and spiritual causes. The reason for that is because something I’ve learned in my studies of herbalism and metaphysics is that the effects are often a mirror image of the cause. What we see on the skin might be a reflection of internal health, but sometimes continued symptoms on the surface can cause more within. This is something I observed early in my coaching practice, and is part of what prompted me to want to become a minister in the first place—to be able to help people heal on those deeper levels. During a detox, people not only experience physical “healing crisis” symptoms, but also emotional releases and sometimes spiritual awakenings. This, to me is a manifestation of the link between detox and spirituality.

Detox & Spirituality

Should people detox more often to gain greater spiritual wisdom? This comes with a big NO. Detoxification is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly, and if done without proper guidance or knowledge, can be quite dangerous to the mind, body, and spirit. Taking regular salt baths, saunas, and some herbal teas can be quite healthful–as is doing a smoothie or soup fast once a week as long as your health permits it (of course, consult with a qualified health professional before undertaking any type of cleanse or detox)–but longer-term detox diets and liquid cleanses should be done with care and are best done at certain times of the year. Regardless of if and when you do detox, it’s important to understand that detoxing in and of itself doesn’t make you more spiritual or pure. What I learned from my metaphysics professor, Dr. Paul Leon Masters, is that during an elimination diet (and even when following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet for some people), or during a fast, it’s not that you’re avoiding foods that block intuition that makes

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you more spiritually open, it’s more that the body isn’t busy exerting energy on the process of digestion (which normally takes up about 70% of the body’s energy), and due to the lack of certain nutrients, it actually becomes so depleted of energy that it lets go of whatever resistance to the meditation or other spiritual ritual it had, and just lets go. He refers to this as the Exhaustion Principle. This also explains why people tend to sleep often and deeply during a cleanse, but report extremely vivid dreams. What do you think about the link between detox and spirituality?

natural

health & beauty.

Find simple tips & recipes at VintageAmanda.com

Trends to try: Bell Bottoms

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By Marina BerBeryan 52

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Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist

One of the 1970’s disco trends is back! It has several names with some calling it bell bottoms, wide legs, palazzo pants or boot cuts. It may not be a favourite in everyone’s wardrobe, but one thing is for sure…it’s on many celeb’s favourite trend list for 2016. Chrissy Teigen for instnce was recently seen in Los Angeles, channelling the 70s inspired look with light wash Frame jeans and a cropped white top. Elsewhere Heidi Klum wore her Genetic fit-and-flare jeans in New York City, paring it with aviator sunglasses and pulling off a tres-chic look! Other celebrities who have been spotted wearing this hot fashion trend include Rachel Zoe, Kate Hudson, Gigi Hadid, Alessandra Abrosio, and Jessica Alba to name a few.

As a celebrity fashion consultant and stylist, boot cut pants are great for hiding thicker thighs by streamlining the leg, whereas palazzo pants look fabulous on tall women. (Btw, these are my all time favourite pants for the summer season). The fitted bell bottom pants are best for hiding super skinny legs, and high waisted wide-leg pants are good for smoothing over muffin tops.

Here are some of my favourite ways to style bell bottom jeans:

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Cropped top short sleeve or long sleeve both are fine with a wide-brim hat. Casual v-neck t-shirt with a black thin scarf wrapped around your neck only once. This is one of the major accessory trends of 2016. Flared jeans can be worn with either flats or heels, it’s your personal choice. Pair a collared shirt with a blazer for a casual office look. You’ll look effortless with a twist of elegant jet-setting style.

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Confessions of a Hollywood Stylist

Your Skills

STEP SYSTEM TO A CONCRETE BIZ PLAN

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By Andrea Sullenger 60

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lot of my clients have rockin’ ideas about how to get their biz off the ground. If your idea is solid, this is what will determine your success: your ability to create a great plan, believe in it and then implement that plan. I get it. You want out of your hateful day job so you’ve decided to get your own biz up and running. You’ve read books, attended webinars, listened to training audios, and subscribed to some entrepreneurial podcasts. You’ve talked to entrepreneurs and on-line marketers. You’ve attended a conference or two. By now your brain is buzzing with hundreds of opinions about how to reach success. Fact is, a lot of people over-complicate things. Back to the basics, I say. Focus on three things:

Idea Strategy

Base it on the pain factor and your passion for the niche.

Consider your resources including personal strengths and weaknesses.

Implementation

When to adjust and when to stay the course.

3 Step System to a Concrete Biz Plan

The idea stage is where most people get stuck before they even get started. Make sure your idea has footings in solid ground from the get-go, and that means it is connected to a pain point that real people are experiencing. Your idea could be related to health, money or other personal needs. Best if you have some first hand connection to the topic, like you have been trying to lose weight for years, then you succeed and are able to keep off the pounds. Next, make sure you niche down your topic. Don’t make your business about weight loss, make it more specific like ‘diet plans for flight attendants’. You can always go more broad later, but work on narrowing down your niche at the start. Your strategy can make or break your plan. As a business coach, you know I’m going to say it. Get at least one mentor or coach. It is crucial to talk your ideas through and get directions from an expert. Use your own abilities to your advantage, and don’t be afraid to get help. Look around you – help may be staring you in the face. Sometimes a parent, spouse, relative or friend would be a perfect helper in your business. Make it professional from the start. These arrangements can be a win or a fail, but have the courage to look at your possibilities. Remember, failure is what happens on your way to success. Don’t be afraid of it. Implementation means do the work. Make lists. Prioritize and stay on course. Let your business coach guide you as to when you need to adjust that course. Otherwise, stick to your plan and go for it. In my opinion, the best plans are implemented with speed and energy. Be the instigator that provides forward momentum, even when you have doubts. It is normal to feel insecure at times, just keep moving forward and the confidence will come.

There you have it; your 3-step system to a concrete business plan which will move you toward success. Create it, believe it and take action! 62

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Diets Change

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By Sukh Pabial 64

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“We can take small steps of success, which when done together create a wealth of achievements.” I recently finished reading Martin Seligman’s book, Flourish. It’s a thoroughly insightful book on how to cultivate a positive life by making observations and doing research into just what helps us to live a fulfilled life. How we choose to define that is a big existential question which I don’t think really matters in this context. What does matter is that he shares some great insights into how people can live happier lives and feel positive over a longer period of time. One of the pieces he picks up on is our physical health. There are two key pieces which I think hold a lot of relevance for this time of year for no other reason than many people set themselves the task of establishing new year resolutions. I stopped doing resolutions a long time ago. Mostly because I learned that if I wanted to make something happen, starting it arbitrarily in January makes little sense. If I can do it and start the process now, then why wouldn’t I? The first piece Seligman shared about our physical health is that most diets fail. They fail because the weight lost while on the diet is normally regained within the first year after that weight loss, so we decide that a) the diet failed and b) we need a new diet to try. The goal of weight loss, though, is a good goal. Clearly if you’re overweight your overall physical health isn’t likely to be at Diets & Change

its best, and you’re likely to develop further health complications because of this. As we’re told, repeatedly, goals are important for success and happiness. What we know is that it’s not just having the goal which is important, but it’s the achievement of the goal which is important too. We fulfil self-esteem / selfconfidence and so many personal qualities with achievements. Which is why sometimes it’s important to break a goal down into smaller goals that help us achieve the bigger goal. We can take small steps of success, which when done together create a wealth of achievements. It’s important not to fool ourselves into thinking that achievement of a small goal is anything more than that. We set big goals for a reason. The other piece is really fascinating. Medical science tells us that if you are overweight, you have an increased chance of health problems and are at higher risk of various health conditions because of being overweight. However, what is less well known is that if you are overweight and live a physically active lifestyle, you are just as likely to live a healthy life as someone who is ‘normal’. Or, said another way, if you’re a ‘normal’ person and are not physically active, you are just as likely to have health issues as someone who is overweight. Go on, think about that for a bit. This isn’t a dismissal of the need for overweight people to not lose excess weight. It’s supportive of the importance of being physically active regardless of your body size. How do you define physically active? The NHS website tells us that ‘To stay healthy, adults should try to be active daily and aim to achieve at least 150 minutes of physical activity over a week through a variety of activities.’

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That’s approximately 20-21 minutes of daily activity including anything from swimming, walking, cycling, mowing the lawn, doing the hoovering, taking the stairs, going to the gym, playing weekly football, and so much more. It goes on to say that ‘For any type of activity to benefit your health, you need to be moving quick enough to raise your heart rate, breathe faster and feel warmer.’ And finally tells us that ‘Crucially, you can hit your weekly activity target but still be at risk of ill health if you spend the rest of the time sitting or lying down.’ At a personal level, change is hard. Change often only happens when something significant takes place. Moving home, a family member dying, a new job, emigrating to another country, getting married, getting divorced,

having children – all these are big life events that mean we have to adapt and learn new ways of doing things. We make them successful (in the main) because we don’t have a choice about reversing that decision.

As you set out this year to change your personal world in whatever way you think you need, go for it. Set a clear goal and make it happen. Where it makes sense, create mini-goals that help you achieve the bigger goal. Celebrate your achievements and share your good news with others. And most importantly, if you’re setting a goal to lose weight, be mindful that it will require a complete lifestyle change.

If that’s not what you want to commit to, then it’s better to start an active lifestyle as you’re more likely to be healthy than doing nothing else. Diets & Change

Clickatch ! e n i to OW l n

WITH MICHELLE HOLMES

“A goal is a dream with a deadline.” Napoleon Hill

BE YOUR Vision

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By Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse 70

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As we enter the first weeks of the New Year, I want to take a little time today to remind you of your visions. The vision that you held so dear to your heart whether it was at the start of the year or maybe even years past. This vision was one that may still be aching in your heart because you have yet to bring it to fruition. Hidden in fear of what it would cost you to achieve it. Napoleon Hill in his classic book Think & Grow Rich wrote, “there is no such thing as something for nothing” and indeed he is right. There’s a cost to achieving your dreams. That cost is shedding the layers of identity of who you believe yourself to be and stepping into the power of who you truly are. The cost is calling BS to the voice inside your head telling you you’re neither ready nor good enough to share your gifts and make a good living doing it! There’s also the cost of alienation from family and friends. Not because you’d be leaving them behind, but rather because to become the person you need to be to achieve your goals, you’ll need to change. And those closest to you often resist your change the most, and you may fear the consequence of what that would mean.

But I want to remind you today, that in order to live the fullest expression of who you are—your identity—and be the person you were born to be, you need to decide, show up, commit and share your unique gifts with the world. There’s no way around it. You can deny and resist it, but the calling will remain the same. It reminds me of a quote from one of my favourite books The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho that reads, “You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it’s better to listen to what it has to say.” Be Your Vision

“…be the person you were born to be, you need to decide, show up, commit and share your unique gifts with the world.” So, will 2016 be the year you finally say yes and step into your power and manifest your vision? It may seem distant, but trust me it’s there. I’ve said it before that if you have a vision and desire, then you also have the means to make it a reality. It’s already there waiting for your recognition. If it weren’t, then you would not have had the desire in the first place. This is law and applies to everyone including you.

If you’re ready to live your life to fullest and embark on a path to achieving more than you thought was possible, then I invite you to click here and schedule a FREE strategy session with me and discover what’s truly possible for you.

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Your Spirit

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By Karen Salmansohn

MERCURY

RETRO SURVIVAL TIPS

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By Kate Spencer 76

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The first week of the New Year was a bit frustrating for me, I had lots of plans for my business but a horrible cold stopped me in my tracks. Yes I took vitamins, yes I had water, yes I had naps, yes I said affirmations about being well and yes it hung around and made me feel rubbish for days, so imagine my glee when I awoke today and really felt that the corner had been turned. I didn’t leap out of bed like a gazelle, but I also didn’t feel dreadful when my alarm rang out at 6:30am. Today I could be uber productive and get so much done, watch out world—I’m back!

BRIEFLY There was a school run incident involving tights which meant that I couldn’t get straight home after dropping off. I needed to go into town and find a pair of suitable tights then take them up and hand them in at the office for a quick change at break time. When I eventually got back home—after parking space issues, a purse panic and being trapped in the supermarket for half an hour (I only needed milk and I only said “How was your Christmas?”)—I went out into the back garden to feed the rabbits before I started work. The poor little things were wading in a centimetre of water! It’s never happened before so I can only assume that over night the wind blew the rain into the hutch at exactly the right angle to fill it up! I carried them both into the house and warmed them up, dried them off a little and fed them in the kitchen, then went to the hutch and started to clear out all of the wet sawdust and straw that was like a horrible soup with floaters in…Never mind, if I crack on and finish up I can then get some work done…at least that’s what I kept telling myself. I eventually finished and went to the garage to get clean sawdust, there was none left so I had to go back into town to the pet shop and buy some more. Another round of parking space roulette!

Mercury Retro Survival Tips

“Some days life will throw you a curve ball and you just have to take a deep breath and get on with it.… I got home, put the kettle on and sighed. I really have got so much I need to do, and I was starting to feel a bit stressed as 11am ticked by on the clock. That’s around the time that my dad thought he would have a good look in the loft to see what was really going on. There was water coming in and it looked as if it had been for a while, in fact the joists were rotten. The roof man was called, the discussion about the ceiling falling down started and we set about emptying the room.

After dismantling two wardrobes and displacing their contents it was lunch time, and luckily the roof man’s big van didn’t get stuck in the gravel drive like the man who unblocked the toilet just before Christmas (the revving made his wheels smoke and he sunk his vehicle up to the axles). After lunch I washed up, made a cuppa and came upstairs to write my blog. So I’ll wrap it up for you…

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Sometimes you have to surrender to what life throws at you. There is no way I could have not dealt with the rabbits and their cage being flooded, and no way we could have ignored the roof leaking. Some days life will throw you a curve ball and you just have to take a deep breath and get on with it – it’s happening anyway, so you can choose if you get strung out and have a bad

attitude or not, its your call. No matter how I approached it, the hutch needed cleaning and the roof needed fixing. It is what it is. I don’t know why I am surprised with any of this, Mercury went into retrograde orbit yesterday, ushering in a period of time that is renowned for setbacks, unexpected issues popping up from nowhere, miscommunication and general cock-uppery!

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO? Here are a few quick tips to surviving this retrograde and riding the cosmic wave:

Breathe, step back and surrender to what is going on around you. Things might go awry and there is no point in you stamping your feet or getting stressy. Do your best with what you have got and try to be flexible.

Be patient with yourself and others – remember we are all going through this, it’s not just you! Many people that are not awake will be unaware of the energy that is flying around us at the moment; they will just know that things are not going their way!

Have a Plan B. When it comes to transport, arrangements and general day to day happenings, err on the side of caution and be prepared. Make sure your car has fuel and your phone is charged up for example.

Mercury Retro Survival Tips

Be aware but don’t get bogged down. Yes it’s a retrograde, but what you focus on you will get. Hold an intention that you are always sent what you can handle and it’s in your greatest and highest good.

Double check all communication. Make sure you are super clear and that you understand everything that is sent your way. Be especially sure when it comes to legal documents and contracts.

If anything does go “wrong,” look for the gift. My roof would have gotten worse if it wasn’t found today, look on the bright side Pollyanna.

I hope this helps you, and as for me I need to dash back to school now and pick my kids’ friend up as well… her mother has been delayed!

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Predictions

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By Manish Kumar Arora

Aries 21 March-19 April

This period could herald a whole new career, a need to re-establish your priorities, a healthy balance between work and fun and friends will be essential. Career and work related changes and offers may not come with perfectly ideal conditions, but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no harm in exploring further. February may well see you going completely against the grain at a point when you really shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Keep rebellious inclinations to a minimum. You really need to get yourself back into workmode. A change in your environment is likely and could relate to a fabulous career opportunity unfolding. Practical matters and work-related matters will dominate, but second half of the month could see the start of a new friendship.

Favourable Dates Feb 2, 8, 11, 27, 20 & 26 Favourable Colours Blue & White

Taurus 20 April-20 May

The month promises to be exciting and could well provide a significant turning point in your life, especially in terms of the amount of time you manage to secure for pursuing your own interests. The first

few days will see work pressures ease significantly and this will allow you to explore more personal aspects of your life. There would be important moment of realization about what you really want to do with your life. It will see you exploring new belief systems and it may even be that you find yourself drawn to some form of religious group. The end of the month is likely to be a whirl of social engagements, building to a peak.

Favourable Dates Feb 1, 6, 10, 15, 19, 24 & 28 Favourable Colours Red & White

Gemini 21 May-20 June

You will experience some major personal changes which will benefit your way of life. Your energy levels will remain high over the next three weeks but you may become little dreamier in the last week. After 23rd, there would be some significant emotional realizations that could have a lasting impact on your life for months to come. The trick here is to learn to let go of those aspects of your life which are no longer helping you to move forward. Channel your imagination into something creative to get you back

Zodiac Predictions for Feb 2016

on track. An important relationship will go from strength to strength and there is a good chance that a major mutual commitment is on the cards.

Favourable Dates Feb 2, 5, 11, 14, 20, 23 & 24 Favourable Colours Purple & White

Cancer 21 June-22 July

This month offers you the opportunity to embark on a range of activities and relationships that will increase your sense of completeness as an individual. A piece of financial luck will help to make your various plans materialize. Travel is very well aspected in the second half of the month. There is a strong likelihood of a passionate romance that will enable you to discover your wilder side and have a great deal of fun in the process! There will be a major change in your life style. This will be a period that you look back at with great fondness for many months to come.

Favourable Dates Feb 1, 3, 10, 12, 19, 21 & 28 Favourable Colours Yellow & White 84

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Leo 23 July-22 August

There would be ups and downs. You may overreach yourself both financially and on the work front and expenses will soon mount up. Opt for a common sense approach, so that you can avoid possible financial dilemmas. A change of tactic is what may be needed when it comes to finances and career. It will be a genuinely fun month. Your social zone looks very lively, but there’s also a dramatic change of course related to work. You may see career opportunities going from strength to strength from 23rd August. Romance is strongly aspected in February. Recognizing what needs changing and what needs leaving alone will be an important theme.

Favourable Dates Feb 1, 8, 10, 17, 19, 26 & 28 Favourable Colours Yellow & Blue

Virgo 23 August-22 September

You will get a chance to exhibit your creativity as an opportunity at work or in studies enables you to make the most of your talents, which you should find very rewarding, although it’s unlikely you’ll make any extra money on this. You would

be in a very mellow mood indeed. If you meet someone it’s likely to be great fun, but it is likely to fizzle out soon. Keeping a steady head will be important, when you’re torn between sticking with what you know and going for something new. A work or studies related problem will come with a definite silver lining, in the form of a good friend!

Favourable Dates Feb 1, 2, 10, 11, 19, 20 & 28 Favourable Colours Red & Blue

Libra 23 September-22 October

You will have a burst of energy and gusto and you are likely to be a little too impetuous. The second half of the month is looking particularly good and there will be many of opportunities for your unique talents to shine through. You will feel more confident and content, because the recognition you’ll feel you deserve will finally come. Romantically, there could be a very significant event just around the corner that will see you in a complete whirl. Single Librans could meet a rather flighty free-spirit who shares your interests; while attached Librans are

likely to discover something new about their partners. There would be merry and joy between the couples.

Favourable Dates Feb 5, 6, 14, 15, 23 & 24 Favourable Colours Red & Yellow

Scorpio 23 October-21 November

There would be some important business dealings that will require your careful attention, as there is a possibility that if handled well you could be on the brink of a major financial breakthrough. There will be a chance to throw yourself into an interest or hobby that has always intrigued and interested you. You’ll also tend to be in quite a romantic mood too, seeing all kinds of possibilities where there are actually none. Bide your time, as there will be some fantastic opportunities for romance, and until then channel that over-active imagination into something constructive. This will also be a time for making a whole new circle of friends.

Favourable Dates Feb 2, 7, 11, 16, 20, 25 & 29 Favourable Colours Red & Brown

Zodiac Predictions for Feb 2016

Sagittarius 22 November-21 December

This month will be dominated by a series of challenges. Money is looking good, but it’s unlikely to just fall into your lap; you will have to work for it. There are likely to be a few, minor money niggles. Mental clarity, discrimination, and your ability to separate fact from fiction is diminished now. Miscommunications and an inability to formulate your ideas coherently are likely. Avoid making binding contracts at this time. Confusion, inability to focus on mundane tasks, and the desire to evade real responsibilities and challenges are negative potentials for you now. Your desire to maintain your independence could be a source of tension, but some straight talking will ease the situation.

Favourable Dates Feb 2, 7, 11, 16, 20, 25 & 29 Favourable Colours Red & Brown

Capricorn 22 December-19 January

The month is likely to start quietly, but after 10th, you’ll find that the pace soon quickens. There would be challenges, but each new challenge will carry with it the possibility of significant success. Work will be presenting some difficulties but if

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you can deal with those obstacles you will earn the respect and appreciation of those around you. Money will start and continue on a strong note. You are likely to feel in need of an image change, but seek the advice of someone whose sense of style is impeccable before embarking on any course of action. Emotionally, you will need to deal with some tensions in a relationship.

Favourable Dates Feb 3, 7, 12, 16, 21, 25 & 30 Favourable Colours Blue & White

Aquarius 20 January-18 February

The month might start on a slow note, but things will soon quicken up, which will bring an equal share of challenges and opportunities. Expect some upheaval as the planets guide you to de-clutter your finances and your emotional life. As you begin to process the recent and hectic changes, brace yourself for a rather frantic February, when well meaning relatives try to take over a little: don’t be afraid of putting your foot down. Emotions and issues in a close relationship that have been brewing beneath the surface for

quite a while come to the surface at this time, possibly in a very disruptive way. Try not to be lax about important details.

Favourable Dates Feb 2, 4, 11, 13, 20, 22 & 29 Favourable Colours Green & White

Pisces 19 February-20 March

The key theme of the month will be the need to strike a balance between your work life and your emotional life. There will be some definite crossover between the two and this may indicate an office romance of some sort or possibly a serious crush on a class mate. There may also be a very strong desire to travel that is likely to be tied to some new discoveries about yourself that the earlier months have revealed. Your willingness to learn and grow, will see you developing both in your relationships with others as well as in your understanding of your own desires and goals in life. Singles are more likely to meet someone very special.

Favourable Dates Feb 2, 6, 11, 15, 20, 24 & 29 Favourable Colours Green & Red

Looking Back I have been reflecting. Revisiting memories, milestones and the ups and downs that build for 365 days. I have been praying. Looking forward. Seeking. Listening. Learning. Pressing onward on this race has also called me to look back on the course over the past year.

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By Katie Clifton, Christian Columnist 88

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“For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise” 1 Chronicles 16:25 What did I learn? How did I grow? How was I pruned? Who did I serve? How did I love? Was I obedient? The Lord showed me that I don’t need to make plans. He showed me His ways are best and that I am strongest and most pliable when I am on my face before Him.

I spent 2014 fighting God on church with the story of Rahab and redemption planting. I ran from it. I cried over it. I and scarlet ropes of freedom and faith. begged God to call someone else. I surrendered. In 2015, we launched I longed for foreign missions and He Renew Church. It is wonderful. It is a handed me the desires of my heart. I gift. It is refreshing and reviving and prayed for opportunities to glorify Him renewing. The Lord is healing people and a platform for ministry. He allowed and allowing us to have a front row me to speak to churches, women’s seat. The view is breathtaking and conferences, student conferences, bible studies on American and African exciting. I can only imagine His view. soil. I was given the place, space and The Lord taught me that I need full words to share and He equipped me possession of faith, not full possession for the call I asked for. He showed me of knowledge. He whispered to me that He cares about my dreams and about Promised Lands and reminded that He is the One who gives me the me that I am no grasshopper living in a desire and power to do what pleases land of giants. He led me to fall in love Him.

He allowed me to be broken, nervous and desperate for Him in all of my weakness. He made me strong. He taught me patience, grace and forgiveness in fresh new ways.

Looking Back

I wanted to cling to the Lord so tightly, that letting go would look like death. He taught me to hold unswervingly to the hope I profess. The Lord revealed idols that needed to be cast down. He showed me that I put my faith and worth in other people far too often. That insecurity isn’t found in His strength, it’s found in mine. Through prayers and tears and scripture digging, He pointed me back to who I am in Him. The Lord showed me friends. He gave me a community of women who are real and genuine: Authentic, raw, transparent, beautiful, encouraging, and full of the love of Christ. Friends who rallied around me when I felt I had nothing else to offer. Friends who rode in like the cavalry when I was worn out and ministry was breaking me. Friends who covered me in prayer. Friends who held my hand and wiped my tears. The Lord told me to fight for the next generation. He told me to fight harder for my children, on my knees. He told me to go to battle for the souls of other people’s children. He gave me a heart and a longing to raise up young women to be warriors. The Lord showed me that the safest place to be is in His will. The Lord showed me that He is always going before me. That He is my safe place. That when I fly over 90

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remote African lands and I am surrounded by foreign tongues and tribes, He is there. He is my hiding place. The Lord revealed to me immense He truly taught me that He is before amounts of evil and He showed me all things and in Him all things hold how He rescues me from the domain together. He has given me a burning of darkness. He protects me from deep within my soul to be used, even every lawless deed. The word the Lord more. To speak, even bolder. To write, gave me for 2015 was ‘HOLD’. I wanted more transparently. To use my voice, the lens of my living to be focused on even louder. To live, more obediently. holding. To love, even bigger. To go, more confidently. To seek, even deeper. To I wanted to cling to the Lord so tightly, listen, more patiently. To be still, even that letting go would look like death. longer. To give, even greater. He taught me to hold unswervingly to the hope I profess. He told me to not God showed me that there is a season just pretend to love others, but to really for everything and I can look forward love them. That I am to hate what is and press on in this race, because He wrong and hold tightly to what is good. is calling me ahead.

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3:12-14

What about you, dear friends? What did He reveal to you in 2015? Looking Back

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