Spring 2016 Issue

LOTUS MOON

SPRING CLEANING: A Sacred Practice

FINDING MY VOICE Importance of speaking your mind

Awakening Grayce: FEAR

March Eclipses: Aftermath & Recovery

1

Spring Cleaning:

Essential Oils

Transition to the Afterlife

Spring

LOTUS MOON

LOTUS MOON

Meet the team

Heather is a professional journalist and photographer, and owns her own intuitive healing practice. She specializes in Reiki, intuitive readings, chakra cleansings, guided meditations and spell work. Heather is Lotus Moon’s founder, editor-in-chief, layout designer, photographer, graphic designer and one of the contributing writers.

Aiyanna is a yoga teacher, yoga therapist, meditation master, Reiki master, trans-personal coach, shamanic sound healer, astrologer, empath and intuitive. Aiyanna’s life purpose is to help others find their authentic-self, and live to their full potential. Aiyanna is the contributing writer for the magazine’s monthly article, Astrology by Aiyanna, as well as other astrology related feature articles.

Druyan is a talented tarot reader and spiritualist specializing in spiritual development with a metaphysical leaning, astrology, crystals, healing, and natural health. One of her life purposes is to spread helpful information to aid others on their spiritual journeys. She does so through her contributions to Lotus Moon, and through her personal blog.

Adelina is a natural healer and essential oil expert. Certified in the AromaTouch Technique, a clinical approach to essential oil application, she offers frequent workshops on natural remedies and healthcare solutions using essential oils. Adelina has a long history of helping others, and loves to practice natural healing techniques to improve the mind, body and soul.

2

LOTUS MOON

Grayce is an intuitive and empath, and is gifted with a spiritual knowing about the ethereal that belies her many lifetimes of experience. She feels at home under the stars and moon, connecting with faeries and with the mystical world around her. Each month Grayce will be exploring a new aspect of spirituality on her journey of awakening, and sharing it with the world through Lotus Moon magazine.

Rebecca is an intuitive, empath and tarot card reader. She is also a nurse who finds the human body and its abilities fascinating. Nothing brings her more joy than to aid others in healing mentally, physically and emotionally. Rebecca finds solace in spending time with Mother Nature and enjoys hiking. She is a student of life and strives to better herself through education and seeking truth.

About Our Magazine Lotus Moon magazine was founded in 2015. It was founded with the purpose of spreading love, light, spiritual education, acceptance and spiritual freedom throughout the hearts of people worldwide. We are all here to change the world one small piece at a time by helping people welcome light and love into their heart and usher spiritual evolution into their lives. We are a group of individuals from different faiths, with different spiritual backgrounds, who have different beliefs, and who have had a multitude of different life experiences that taught us many difficult life lessons. All who contribute to this magazine are on a spiritual journey to help transform the lives of others through love and healing, and want to share with you their knowledge and experiences to help you do the same. Please read and share this magazine with all you know, and together let’s affect positive change.

3

LOTUS MOON

6

Astrology by Aiyanna

Aiyanna’s astrology forecast for April, May, and June. What to expect and how to best utilize the alignment of the stars and plants to benefit your life.

10

Mercury Retrograde

Mercury Retrograde in Taurus begins in April. What can you expect during this time?

12

Transition to the Afterlife What happens when we die?

Rebecca shares her insight and personal experiences on the subject.

16

Spring Cleaning: A Sacred Practice

Clearing out and cleansing away the physical and emotional ‘stuff’ we accumulate over time to fill gaps in our lives.

18

Finding My Voice

How an inability to speak your mind can impact your life, and what you can do to help yourself find your voice and live an authentic life.

22

Spring Psychic Forecast

Heather’s psychic energy forecast for Spring as communicated by her spiritual guides and the Universe.

4

LOTUS MOON

24

Awakening Grayce: Fear

Fear, although instinctual and necessary at times, can greatly diminish the joy and incredible experiences in life. Grayce shares her experiences with fear, and how it has helped and hindered her.

26

Spring Cleaning: Essential Oils

Cleaning your home and refreshing your spirit with essential oils. Plus, recipes for making your own natural at-home cleaning products.

30

March Eclipses: Aftermath & Recovery

The March eclipses brought devastating circumstances and events into the lives of many, but how you handle the events could carry you into a new realm of spiritual transformation and levels of joy in your life.

32

Ask Heather

Spiritual insight, personal guidance, matters of the heart... you ask, Heather answers. See what questions readers have for Heather in this issue.

36

Moon Guide

5

LOTUS MOON

ASTROLOGY by

T

Aiyanna

he overall energy of 2016 is that of integration and completion. We’ve been through some hard stuff and there is more on the horizon, but in the meantime, we need to integrate the lessons we have learned over the last several years.

Themes from the past will repeat themselves and allow us to observe what work we have left to do. All of us will have some work left, however there will be many moments of celebration as we realize we have graduated and are ready to move to our next level.

6

LOTUS MOON

The astrology of April, May, and June, similar to the seasonal energy of spring progressing into summer, asks us for progressive growth. We plant seeds in April, nurture them and let them to take hold in May, and in June we thin out the overgrowth by assessing the need for a course correction.

April-Dream big!

Our calendar year begins in January, but New Year for the natural world begins in the Spring when plants are sprouting, buds are grow-

ing, and we sense the promise of warmer months to come. Although Spring officially began March 19th when the sun entered Aries, April will be the month for beginnings.

In the aftermath of March’s eclipses and the full moon lunar eclipse in Libra on March 23rd, we have had some time to integrate and heal as needed, and are ready for the New Moon in Aries on April 7th.

Now is the time for metaphorically planting what you want to grow in your life.

Courageous Aries, a cardinal sign, leads the way into Spring and our

time of new beginnings. When the New Moon is in Aries, the energy is a powerful carrier and goals set now can set the tone for the next 12 months.

This year, not only are the Sun and Moon in Aries, they are also conjunct, close to the same degree, with Uranus, the planet of sudden change. If you are ready to embark on a whole new venture, or adopt a brand new frame of mind, this is the time to do it.

Themes for intentions during the New Moon in Aries are: choosing to be more authentic, working with anger, eliminating selfishness and arrogance, and summoning courage to follow a new path, or recommit to an old one in a new way thanks to Uranus.

Elsewhere in the sky, Mars and Saturn are conjunct in Sagittarius in gentle trine with the Sun, Moon, and Uranus in Aries. Saturn in Sagittarius questions what we really believe in, and Mars approaching Saturn asks us to act on what we have uncovered.

This momentum carries through April 18th when Mars begins it’s retrograde motion, traveling back through Sagittarius and into Scorpio, not turning direct again until the end of June. Mars requires physical action in order to be expressed, however when in retrograde, we would do well to be mindful of our actions, considering more deeply their consequences.

On April 19th, the Sun moves into the fixed Earth sign of Taurus ensuring the seeds we planted during the New Moon are taking root.

The Full Moon in Scorpio on April 21st looks delightful! A Grand Trine in Earth with Mercury in Taurus, Pluto in Capricorn, and Jupiter in Virgo calls us to 7

LOTUS MOON

be grounded and centered in our bodies.

The Moon in Scorpio forms a trine with Neptune in Pisces— note your dreams for they contain hidden gold. In fact, dreaming up a million dollar idea is not out of the question. Scorpio will desire to look at what’s going on beneath the surface, and Taurus energy will help us find the beauty in something broken.

May - Steady on!

May is a month of steady progress.

All around us, nature is flourishing after having fully woken from winter’s slumber. Beauty and creativity is the focus of the New Moon in Taurus on May 6th. The Sun, Moon, Mercury, and Venus are all in the sign of Taurus and we feel drawn to create. Here we can let go of what’s been weighing us down

and move forward in a grounded and practical way, with all of our senses open to experience.

There may be some tension impacting our dreams, thanks to Mars and Saturn in Sagittarius forming a square with Neptune in Pisces and Jupiter in Virgo, but a Grand Trine in the Earth signs allows us an escape hatch. Get out in nature if you can; breathe the scent of flowers and trees, and feel the sensation of the ground beneath your feet taking in all mother nature has to offer.

Pluto forms a sextile with Neptune in Pisces and you may receive answers to deep questions in your dreams. I suggest New Moon intentions center around themes of sensuality, body image, finishing things you’ve started, releasing a mindset of scarcity, and pulling yourself out of a rut.

The Sun moves into Gemini on

May 20th taking us from a fixed earth sign to a mutable air sign in preparation for the transition into Summer. Gemini moves us out of our bodies and into our intellect, out of the earth and into the air; remember to balance head and heart as we make this transition. The sign of the twins, Gemini, likes new ideas and new information.

In 2016, the Moon is full in Sagittarius twice, once in May at the first degree of Sagittarius, and again in June at the last degree. Sagittarius is the sign of the teacher, the philosopher, the traveler, and the wandering sage.

With Saturn in Sagittarius we are being called to look closely at our ideas and take a broader view— what have we learned in the past, what we are learning now, and what would we like to learn in the future.

Where would you like to travel?

What would you like to experience?

What is on your bucket list?

The Full Moon in Sagittarius on May 21st offers us an opportunity to look at all of this. With the Moon also conjunct Mars in Sagittarius, we are likely to feel the urge to take action today, but remember that Mars is retrograde and we would do well to slow down and consider the consequences letting Mars’ retrograde help us plan things out.

Mercury turns direct in Taurus on May 23rd making it the time to let all those creative ideas you had at the New Moon flow!

June Check your course!

June is a turning point of the year.

The Sun has been moving higher and higher in the sky, and the days have been growing longer and longer. The New Moon in Gemini on June 4th has the potential to be 8

LOTUS MOON

pretty epic, similar to a midterm or a ‘come to Jesus’ meeting with a coach.

There is a mutable Grand Cross with the Sun, Moon and Venus in Gemini; Neptune, Chiron, and the South Node in Pisces, Saturn in Sagittarius, and Jupiter in Virgo.

A Grand Cross is formed when planets in square with other planets

line up in such a way that it creates a giant X in a box. All of these planets are challenging each other creating a huge energetic potential for action. All astrological aspects to this New Moon challenge it.

In Gemini, this moon is concerned with connections such as personal relationships and how ideas relate to one other. With Ve-

nus conjunct the Sun and Moon, it’s time to examine what you consider beautiful and what you hold dear.

Using the strengths of Gemini, you might use the medium of story telling to tease out your experience.

What stories have you been telling yourself? Are they true? Now is the time to change your outdated stories, and beliefs.

If the tense aspects of June 4th become too, you can find relief in the more harmonious aspects of the day’s chart: A Grand Trine in the Earth signs with Pluto in Capricorn, Mercury in Taurus, and Jupiter in Virgo. Here again, the theme I see is storytelling, writing, or talking things out as a way to get clear on what you’re processing.

The Sun moves into Cancer on June 20th for the Summer Solstice heralding the beginning of Summer. The 20th also brings the second and last Full Moon in Sagittarius for 2016. On this day we will have another Grand Cross in the sky with Saturn in Sagittarius, Jupiter in Virgo, Mercury in Gemini, and Neptune in Pisces.

We are searching for the best outcome, but no one seems to agree on which is best. Everyone has a different vision based on what they value.

A possible way through this tension is a change of routine—look at the situations that trouble you from a new perspective. Throw away some of the “should’s” you’ve been living under and see if your life makes sense with new “should’s.”

Maybe new “should’s” don’t make sense right now, but keep trying because we are being called to change.

The Sun and Moon are outside of the Grand Cross configuration in the last degrees of Gemini and Sagittarius where they too are getting ready to change signs. A lot of change and potential for upsets on this day! Take note of what’s in the headlines, they are sure to reflect this.

All of these observations can be translated on a personal level by comparing the transits described in this article to a natal chart.

See you next quarter!

-Aiyanna

9

LOTUS MOON

Key Dates April: 7th - New Moon in Aries 18th - Mars Retrograde Begins

in Sagittarius 18th - Pluto Retrograde Begins

in Capricorn 19th - Sun into Taurus 21st - Full Moon in Scorpio 29th - Mercury Retrograde Begins

in Taurus All Month - Jupiter Retrograde in Virgo, and Saturn Retrograde in Sagittarius.

May: 6th - New Moon in Taurus 10th - Jupiter Direct in Virgo 20th - Sun into Gemini 21st - Full Moon in Sagittarius 22nd - Mercury Direct in Taurus June: 4th - New Moon in Gemini 14th - Neptune Retrograde Begins

in Pisces 20th - Sun into Cancer 20th - Summer Solstice 20th - Full Moon in Sagittarius 30th - Mars direct in Scorpio

Visible Planets April: Morning sky - Saturn and Venus through April 30th.

Evening sky - Jupiter and Mercu ry through April 30th.

May: Morning sky - Mercury through May 30th, and Saturn through may 3rd.

Evening sky - Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn beginning May 3rd.

June: Morning sky - Saturn, Mercu ry through June 19th, and Mars through June 22nd.

Evening sky - Jupiter and Mars beginning June 22nd.

Mercury Retrograde

in Taurus A

I

P

R

I

n astrology, all planets except the Sun and Moon go through periods of time when they appear to move backwards in the sky. The retrograde planet that gets the most attention is Mercury, the planet symbolizing communication and travel. Mercury has retrograde periods most frequently, but all of the planets have periods of retrograde.

Retrogrades are natural rest periods. For us, they are an opportunity to revisit aspects of our lives to retool and revise. During retrogrades you are energetically supported for anything you want to work on.

Retrograde causes planets to traverse the same places three times, once when the planet crosses an area the first time as it moves forward, a second time when the planet moves backward, and a third time when the planet once again moves forward. This means that we have three chances to get things right in our lives.

10 LOTUS MOON

L

2

9

-

M

If you notice what themes appear in your life prior to a retrograde, you will get an idea of what themes will appear during the retrograde period, and continue when the planet moves forward again.

Specifics for the Spring 2016 Mercury retrograde: Mercury will turn retrograde in Taurus on April 29th, however it’s retrograde shadow begins much earlier, on April 14th at 14 degrees Taurus. This is the degree of Taurus to which Mercury will appear to travel backwards before resuming forward motion on May 22nd. The retrograde post-shadow period lasts from May 22nd until June 7th when Mercury will once again reach the degree in which it began it’s retrograde.

Mercury rules communication, travel, technology, ideas, and some forms of expression. During a retrograde period, the energy of these types of activities slows down to a stop, changes direction to move backward for a time, then stops

A

Y

2

2

again to resume forward motion. In the sign of Taurus, Mercury asks us to take a closer look at our resources, beauty, and what we consider pleasurable.

Popular culture has trained many people to fear Mercury retrograde, however there are ways to work with its energy so it becomes a productive period for us. Mercury retrograde is a good time to revisit and research aspects of your life.

In Taurus, this retrograde will be a great time to research big purchases you are planning, review and revise your budget, and to assess projects that will add value to something you’ve invested in.

Mercury Retrograde is not the best time to begin new projects, but it can be an ideal time to begin projects you’ve been planning for some time. Just know that doing so may require more attention to detail, could take longer than anticipated, and may need some revision at a later time.

“My life purpose is to help others find their authentic-self, and live to their full-potential.�

For personalized astrology consultations, contact Aiyanna at aiyannapurdy@gmail.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/avalonyoga/

11 LOTUS MOON

the Aft T R

D

eath is something most of us cannot easily reconcile.

When someone whose presence helped mold you into the person you have become ceases to be, it is difficult to understand, and heart breaking. Their body has shut down and their soul has moved on; the pain of this loss being acutely present in the realization that they will no longer be able to lend their voice to your living days.

12 LOTUS MOON

This is what most people believe, but my heart tells me it isn’t true.

I think our ancestors have a very active role in guiding our lives, but do so after transitioning into a new state of being. It has been my privilege to witness parts of these transitions through dreams. You may find that you have as well, however the dreams may make you feel ill at ease if you don’t understand what you’re experiencing.

These types of dreams and experiences are not new to me as I am a reader of energy. When I walk into a room I know how I will be received before I’m greeted.

When I meet someone new, I get to know them by getting a feel for their normal energy and base all of my future interactions on how their baseline energy feels to me. If something is troubling them, I will know.

terlife A N S I T I O N I have a tendency to help others because I prefer a homeostasis of all the energy in my general vicinity. I’m not sure how to explain it, but it feels bad when someone is feeling tense or frightened around me. Reading the energy of spirits is very similar, easier in some ways and harder in others. I have to concentrate more than when reading the energy of living beings, but I suppose since the deceased aren’t distracted by their lives anymore, their energy presents itself very clearly.

My grandmother, Nonna, always had a very even and pleasant energy. She was very rarely angered and always radiated love, wisdom, and sometimes curiosity when trying to understand the inner workings of her grandchildren. I believe she was an energy reader too and although we never spoke of it plainly, it was hinted at. She taught me life lessons in a different way than she did my siblings, and she expected more from me. Although rare, her disappointment was something I never wanted to feel because I could feel it hurt her heart.

As she grew older she became forgetful due to Alzheimer’s, and after years of living with family she became a danger to herself. When we were forced to place her in assisted living, her energy was confused, but always even and loving.

13 LOTUS MOON

After a while I had to remind her of who I was when I came to visit, which shocked and saddened her, but her love for me outweighed the sadness. She knew she was losing her memories, but she took everything in stride.

Before she passed several years later I went to see her on her deathbed. My grandfather, Nonno, who’d passed nine years before, was there in spirit to support his family and await her. I knew as soon as I walked into the room, his smell and the feeling of his strength and support confirmed it. She was barely there, but receptive to the love I was so desperately trying to give her.

She joined Nonno eight hours after I left the hospital, and I could feel a sense of relief from him when they reunited.

I’d lost many people around that time so funerals had become a strange mix of comfort and sadness. Usually when someone dies I can feel his or her presence at the funeral. A few months before Nonna’s death, two of my uncles passed away within days of each other. At their funeral I felt them and several other energies rambunctiously reuniting in love and good humor.

However Nonna wasn’t at her funeral. I could only faintly feel my Nonno, but not my Nonna, though I felt her with him.

This was very confusing even for

T O

someone such as myself, and without her comfortable even presence, her ceremony felt almost hollow to me. While it still signified her end and our farewell to her, it lacked the same completeness without her there.

When my other grandmother, whom I called Granny, passed, the hilarity of the situations surrounding her funeral perfectly paralleled the life she shared with her husband, my Poppa. The hearse transporting her remains obtained two flat tires and was forced to pull over on the side of the highway as the rest of the funeral procession drove by. I was shocked, not because my dear Granny was detained from her final resting place, but because she and I had discussed this very occurrence fifteen months before.

She and I planned it together in a conversation filled with laughter.

It was to be how I would know she was there.

Granny didn’t want a funeral and said she would give the hearse a flat tire if we attempted to celebrate her in that way. Granny also promised that if she had met up with our Poppa, my grandfather, the second flat tire would be from him. Poppa was a comedian in life and the two of them remained tricksters together in death.

Shortly after Granny’s death she visited me in a dream, or rather I

visited her. She was in her home, a place where I had spent many weekends throughout my childhood, and was surrounded by boxes. They were haphazardly stacked all throughout her house, spilling their contents from between open cardboard flaps.

I greeted her and expressed how much I loved and missed her. She said the same of me, but that she was too busy to visit because she had a lot to sort through. I could feel her energy was very distracted. She radiated desperation and a need for organization, similar to how her baseline energy had been while living. I realized she was sorting through her life.

I’d had similar dreams of family members and loved ones I had lost and they were very much the same, always organizing and sorting shortly after their deaths. Poppa had a very nice filing system. He had a wall of shelves with boxes on them, and in those boxes were the files of his life completely organized; I plan to consult with him when my time comes.

Shortly after Nonna’s death I dreamed of her as well, but we didn’t speak. Nonno was with her and when I approached he held up his finger, intently focusing on her. Nonna was looking at a piece of mint green litmus paper, which Nonno had just handed her. She was in an empty, sterile looking room with Nonno, and they were seated on two wooden chairs in the middle of it.

A woman who looked sterile like the room was handing Nonno small bits of information on papers of different sizes and textures. There was a box next to Nonna, which seemed to be neatly organized. It was just a single box, as opposed to my Granny’s home full of boxes, and so 14 LOTUS MOON

different from my Poppa’s neat and tidy files on neatly stacked shelves.

I awoke from the dream feeling unsettled. Nonna was reviewing her life and Nonno was sharing the experience. That must be the reason for her absence at her funeral, she had lost most of her memories at the end of her life due to Alzheimer’s. What a shock it would be to know that you’ve awoken from such a forgetfulness, only to find you’re dead, or so I assume—there are some parts of the great beyond that I prefer to keep hidden, even from myself.

I was with both Granny and Poppa when they emerged from their tasks. Poppa left behind a man I, at my very young and naive age, assumed was a doctor who declared him healed, though I never saw or spoke to him. I was very sad upon waking to know that he had not come back to life. I was too young to understand the significance of the transition Poppa was so generous to share with me. He visits me in life and in dreams on occasion, and he makes me laugh; his visits are very dear to me.

Granny’s emergence from her transition into the afterlife was slightly different. There was a woman with her, who I recognized from my visit to her home, who never spoke or made eye contact with me, but assisted Granny dutifully. She removed Granny’s robe to reveal her completely dressed, and then handed me a hair brush. After yanking it through Granny’s hair once, she was ready. Granny quietly thanked the woman and called to me to walk her to the train.

She thanked me for helping her and told me she loved me. She then explained that she had many people to visit and said she would see me soon. She then called to a little boy

who was standing nearby using an endearment she used with all of her grandchildren. The boy with dark hair hugged me around the legs and ran to take her hand as they headed for the train platform. I realized the boy was the son I had lost and never knew. She took his hand as the matron she was, but somehow it felt as if he was guiding her.

I haven’t seen Nonno and Nonna since my dream of her sorting through papers with the help of Nonno. Nonna’s death is fairly new, she hasn’t been gone six months yet, so I believe it will take some time to sort through her 94 years of life. I feel her fleetingly on occasion, always with my Nonno, but never with the ‘presence of mind’ to know that she’s visiting. I sorely miss her energy, but I know that after some time she and Nonno will come through to me; I’m looking forward to it.

There are strange things you consider when you lose loved ones.

Where do they go? How do they know they’re dead? From what I’ve seen in my dreams and felt in the energy around me, I believe these experiences are part of it. I also believe our loved ones and ancestors are an integral part of our lives.

Keeping them close is as easy as honoring their traditions, holding the mementos they’ve left behind, or smelling the scents that remind you of them. They help to guide us to our purpose, and support and love us when we lose our way. I urge you to allow them to connect with you because in death, it is their purpose.

Written by Rebecca Bonk

Reiki Dolls B Y

B L O S S O M I N G

L I G H T

Protection . Love . Letting Go Fertility . Healing

www.BlossomingLight.com 15 LOTUS MOON

a sacred

Spring Cleaning, D

o you ever have one of those moments where you stop, look around, and wonder, How did I accumulate all this STUFF? The pressure to buy is all around us, in commercials, print advertisements, billboards...the list goes on. Their message is that we must be good consumers to fit in.

Why do we feel the need to fill our lives with so much? Why do we seldom seem satisfied? Spring is the perfect time to answer these questions and take on the once-dreaded Spring Cleaning in a way that feels empowering instead of exhausting.

One reason we feel the need to shop so much is that it’s a great time killer. We live in a culture where busyness is a hallmark of success, couple that with a system of rapidly changing trends, and it’s no wonder we fill so much of what could be vital down-time piling stuff into our shopping carts instead.

We may subconsciously be attempting to fill a spiritual hole with the physical, or we could be acting out very primal urges linked to the distant past. Our ancestors lived in a time where survival was directly linked to accumulation. They saved up through the Fall in order to get through stark, barren Winters. For many of us, these hidden instincts may still be strong, running like a computer program in the back of our minds.

Mindfulness can help us over16 LOTUS MOON

Practice write these once helpful programs.

We must examine what we actually need vs. what is bogging us down. It could be that we stay busy because it can sometimes be uncomfortable to just sit and BE. Our culture doesn’t value stillness, it is even considered lazy by some, but if we are to break ourselves from habitual non-essential shopping that clutters our lives, we must learn to simply BE. Moments of quiet contemplation can bring clarity to why we feel the need to accumulate so much, and help us find healthier ways to achieve the feeling of satisfaction we seek. Spring is a great time to start this process.

Although society marks the New Year in January, in astrology the Spring Equinox marks the beginning of the Zodiacal year when the Sun enters the sign of Aries. It’s no coincidence we get the urge to clear out and freshen up this time of year, it’s in the stars!

As the renewing energy of Spring approaches, take a good, hard look at what needs to go with the passing Winter. When you purge clutter from your home, you also clear out old patterns from your mind. This can be a very cathartic process, and deeply healing if you allow it. You can take what you no longer need and give it a new life elsewhere, donating items to local shelters, churches, and non-profit thrift

17 LOTUS MOON

stores instead of throwing them out. Once you have cleared your space, a wonderful way to increase the positive energy in your space is with a smudging ritual.

Besides a smudge stick, you will need a ceramic bowl or abalone shell, and a feather, which is optional. Great herbs for smudging besides Sage are Rosemary, Lavender, Cedar and Sweet Grass. Evenly light the smudge stick, blow the fire out and get a good stream of smoke going. You can hold the stick over your bowl to catch any smoldering ashes, or place the stick in the bowl and use the feather to direct the smoke.

Start at the front door of your home, where you will also finish.

Moving clockwise around the perimeter, let smoke bathe the walls as you focus your energy on cleansing and purifying. Make sure to concentrate on corners as these are areas where stagnant energy can get stuck. You can even speak out as you smudge, going with what comes naturally. This should feel organic and not staged or forced; do what feels right.

We have the power to simplify our lives by being more aware, and selective, of what we bring into our homes, and why. What can we do with more space and time? The possibilities are endless. Blessings!

Written by Druyan Sagan

FINDING M I sat quietly, watching the people around me talking, laughing, and interacting with one another as they shared stories, jokes, and personal anecdotes. Glances would periodically flit in my direction as if they were waiting for me to explode into the conversation with engaging stories of my own. I continued to listen, be attentive, and even laugh on occasion, but I was still an outsider, at least in my mind.

After a while someone asked me a question. I’m not sure if it was because they were truly interested or if it was to see if I could actually speak. I instantly felt heat rising to my face and anxiety swell in my core as all eyes were now on me, waiting for my response. Thankfully the question was about me and I knew the answer; I don’t think I could have responded otherwise because my brain had shut down with the frightening amount of attention people were now paying me. I don’t remember what I actually blurted out, but it was quiet and minimally worded.

I continued to watch and listen, desperately wanting to engage and be part of the group, but torn because it simply was not natural for me to do so. I was terrified to speak up. I was terrified to let myself be open with others. I was terrified to let people know the real me…why?

At the time I didn’t have a clue, 18 LOTUS MOON

MY VOICE much has changed since. I have been that way since I was a child, afraid to speak, afraid to engage, afraid for others to know the real me. I’m not a social pariah, quite the opposite at times, I just need time to achieve a certain level of comfort before I engage.

It’s a terrible feeling honestly, hopelessly seeking to interact with others but being so choked up with unreasonable fear its paralyzing.

Many times throughout my life people have mistaken my fear of interaction as thinking I am better than others. I have been called a “bitch” and a “snob” on numerous occasions, simply because I become immobile when meeting new people. I can’t tell you how many times I have gone home and cried, or silently screamed at myself in anger because I can’t make the simplest gesture toward normal social interaction.

My fear doesn’t just arise during new situations or when meeting new people. It occurs with friends, at work, with family, and in my marriage. My husband, being my fearless protector, has gotten frustrated with me countless times because I won’t stand up for myself or speak my mind. What he doesn’t understand is that for me, speaking my mind is the equivalent of bungee jumping off a bridge without the bungee cord. There are so many things I am afraid to say or speak

19 LOTUS MOON

up about, and so many times not saying what I wanted and needed to has lead to a disappointing and sometimes bleak existence.

At the age of twelve I wound up in the midst of a custody battle.

I grievously wanted to live with my mother after sustaining four years of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of my father and step-mother. During the trial I was called in to speak with the presiding judge. He asked simple questions about school, my activities, what I liked to do for fun, etc.

Throughout the entire meeting my inner voice was screaming to tell him what my life was actually like—about the Thanksgiving my step-mother punctured the inside of my throat with her fingernails, about the day my father angrily pinned me to a wall and choked me with my shirt until I couldn’t breathe, and so much more.

I wanted to tell the judge everything, but I just couldn’t bring myself to form the words. Unfortunately for me he did not simply ask me who I wanted to live with and in the end awarded my father custody.

The next three years of my life were as miserable as the previous four had been. For a long time I blamed myself for my misery because I didn’t speak my mind that day in the judge’s chambers.

It took many years of soul searching, and many repeated life lessons, but at the age of 36 I have finally come to understand why I’vd had the experiences I have, and why I am so afraid of speaking my mind.

I have also come to understand why it is so incredibly important to speak up for myself on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.

Looking back at my life, there are many opportunities I’ve missed and painful situations I could have 20 LOTUS MOON

changed by speaking aloud what was in my heart.

For me, my inability to speak my mind and share my inner truth comes from lifetimes of being shunned, and even harmed, for simply being myself. I now realize it is one of my soul-lessons to overcome darkness that tries to dampen my light, thus my current life began with abuse and teachings of self-loathing. I was taught to deny my soul and disregard who I truly was in order to fit into standards not my own.

Although I escaped the abusive reign of my father and step-mother at the age of 15, little did I know that it was simply a lesson destined to be relived until it was learned.

Although I would never again endure that kind of physical abuse, many years of mental and emotional abuse were still ahead of me. For 20 years I struggled with self-loathing and trying to live up to the expectations of others, and unrealistic expectations of myself.

Last year, however, the Universe gifted me with the freedom to find myself. It has taken most of the year and still I am only beginning a very long road, but the veil of self-deprecation is lifting. The next challenge is speaking my mind and sharing my personal truths with those I have been hiding them from. I’m terrified just thinking of that kind of vulnerability, but I now know it’s essential in becoming the person I am destined to be. Like all of us, I have a purpose, but until I heal the past and truly move forward, my purpose is blocked.

For many of you, my struggle may parallel your own, that is why I was guided to share it with you. If you struggle with being able to speak your mind, freeing yourself from a situation of abuse or from the misaligned expectations of others, want to break free of limiting patterns, or simply want to live life on your terms, here are some steps to help you, as dictated by my spiritual guides.

1

Recognize the pattern.

Whatever you are currently struggling with is likely to be part of a repeating pattern. Look back through your life and at all the situations in which you felt as you do now. Each situation may be very different, but they’re all likely to elicit the same emotional response from you. You may even find numerous patterns that are part of one whole; a single life-lesson being taught on a multitude of levels. I always thought I was shy, an introvert, socially inept, etc., but it wasn’t until I saw how my pattern of verbal incapacitation fit with my pattern of abuse and pattern of self-loathing that knew what I needed to change.

2

Accept difficult situations as life-lessons and let go of blame. It’s easy to blame yourself, or others, for unfortunate life events or unhappiness, but blame only tends to manifest more of what you don’t want in your life. When you blame, you focus feelings of anger, frustration, regret, etc. on yourself or someone else—you relive it, and by doing so, that is where your energy lies. Law of attraction teaches us that whatever we focus our energy on is what we will attract. Blame therefore begets more situations in which you blame yourself, or others. Release the blame and forgive.

3

Forgiveness. Forgiveness is probably one of the most difficult aspects of the healing process. I struggle with it everyday, but what helps me is understanding that when and how others hurt you isn’t a reflection of you, it’s a reflection of their inner turmoil. Do you ever have a bad day at work then go 21 LOTUS MOON

home and lash out at your loved ones? Or have a fight with a significant other and then lash out at your friends? Lashing out verbally, abuse, judgment, and control are all hurtful ways people exert outwardly what they are experiencing internally. If you can start by seeing how the person who hurt you is hurting internally, you are one step closer to being able to forgive.

4

Self-love. Many people view self-love as conceit or vanity—it is not. True self-love is loving and accepting yourself for your innate personality and desires, not who you have been taught to be or what you have been told you should like. It is loving the person you are at the depths of your soul, devoid of influences by others and society. Self-love is feeling that you are worthy of achieving your dreams, and deserving of all the wonderful things life has to offer. Self-love is accepting who you are right now, appreciating who you have been, and loving who you will become.

Self-love is not conceit, it is not vanity, it is not entitlement, and it does not hurt others.

5

Learning to follow your heart. This can be challenging at first, but start by paying attention to your feelings—the small sensations that come over you at different times in your life. Like the excitement you feel when doing something you love, or the hesitation you feel before doing something you later regret. How you feel is like an internal GPS with your soul performing the audio cues. Your feelings, and intuition, are your guide to living a life in alignment with your soul. The more

you follow your internal cues, your heart, the more ease you will feel in your life. This is going with the flow—you are flowing with your natural rhythms instead of rhythms that adhere to societal norms or others’ expectations.

6

Denying the influence of others. Once you begin following your heart, and trusting that what is in your heart is in alignment with your soul, you will feel more free to follow your heart without influence from others. It is difficult to not be influenced by others, especially those who you love and trust, but remember, your life is YOUR journey, not theirs. Granted, those who love you likely want you to be happy and succeed, but they can’t know what is right for you. This is when you must let your intuition and feelings guide you, giving you strength to overcome anything that rises in opposition.

With strength of character comes conviction about your soul’s truths.

7

Action. This is the time to stand in your light and boldly act on what your soul urges you to do.

Whether it’s speaking your mind, removing yourself from a hostile situation, changing careers, or being honest about who you really are, you’re ready. You may feel as if you are walking the plank to certain death, but know that if you are being urged by soul, it is for your highest good. No matter what happens as a result, immediately or down the road, it will always be for your highest good. Trust the Universe to protect you, and have faith that you will be better off for following your heart.

Written by Heather Noble

Spring 2016

PSYCHIC FORECAST

L

ike the burgeoning green each Spring promises, this Spring brings promise of the communion between our hearts and our lives. Throughout April, May, and June, you will be presented with opportunities to balance the desires of your heart with the demands of your life.

You will have the opportunity to walk away from that which brings you anxiety and strife, letting go of ideals that have been leveraged upon you by family, friends, and society. Once you learn to release these ideals and live from your heart and soul instead of your head, you will find success in all aspects of your life.

Many of you are feeling blocked, whether in your job, your relationships, or your life in general.

These blockages all relate to holding yourself back out of fear. Now I’m sure there will be many of you that read this and say, “I”m not afraid of…,” but if you look at yourself in an honest and accepting way, you will find a fear somewhere. When you find one fear, there is likely another fear underneath it. Some of these fears come from things you have experienced in this life, while others may come from past lives.

This Spring we will all be faced with people and situations that will play on our fears, why? Because the Universe wants us to face and rid ourselves of our fears once and for all. Allowing our fears to be in the forefront of our lives prevents us from living a life aligned with our soul, prevents us from seeing the abundance in our lives, it prevents 22 LOTUS MOON

us from healing the past, and prevents us from living our destinies.

When presented with these situations, look at them like you would a magic trick, or a mirage. It’s not the situation itself you need to focus on and fret over, it’s the meaning of the situation. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this situation?” and

more importantly, “What do I fear within this situation?” If you can recognize your fears and potential lessons within a situation, you have already taken an important step toward healing and personal growth.

The three most important things to focus on this Spring will be self-empowerment, appreciating all that is you, and the realization and acceptance of your self-worth.

I can’t stress how important it will be for you to realize that YOU have personal power.

You have full power over yourself and your life, and you are worthy of using that power to create an incredible life for yourself. Whether you believe it or not, you are a gift to this world. You have incredible gifts and talents that you are destined to share with the world, but you have to start with self-appreciation. You have to learn to love yourself and realize your own worth.

One of the ways you can begin to release fears, grow your self-worth, and heal is by following your heart.

Act on your passions, act on your desires, act on what brings you joy; the next three months will be a time of action. Do not allow mindsets or expectations to hamper your actions. Do not allow what you THINK is right sway you from what you FEEL is right. So much of our life’s journey is based on our self-value. Are you views on self-value keeping you from finding joy in your life and living to your full-potential?

The next few months will be your time to shine, and you can do so by changing your perspective. See the world and all the abundance of opportunity it has to offer you. Know that you have unlimited potential for success and happiness, and it can be found right here, right now.

It’s not around the next bend in the road on your journey of life, or hiding under a rock in some magical, make-believe place.

Your moment is now, make the most of it. Live, laugh, love, and let joy and magic reign!

Written by Heather Noble

Blossoming Light S

P

I

R

I

T

U

A

L

S

E

R

V

I

C

E

S

HEATHER NOBLE

PSYCHIC, ENERGY HEALER, EARTH WITCH, REIKI MASTER

PSYCHIC READINGS - LIFE COACHING DISTANCE REIKI - SPELLS & CHARMS GUIDED MEDITATIONS - CHAKRA CLEANSING B L O S S O M I N G L I G H T . C O M

blossoming light

23 LOTUS MOON

blossoming-light-intuition

intuitivewitch1

intuitivewitch1

Grayce

AWAKENING

FEAR...

Savior or killer of dreams when it prevents you from living your destiny? Franklin D. Roosevelt once said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself,” but what is fear?

Fear means different things to different people. For some, fear could be failure, while others have a fear of success. Yet for someone else, fear may be disappointing their family or friends because their desires fall outside of certain ideals.

Or maybe, fear is simply your body guiding you to avoid something that could lead to your demise.

Fear has certainly had a profound affect on my life, both good and bad. When I was seven, I was playing with a friend at a playground near where we lived. As we were playing on the swings, a man came out of the woods near the playground, saw us and said, “Hi.” My first feeling about this man was that he wasn’t good. I seemed to ‘know’ something was off about him and my gut was urging me to beware. We returned his greeting and he started walking in our direction, all the while my stomach was being torn apart by knots of apprehension.

When he got near, he asked us to follow him into the woods to see a big hole he had found. I immediately jumped off the swing and told my friend we had to leave. My friend, however, decided to go see the hole and we parted ways as I headed back home. Halfway home I heard my friend running up behind me.

He told me that as they were walk24 LOTUS MOON

ing toward the hole the man pulled a knife on him. We both hurried home to tell our parents what had happened. They called the police, but the man was never found.

I have since wondered a lot about that day. What if I hadn’t felt the feelings of apprehension, the feelings I now know came from my intuition? Would I still be here? Fear certainly has it’s purpose, but when it keeps you from fulfilling your destiny and creates unhappiness in your life, it needs to be released.

Holding onto fear can prevent us from seeing new opportunities and meeting new people who can positively impact our experiences on Earth. Fear can even dampen happiness and negatively impact our soul’s development.

Fear saved my life that day on the playground, but it many other ways it has hindered my ability to be happy. Part of my spiritual Awakening and living my destiny is opening myself up to supernatural concepts, yet it is still one of my greatest fears. I often don’t know why I know the things I know, or where it comes from, and at times that realization frightens me. Part of that fear comes from the potential disapproval of my family and friends for my beliefs and abilities, but part of that fear stems from the unknown.

Fear of the unknown derives from a lack of understanding. I remember times throughout my life when I was afraid of being intuitive, empathic, and spiritually sensitive, even though the concepts piqued my interest, because I didn’t understand them. I do understand that when you communicate with Spirit and open yourself to spirituality it is necessary to shield yourself from negative energy, so I often fear stepping off the spiritual path I am 25 LOTUS MOON

familiar with as it could more readily open me to negative energy.

I also understand, however, that negative energy gravitates to fear, and if I want to continue my spiritual awakening with positivity and light, I need to face and overcome my fears. One of the ways I have begun overcoming them is by learning everything I can about spirituality, and about others’ spiritual awakening experiences.

I am learning that I have been blessed with a gift to help others with their spiritual journey. I want to be able to connect with Spirit to bring comfort to those who’ve lost loved ones, and help others feel good about themselves and find their purpose. I want to help people understand that their experiences don’t define who they are, or mitigate their life purpose.

Knowing that I have the potential to help others motivates me to face

and overcome my spiritual fears.

Knowing that I could one day be a catalyst for others’ spiritual awakening makes bridging the abyss of my fears less terrifying—it makes it worthwhile.

As the Northern Hemisphere transitions into Spring and the days get warmer and brighter, we are encouraged by the Universe to do a little spiritual spring cleaning and let more light into our lives.

It’s time to not only clean out our physical environments, but also our spiritual environments ridding ourselves of fears and anything holding us back from living the beautiful life we deserve.

Spiritual spring cleaning isn’t for the faint of heart, but it will lighten yours. What are you ready to let go of? Are you ready to leave the darkness behind and shine healing light onto the fears in your soul?

Written by Grayce

Spring Cle I

Essential Oil

t’s that time of the year again, when you can open the windows and swing open the doors allowing a nice Spring breeze to refresh your home after the long winter months. With Spring comes the urge to refresh and clean our spaces—essential oils offer a natural and chemical-free way to do that.

Not only do essential oils have powerful cleaning properties, they can also make the tedious job of cleaning easier by enhancing your mood. Many essential oils can uplift and motivate as they clean, much like you experience when enjoying the scent of fresh, clean laundry. So not only will essential oils help your home look wonderful, but you’ll feel wonderful as well.

When choosing essential oils for cleaning, be sure to select quality essential oils that are certified pure therapeutic grade. This will ensure they contain no added chemicals, fillers, or other residues you want to avoid when cleaning. It’s also important to use glass containers since essential oils like lemon will eat away at plastic and other soft materials over time. When these materials disintegrate, their particles become infused in your cleaning mixture leaving behind residue on your surfaces.

Lemon essential oil is a natural disinfectant, and its calming properties help reduce mental fatigue, 26 LOTUS MOON

exhaustion, and nervousness while you clean—not to mention it’s a great room deodorizer. Wild Orange has many uplifting properties and helps battle feelings of depression as it disinfects. It also inhibits microbial growth and can be used

as an antiseptic. Many wood polishes are infused with the scent of orange because it brings out a beautiful shine in wood surfaces.

Melaleuca, also known as tea tree oil, has antiseptic and antibacterial properties that naturally inhibit

eaning

ls to the Rescue Window & Mirror Cleaner

1 - cup water ½ - cup vinegar 10 - 15 drops of Lemon essential oil To Use: Combine ingredients in a 12 ounce glass bottle and shake well before use. I suggest using newspapers while cleaning windows to reduce streaks, then dust with a dry cloth when finished.

Wood Floor Cleaner ¼ - cup olive oil ¼ - cup vinegar 1 - drop of Lemon or Wild Orange essential oil To Use: Combine ingredients in an 8 ounce glass bottle and shake well before use. Wipe your wood floor down with the essential oil cleaner and a mop.

All Purpose Cleaner

bacteria growth. Melaleuca is also beneficial because of its ability to kill and keep away most insects.

Here are some easy and safe recipes to make your own natural cleaning products to use around your home. These recipes call for 27 LOTUS MOON

the use of lemon, wild orange, and melaleuca essential oils. While some are simply mixed with water, others call for Castile soap, baking soda, or vinegar. All of these items can be found at your local grocery store.

¼ - cup vinegar 2 - cups water 1 - drop of your favorite essential oil combination like melaleuca and lemon To Use: Combine ingredients in a 20 ounce glass bottle and shake well before use. This cleaner is great for wiping down counters, and cleaning other surfaces and floors.

20 - drops of Essential Oils like lemon, wild orange or melaleuca

1 - tablespoon vinegar 5 - 10 drop of Lemon

To Use: To kill germs and clean stains, let this mixture sit on the caulking before wiping clean.

To Use: Combine ingredients in a 16 ounce glass bottle and shake before use. You can also try combining 12 drops of lemon and wild orange essential oils with 6 drops of melaleuca.

To Use: Combine ingredients in an 8 ounce glass bottle and shake before use.

Toilet Spray

Soft Scrub

1 - cup baking soda 20 - drops of Peppermint, Wild Orange and/or Lemon

¼ - cup Castile Soap (Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild) 1¾ - cup water 2 - tablespoons baking soda

¾ - cup baking soda ¼ - cup Castile soap (Dr. Bronner’s Baby Mild) 1 - tablespoon water

To Use: Combine ingredients in an 8 ounce glass container. Shake over carpet and vacuum it up 30 minutes later.

These are just a few of the many natural solutions available for use.

Let spring time inspire you to freshen up the house and create an overall feeling of recharging and restore the energies in your home.

Note from the Author: There are many brands available at your local all-natural store or over the internet. My goal is to educate and empower all oil users. I have a

positive bias towards one company due to the high quality oils, high testing standards and responsible sourcing because of the positive, constant success I have experienced.

The advice shared has not been evaluated by the FDA. It is ultimately up to you to research and find your own conclusions on the information provide. The products and methods recommended are not

intended to diagnose, cure, advise, or prescribe for any human disease, ailment, injury, infirmity, deformity, pain or any other condition, physical or mental, real or imaginary, by any means or instrumentality. I am sharing information that has blessed my life and my family’s. It is important to consult your medical professional.

Written by Adelina Waters

Mildew Caulking Make a paste of baking soda and Lemon juice Add 6 drops of melaleuca

28 LOTUS MOON

Carpet Freshener

Adelina Waters

Independent Wellness Advocate

www.mydoterra.com/awaters

29 LOTUS MOON

March Eclipses

AFTERMATH & RECOVERY

I

n the wake of an intense beginning to March, as the period between eclipses sets in, I find myself drawn to sharing guidance on how we can recover from these astronomical, and spiritual, phenomenons come Spring. The solar eclipse of March 8th and the lunar eclipse of March 23rd wreaked havoc in the lives of many, mine included.

As a healer and spiritual teacher it is my job to be honest, practicing what I preach and sharing with you my trials and tribulations just as I do my knowledge and successes in hopes it will help you. I experience troublesome life lessons continually, just as everyone else, and March’s eclipses didn’t disappoint with yet another.

Although everyone was affected by the eclipses in different ways, the energy focused on personal authenticity and relationships, and for me, it was my marriage. As the first eclipse rolled around little did I know that my husband was in the arms of another woman, but in true form, the Universe let me know two days later when a string of their text messages showed up on our son’s tablet.

I was, and am still devastated.

When your partner, love, and best friend betrays you in such a way it’s soul-crushing. For those who have experienced this you know exactly what I’m talking about. Your entire being is ravaged by anger, betrayal, pain, regret, deceit…the list goes on. You instantly start questioning, 30 LOTUS MOON

What is wrong with me?, and the bottom drops out of your world as everything you once believed is called into question.

For some the decision to leave is swift and decisive, while others know they will never leave; yet others painstakingly ponder their options with a heavy and hurting heart. When children are involved the decision becomes infinitely more difficult. As a huge proponent of self-empowerment, I wanted to walk out the door of our home and never return, but I had to think about our son. My husband has his faults but being a good father isn’t one of them.

The first few hours after learning about my husband’s affair, and listening to him lie repeatedly about the incident, I wasn’t just hurting, I was hurting and furious. This makes for the type of scorned-wife situation often seen on TV murder dramas. I plotted, I pondered, and I pathetically read through every single text message, my heart breaking more and more with each one.

Of course with my husband being deployed and 8,000 miles away, communication was near to nil with the time difference. Later that evening when he awoke half a world away, he realized all that I had learned during the day and called immediately. I’m not one to raise my voice but on that phone call I did. I ranted and sobbed, and told him how angry and hurt I was, but instead of telling him that he would soon find himself in the

midst of a divorce, I found myself telling him he needed to fix his shit.

As I familiarized myself with the feelings of letting him back into my life, and my heart, I felt completely at peace with the decision to stay with him. The following 24-hours brought some amazing realizations.

After our son had been born I went through two years of hormonal issues. Neither my husband nor myself are patient people, and he not understanding what I was going through became frustrated. He began lashing out thinking I was intentionally withdrawing from him, and his lashing out made me withdraw into myself more and more.

At that time I also started two businesses, which I buried myself in as a way of coping and separating myself. Of course I had no idea that his frustration was actually from pain, pain from thinking he was losing his best friend and the love of his life. Several years went by and we became more distant. I began to have longings to end the relationship, but my love for him was still there. We put up walls to shield our pain from each other and ourselves.

Compounding the situation was our intense difficulty in being open with our feelings having been hurt so often in our pasts.

When he left for the mid-East I promised him I would stay, as I didn’t want him dealing with that kind of loss while in a war-zone.

Throughout the majority of his deployment I was distant. I still didn’t

know if I wanted to be with him or move on, and that energy permeated all of our interactions. Although his cheating shattered my heart, I realized how long ago I had broken his. The Universe had forced me to look at myself fully and own up to my mistakes.

The situation that unfolded was also the Universe forcing me to make a decision about our marriage, to stay or to go. I chose to stay and almost instantly all the blockages and emotional walls I had built up during the previous five years came crumbling down.

We both let our guard down and laid everything on the table, and were almost instantly rewarded with a wave of healing neither of us could have expected.

Like a Phoenix born from the ashes of it’s former self, our love rose from the ashes of pain and grief, a new bond forming that is growing stronger than ever before.

We still have miles to go as we heal the deep emotional woulds we’ve inflicted upon each other and learn about the people we have become, but we know we have an amazing future. We feel like we did when we first met 10 years ago, deeply and passionately in love, only this time with our souls bared. We are in love with one another, no pretenses or illusions, loving each other’s true, authentic-self, flaws and all.

The March eclipses brought about incredible challenges and heartbreak for many of you. Many of you are likely wondering why the events unfolded as they did and what to do now. The best thing you can do is look for the lesson. Do you need to be more authentic with yourself and others? Are you hurting someone or is someone hurting you? Do you need to stop blaming others?

What do you need to let go of?

31 LOTUS MOON

That was one of my lessons, letting go. I hold onto hurt and hold grudges. It’s easy for me to get hurt and remove that person from my life. This time, however, the hurt came from the person I love the most in this world and I couldn’t just rid myself of him.

I was guided by my angels and spiritual guides to meditate and look at the situation from a spiritual standpoint, from a place of love instead of pain. I looked at my past, his past, our past, and our love. I am thankful that my abilities showed me the depths of his love for me, and the depths of his hurt at my actions. The pain is still there and trust has been damaged, but forgiveness saved our love.

Devastating situations do not unfold accidentally and randomly; they unfold with great purpose and in perfect timing. As the dust begins to settle from the eclipse generated tornadoes that leveled your world this March, you’re likely left standing in emotional ruins frantically searching for a way to recover.

Your first course of action is to close your eyes from the recent devastation and focus on your heart. You may not be able to see the lessons you need to until you are able to approach your situation with love. Love is the root of all healing, love for yourself and for others.

Shine love onto your fears. Shine love onto your self-worth. Shine love onto those who have hurt you.

Shine love onto the situations that have left you in darkened ruin. Let your love shine light onto all that’s hidden in the dark recesses of your soul. It’s not always easy to see all of your faults, fears, and soul-fractures illuminated, but it will be the only way to overcome them, heal, and move on.

As Winter blossoms into Spring the eclipses have given you the opportunity for your life to blossom into something new and amazing.

Allow yourself to follow in the footsteps of the Phoenix, rising from the ashes of what was into a new and powerful existence.

Written by Heather Noble

How do you connect with your angels and guides if you have difficulty meditating and quieting your mind? G.M. You are always connected with your guides and angels, but hearing and understanding their messages can be the difficult aspect of your connection. Of course meditation is one of the more common ways, because it can also clear, balance and heal your energy fields, but it’s not the only way. The three best ways to get in-touch with and open yourself to communicating with your guides are listening to your feelings, following your passions, and through gratitude and appreciation.

32 LOTUS MOON

Listening to your feelings is how your angels and guides communicate with you on a physical level.

Feeling excited can tell you that you’re on the right track with an idea or pursuit. Feeling joy can tell you that you are doing something in alignment with your soul. Feeling nervousness can indicate you are about to confront a fear. Feeling apprehension can tell you that you may not be traveling down a path that is right for you.

When you do things you are passionate about, especially creative pursuits, you open your heart and third-eye chakra. Opening these chakras strengthens your ability to communicate with Spirit, especially your third-eye chakra. Your third-eye chakra allows you to ‘see’ and understand what is going on around you on an energetic and spiritual level. Powerful messages from your guides and angels can be seen and understood when your third-eye chakra is open.

Gratitude and appreciation are also important to healing and opening your heart chakra. Finding ways to appreciate even the most difficult things in your life can help

you let go of patterns not in alignment with your highest good. In addition, the more you can appreciate your angels, guides and the Universe, the more communicative they tend to become, at least mine reciprocate that way.

Listening to your feelings, following your heart, and living a life of gratitude can enable you to overcome blockages that may be limiting your spiritual connection. The more connected you become with yourself, the more easily you will take notice of little nuances in your internal and external environment that are actually messages from your guides.

Will my job expand in the next few weeks and become profitable? A.O. Differences or even hostilities may arise surrounding current contractual agreements related to your job. Don’t worry because there are new opportunities on the horizon, but you can’t yet see them and may need to walk away from your current situation without knowing what’s next. The Universe is asking you to have faith that something better is on it’s way to you. My guides are showing me it will feel like you are stepping off of a cliff into thin air, but what you won’t be able to see is that there will be firm footing beneath you, it’s just invisible right now.

During this upcoming transition it will be imperative for you to follow your intuition, connect with Spirit regularly, stay positive, and have faith. Caring connections with family and friends will also be imperative at the this time for two reasons. First, love and support is what you need to help you stay positive, and second, it feels

like new opportunities will present themselves to you through family and friend connections.

This whole situation is unfolding to help you grow by releasing outdated and limiting thought patterns that are preventing you from living a fulfilled life in alignment with your soul. This is a destined event so try not to be angry or afraid, it is for your highest good and you are fully supported by the Universe and your spiritual team.

You will likely be feeling fears where abundance is concerned— fears that will keep you from taking action when it is needed, but you will need to empower yourself. Try not to feel trapped because of your financial fear, remember you are supported by the Universe. Financial constraints will eventually be a thing of the past and prosperity will be your future.

How do you as an independent woman generally live so independently, freely, and happily/successfully? What’s your blueprint and/or m.o.?

M.S. 33 LOTUS MOON

The most important aspect of living independently is following your heart and your passions, getting out of your head and breaking free of the norm or societal expectations.

My rising sign is Sagittarius and my sun sign is Leo so I am incredibly independent and a very free thinker, but it took me until a few years ago to start really learning about freedom and independence.

I always thought independence was being able to support myself, buy whatever I needed and wanted on my own, and never need anyone else. What I realized was that to achieve my ideals, which were actually societal ideals, of independence, I was chained to a career and a job I detested. For five years I struggled to make the best of my job.

I took my photography hobby to a new level and started a small business, which I worked along with my full-time job and part-time military duties. My son was a toddler and all I did was work; I miss missing time with him I would never get back because I thought that I had to make something of my business before I could leave my job. I needed the income to help support my family right?

I worked even harder and ended up starting my second business, my psychic business, and things got worse. I went on like this for several years, working two jobs and running two businesses. My poor husband and son never saw me, and I was miserable, but continually hopefully I could leave the job I hated soon.

One fateful day, however, everything blew up at my full-time job in a situation with only my abusive boss. I suffered a hostile work environment for two months and decided I couldn’t live like that any

longer. I was constantly in fear and crying non-stop. I was a shell of myself at home and a mess trying to manage my businesses.

My husband kept telling me I couldn’t leave because of the money and I felt terrible and trapped.

I eventually quit and felt amazing, however I didn’t allow myself to ease up on my work ethic. I refused to focus on myself working my businesses constantly hoping to make money so I wouldn’t let my husband, and myself, down. The first year after quitting my job was awful.

I kept feeling like I was a failure for not making my businesses succeed while my husband supported us. I hated being supported. I hated asking for help. I hated being in a position where I couldn’t buy what I wanted when I wanted. One day I realized though, that the energy I was putting into my businesses was one of desperation. I was desperate to make money. I was desperate to once again support myself independently. I was desperate to succeed.

That’s not what the Universe was trying to teach me though. I had mastered independence and now I needed to master a new kind of independence. One that is interdependent with the Universe. It’s a lesson we all must learn, to give and to receive. For some it is easily to constantly receive. For others, especially those who are destined to be healers, it is easy to constantly give, but we have to find a balance between both.

Your lesson right now is like mine was, you need to learn to receive.

Ask the Universe for help and know that you will get it, although it may not be in the form you expect. I have come to understand that my new perspective of independence is

living in alignment with my heart.

I have the freedom to work my businesses and do what I love, what brings me joy. There are of course still things I struggle with, but I can’t grow and mature spiritually without it.

This transition you are going through is part of your spiritual growth, and a way to help you live more in alignment with your heart.

Sometimes the Universe brings us something that shakes us to the core to force needed change in our lives. It’s not always pleasant, hell, sometimes it’s utterly miserable, but see it for the opportunity it is.

You are being given the chance to change your perspective on how you live and what makes you happy.

Like everything in life, independence and strength are not always what they appear to be. We are all blueprinted to be happy, but through life that blueprint gets skewed. Mine was skewed by years of abuse and fear. I am still learning how to be happy every day, what it truly means to me that is. Happi-

ness and freedom will be different for everyone, but when your heart sings and you feel giddy about what you do, then you’re on the right track.

Right now, start small. What makes you happy? Whether its extreme sports or crafting in the park, this is your time. You are living for YOU, not anyone else. You deserve happiness. You deserve a life that YOU choose. You deserve to feel joy every single day. There will always be challenges, but they are never meant to break you, simply help you find natural alignment with your soul. When you begin to approach your life with joy, appreciation, and self-love, things fall into place. Once you stop holding yourself back out of fear, limiting beliefs and/or unrealistic expectations, you find your success.

It’s time for you to find your light!

Two years ago, I died on the operating table. Since then, I’ve had a spiritual awakening and find myself attracted to the idea of past or multiple lives. I’ve read a rhetoric of “karma” and how we are supposed to learn a lesson in each life, or right a wrong from past lives. This doesn’t sit well with me, partly because it smacks of a human morality that I believe is historically relative. How do you see the role of past lives in our current one? J.W. Well let me start by saying that I am very happy you are still with us!

Now, onto Karma. Karma is very much a reality, however it is not what it is so often made out to be.

It is not doing something wrong

34 LOTUS MOON

in one life and paying for it in the next, because you are absolutely right in that notion being steeped in humanistic morals. Put simply, Karma is changing patterns that don’t resonate with YOUR soul. It is based on personal life lessons and your personal spiritual growth.

Karma is not something to be feared, nor is it something to be ignored. Karma is meant to help you live a life of joy and purpose, but it can burden you with unnecessary strife if ignored.

For example, I am terrified to speak my mind because of past lives that included abuse, being burned at the stake, and more. In some lives I died and in others I defied my soul’s desires to protect myself, not carrying out my life purpose.

Because I didn’t remedy my Karma in past lives, those same patterns of abuse, fear, and self-loathing were carried over into this life. Now I am working on breaking centuries old Karmic patterns that do not align with my highest good.

Lessons can definitely be learned from past lives, and one of the biggest is seeing patterns that are carried over from one life to the next.

You will see those same patterns repeated throughout your current life as well, if not remedied in a past life. These patterns don’t always look the same, but they generally elicit the same feelings, or the same type of instinctual response.

What I am seeing for you in Karmic patterns is that you put others first too often. You look at things from a more rational perspective instead of intuitive and heart-based perspective, which can deny what you desire for yourself. You are a patient person, but to your personal detriment. It feels like there is servitude and class limitations in your past lives, situations where you had

talents, and abilities? F.G.

to deny your needs for either your employers or to take care of family.

This Karma has created emotional barriers preventing you from seeing opportunities and new possibilities for your journey in this life. You at times hold yourself back emotionally to make others happy or bring peace, but you are squashing your own happiness. I also see fear of authenticity. You have partially remedied that in this life, but there is still more.

The message I have for you is to find your true voice. Not one that you think you should have, or one others expect you to have, find YOURS. You may not even know what it is as of yet, so you are being urged to get creative. You are filled with magic but your rationale is getting in the way. Follow your creative passions and interests, experiment with whatever captures your fancy, and do what brings you joy.

What kinds of daily habits and or exercises, rituals, etc. would you suggest to do in order to strengthen, develop, and nurture spiritual gifts, 35 LOTUS MOON

There are many things that you can do to grow your spiritual gifts, but you will need to find something that resonates with you personally.

Meditation is certainly one of the best methods for connecting with spirit and enhancing your intuitive and psychic abilities, but it isn’t the only one.

Creative endeavors tend to open your third-eye chakra and when you are doing something you are passionate about, your soul shines and communicates with you more readily. The best thing that you can do for yourself is follow your heart and explore whatever you are interested in.

One of the best daily practices for developing your gifts is to follow your intuition. If you are not familiar with what intuition is and how to receive guidance from it, I can best sum it up as the little voice in the back of your head providing reminders, sending you physical

signals, and offering information when you had none.

There is a strong connection between your intuition and your gifts. I see intuition as the gateway to accessing your spiritual gifts, so listening to it strengthens your ability to see and grow them.

It is also important to make time for yourself and your passions daily.

Even if you only have five minutes to meditate or ten minutes to surf the Internet and research spiritual interests, take advantage of it. It’s incredibly easy to get caught up in the stresses of daily life and push your spirituality to the side, but doing so will only inhibit your personal growth.

If you have questions about spirituality, need spiritual insight into your life, or guidance about a situation, email Heather at lotusmoonmag@ gmail.com. Your question could be selected for the upcoming issue of Lotus Moon, out June 2016.

Moon Guide . .

April

May

June

New Moon: April 7th 4:25am PDT

First Quarter: April 13th 9:00pm PDT

Full Moon: April 21st 10:25pm PDT

Third Quarter: April 29th 8:30pm PDT

New Moon: May 6th 12:31pm PDT

36 LOTUS MOON

First Quarter: May 13th 10:03am PDT

Full Moon: May 21st 2:16pm PDT

Third Quarter: May 29th 5:13am PDT

New Moon: June 4th 8:01pm PDT

First Quarter: June 12th 1:10am PDT

Full Moon: June 20th 4:04am PDT

Third Quarter: June 27th 11:20am PDT

37 LOTUS MOON

Tucson, AZ - belleviephoto.com

38 LOTUS MOON