Lotus Moon

LOTUS MOON SEPTEMBER 2015

Edition

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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.

Jhennifer is an intuitive, oracle card reader and crystal expert. Like the crystals she loves, Jhennifer emanates light and radiant love to everyone she meets. Her youthful energy loves fireflies, rainbows, the moon and the smell of rain on the Earth. She has been a crystal healer for many years, and is the contributing writer for Crystal Corner with Jhen.

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.

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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.

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6 Astrology by Aiyanna

14 Ancestral Karma

10 Children, Ancestors & Loving Your Authentic Self: Intuitive Forecast

18 Awakening Grayce

Solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, Mercury Retrograde and so much more.

September’s intuitive forecast.

Communicating with the child within, connecting with ancestors & following your heart.

12 Instinct: Following Your Inner Guidance

A personal story about learning to follow instincts and intuition in a society that teaches us to follow our head.

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What is it and how to break Karmic patterns passed down to you by family.

Grayce delves into tarot cards and her experiences with them as she migrates from fear-based beliefs to angel-based experiences.

20 The A,B,C’s of Spiritual Education

Learning about spirituality outside of religious institutions can be frustrating, but here are some quick pointers on how to begin by following your heart.

22 Back-to-School Victory

Essential oils for academic success as children return to school. Help them stay healthy and focused throughout the year with these tips.

24 Purple Power

How the color purple can help you during the month of September as we undergo change.

28 Witch in the Kitch: Mabon

It’s the Autumn Equinox and the second Pagan harvest holiday of the year. See what combination of deliciousness and magic I’m creating this month.

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ASTROLOGY by

A

Aiyanna

return to the sacred is September’s astrological theme, and there is a lot going on—plans changing direction, a solar and lunar eclipse, the Autumnal Equinox, and the beginning of 2015’s final Mercury retrograde. Let’s take a look!

Venus Direct in Leo: September 6th On the 6th, Venus begins moving direct at 14 degrees Leo and spends the rest of September working her way back through that sign, reviewing territory that has already been covered. This is when the rose colored glasses we may have been wearing all summer, while Venus was retrograde, come off and we find ourselves face to face with the reality of situations and choices we’ve made since late July.

Venus rules partnerships and relationships, and ideals of beauty, art and valuable objects. Affairs that began during the Venus retrograde may come to an end with one or both parties realizing that the partnership is just not cut out for the long haul. We may also have second thoughts about choices relating to matters of beauty, art and what we consider valuable.

New Moon Solar Eclipse: September 12th in Virgo This month’s New Moon is in Virgo, sign of the priest or priestess, the sovereign and the servant. This New Moon will return your sense of self and what you hold sacred.

The Sun and Moon oppose the wounded healer Chiron with a Trine to Pluto. This will allow you access to your shadow and provide

insight into how to take better care of yourself in order to be of service.

The New Moon is always a time of power, however this month’s New Moon coincides with a solar eclipse in Virgo, making it extra powerful—much more will be revealed than during non-eclipse New Moons. September 1997 was the last solar eclipse in Virgo, and this eclipse continues the cycle. Themes you were dealing with back then are likely to re-surface at this time.

If you can, try to make this a day of deep rest, quietude, and contemplation. Ancestors and spiritual guides will be close at hand, and answers to long-held, deep-seated questions are likely to arise if we make time and space to receive them. In fact, the Sabian symbol for this New Moon is A girls basketball team, further underlining ideas of what it means to work together.

Mercury Retrograde: September 17th in Libra The following week, Mercury begins its retrograde cycle and will be retrograde for three weeks. This is Mercury’s final retrograde cycle of 2015. Even people who do not follow astrology seem to be familiar with Mercury retrograde and all of it’s associated challenges. During Mercury Retrograde in Libra, your 6

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ideals will focus on what is fair in partnerships and relationships, and there is potential for heightened sensitivity and mis-communications. Slow down and practice your listening skills. Seek first to understand, then to be understood.

Saturn into Sagittarius: September 17th The same day Mercury begins its retrograde, Saturn moves into Sagittarius. At this time, you will begin seeking to broaden your views, perhaps beginning an exploration of things beyond your typical dayto-day concepts. You might do this by planning a trip or undertaking a new project that will help you expand mentally, physically and spiritually.

Saturn passed through this area last year,and many found them-

selves questioning their direction and goals, asking, “How does this contribute to my sacred mission?�

Residual angst is likely, however if you have done your work and made the adjustments Saturn asked of you then, you will likely experience more clarity this time around.

The Sun into Libra: September 23rd The Sun moves into Libra on the 23rd and marking the Autumnal Equinox and the beginning of Fall.

Libra is a cardinal sign, meaning that it begins the next season. Libra is the sign associated with fairness and the ability to hold awareness of both the self and the other. It is ruled by Venus so take note of my earlier comments on Venus to see the themes as Libra will carry the same energy.

Mars into Virgo: September 24th Mars moves into Virgo on the 24th spurring the priest/priestess, sovereign and servant into action.

Active, powerful and unafraid of conflict, Mars will add fire to Virgo-ruled projects, particularly those dealing with self-care. Mars in Virgo is a good time to re-commit to health and fitness goals that may have fallen to the wayside.

Pluto into Capricorn: September 24th Pluto, the planet of death and rebirth, begins moving direct in the sign of Capricorn on the 24th as well. Areas ripe for rebirth that were identified during Pluto’s retrograde cycle will begin to see action toward positive changes.

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Full Moon Lunar Eclipse: September 27th in Aries And finally, the Full Moon in Aries occurs on September 27th, concluding the lunar cycle that began on March 20th with the New Moon /Solar Eclipse in Aries. This time, we have a Lunar Eclipse instead of a Solar Eclipse. This is a course corrector, and change can be sudden and unexpected if you are off course. If you are familiar with your natal chart, the house where 4 degrees Aries falls gives you an idea of where this correction is likely to be felt. Something you have kept hidden may come to light, and it is time to deal with the consequences.

The Lunar Eclipse falls very close to the lunar nodes and asks you where are you in relation to your higher destiny. Aries is a sign of passion, power, intensity so this is the time to recommit to your sa-

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cred mission. If you have been letting others take advantage of you, you may no longer tolerate this.

Full moons are times of great energy and you may be called to navigate new emotional terrain. If frustrations arise, rather than give in to tantrums, get in touch with your inner warrior—your inner fire and determine what it needs. The Sabian symbol for this Full Moon is A triangle with wings, representing zeal and visionary ideals. Step outside your comfort zone, think outside the box and recommit to your higher, sacred destiny.

Full Moon correspondences: It’s element is Fire, it’s mode is Cardinal-initiating and it’s polarity is masculine-active. Colors to work with are reds and burnt orange, and gemstones to work with are Carnelian and Tiger’s Eye. Plants to work with are Sunflowers, Anemones and Cosmos, and herbs to work with

are Skullcap, Valerian & Hops.

September is the month when you will be called to recommit to what you hold sacred. It is the month to focus on making daily changes to support what is sacred, to slow down, listen to and honor the subtler cues around you, and make any needed changes.

Planets visible in the morning sky are Venus, Mars, and Jupiter from the 10th. Planets visible in the evening sky are Saturn, and until the 24th, Mercury.

If you would like to know more about astrology, or if you are interested in a reading, contact me by sending a message to my Facebook page, or email me.

Follow me on Facebook: Aiyanna Lynn – Inspired Life Until next month, Aiyanna

September Moon Guide Third Quarter: September 5th 2:56am PDT

New Moon: September 12th 11:42pm PDT

First Quarter: September 21st 2:00am PDT

Full Moon: September 27th 7:52pm PDT

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Children, A ncestors

& LOVING YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF S eptember heralds the end of summer as the Autumn Equinox fast approaches and children return to school. This September, the Universe urges you to connect with the aspects of yourself and the people in your life who are most precious to you. Reflection and gratitude are key, especially as this month also brings the last Mercury Retrograde of 2015.

September begins with Mercury already in its retrograde pre-shadow phase slowing things down and beckoning you to review the past.

Like all Mercury Retrograde periods, it’s a time to recalibrate your internal and external-selves, and this month, recalibration is needed with your children, your inner children and your families. This will require a change in perspective, from one that is analytical and possibly judging, to one that is nurturing, affectionate and filled with unconditional love.

If there are old rifts between you and your children, it is time to forgive and release. If that means releasing the relationship altogether, that may be what you need to do. If you have been fighting lately, let go of the anger and simply offer your love. It is the love you give and the bond you develop with one another that will be with you always, even lifetimes from now. Spend time with your children, re-connect, have fun, explore together and 10 LOTUS MOON

SEPTEMBER INTUITIVE FORECAST

teach your children what an amazing world they live in. Let your children teach you about the wondrous world you have forgotten and too often overlook as an adult. Let them be your guide in rediscovering your playful side and the magic that is all around you.

This nurturing energy also wants you to connect with the child within. Many of you likely have aspects of your youthful self that you dislike, judge or are even angry at.

Take some time this month to forgive your inner-child. Release any negative feelings you are holding onto and set your inner-child free.

Approach situations with child-like fascination and abandonment.

So many of the day-to-day situations you deal with are laden with emotion, worry and strife, but what if you approached them with the innocence of a child? Children believe anything is possible, and you need to once again return to that mindset because anything CAN be possible. The Universe is trying to help you understand that anything is possible so you can create the life that aligns with your soul.

Part of creating a beautiful life for yourself is understanding your gifts and following your passions.

Everyone is born with innate gifts of magic and spiritual abilities. For some, your gifts have been deeply buried. For others you have al-

ways known your gifts existed, but haven’t pursued them. While others may have been using your precious gifts all your life.

This September, it is time to discover or reconnect with your spiritual birthright. If you connected with your gifts long ago, it’s now time to grow your gifts. If you are just learning about your abilities, it’s time to connect and discover them by following your passions.

As I mentioned above, September is a month of reflection for personal growth. This is once again where you can connect with the child within and let your inner child lead you to discover the passions you brought into this world—your passions are where your spiritual abilities and future lies.

This time of inner reflection and growth requires you step away from the external world, and even the YOU you have come to know. For some, your authentic-self is forefront in your life; for others, your authentic-self is far from who you are now. Many more of you are somewhere in-between. It is time for everyone to find their voice

and share their authentic-self with the world, but in order to do that, you first need to find your authentic-self. How do you connect with your authentic-self?

You connect with your authentic-self by doing what you love and allowing that joy to permeate your life. Whether its something creative like painting or dancing, or something that lets you interact with others like healing or volunteering. Maybe your passion is something more adrenaline-based like racing motorcycles. Whatever it is, set yourself free and enjoy your passion. Don’t let the opinions of others or societal ideals deny you from following your heart and doing what you love.

Many of you likely deny yourself the joy of doing what you love because it doesn’t fit into a particular mold, or because you are too busy striving for a life that doesn’t necessarily match the life your soul longs for. Well, this month the Universe wants you to spend time doing what you love. Set aside time for yourself and for pursing your passions. Allow yourself to dream

of creating a life with nothing in it but that which you love.

Yes, September is a month of discovery and connecting with who you are at a soul-level, but be careful of how you take action on sharing your new-self with the world. Use September to discover and enjoy your passions, but with Mercury Retrograde, hold off until the end of October to share them with the world.

You don’t even need to feel rushed to share your passions and persoal growth with the world come October when Mercury goes direct. Just go at your own pace and allow this Mercury Retrograde to lead you into new realms of personal insight.

This is the beginning of something great for you.

September is also going to be a month for ancestral cleansing. A very interesting phrase my guides shared with me, ancestral cleansing is about cleaning out negative energy passed onto you through family ancestry. Karma is not only carried by individuals from lifetime to lifetime, it is also passed down through families. There are many bits of this process that are too complicated for us to comprehend in human form, but most of us likely have ancestral Karma that we need to break free of to live the life we long for.

Do you see any repeating patterns in your family from generation to generation? Maybe it’s something from your parents, or maybe it’s a pattern that goes back centuries.

With Mercury Retrograde is upon us, it’s a good time to take notice of those patterns. How do you perpetuate them? How can you change them? Well, that’s the question.

Continue reading Breaking Ancestral Karma on page 14 to find out how.

Written by Heather Noble LOTUS MOON

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INSTINCT Learning to Follow Your Inner Guidance

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have no idea why I decided it was a good choice to walk up the street and speak to a boy I barely knew. At the time I had zero experience in speaking to boys, or being brave, I was 12. I just knew I was headed somewhere I was meant to go. Something in my mind or my heart made the choice for me, and I walked the path.

As I made my way down the sidewalk I tested the energy waiting for me, as was my habit, and found nothing foreboding. I was strangely comfortable in doing this menial task even my older sister wasn’t brave enough to do. I stopped in front of the house, saw someone I had never met and my world melted away. I knew him. We looked at each other and our souls reunited.

Who knows how many times our souls had done so before, but I knew in that second he was mine and I was his. We stared at each other for an immeasurable moment. I faintly registered that his smile and the way he looked at me was so familiar I must have seen this stranger before.

His friend called out to get his attention and the connection was broken. I shook off the strangeness that had just come over me and remembered why I had come in the first place. I was there to speak to his brother. My sister persuaded me to knock on his door for her while she waited down the street. On in12 LOTUS MOON

stinct I accepted my sister’s request and met the love of my life.

The moment I met my soul mate isn’t the only time I’ve felt a strange force compelling me to choose a different direction that could change my entire life. Another is the day I won the lottery, a day I don’t like to talk about. Not just because I’m uninterested in fielding questions about giving away hundreds of thousands of dollars, but also because the second I found out I’d won, I backed away from the ticket in fear. I cannot tell you for sure, but an educated guess tells me that I made the better choice.

I was in an awful relationship at the time. My future husband and I were on a four year break, and I was living with a manipulator. It was a parasitic relationship and I can

only assume I would have wasted the money on him—tied to misery situation, my spirit fully broken.

So I gave my winning ticket to the man working at the store. I worked there as well, so I knew he had taken the job because he and his wife were having serious money troubles. I saw him on the street a few months later. He wanted me to know he had done good things with the money. It had saved his marriage and his house. He bought a car and found a good job to support his family. I never saw him again after that. I hope he’s still happy, because that money would have made my life dark and lonely.

Logic defies some of the choices I’ve made in my life—I have no clear blueprint on how my abilities work. When I come to a crossroads

I focus on my choices, which at times seem to spiderweb out with the hundreds of tiny decisions on details I could make. When the energy and feelings surrounding these details is neither good nor bad, choices seem harder to make because they don’t affect the overall outcome of my life’s path. That’s when my choice comes down to a matter of convenience. The bigger effect on my life, the easier it is to make the decision.

When I won the lottery, everything in me was screaming, “Anything but that!” That’s why I got rid of the ticket as quickly as possible.

I was running away from the one decision that could ruin me. In the opposite way, the decision to walk up the street to my soul mate was also an easy one. I had several paths laid out for me that pointed in that direction. I would have met him eventually. Walking up to his house

at that moment felt like the most comfortable option, so I did.

Following instincts, or feelings, is something that has always been second nature to me. For over a decade, however, I tried to ignore my instincts and walk this earth blindly without my second sight.

My tarot cards, such dear friends of mine, were set aside and I ignored my instincts with disastrous effects, like allowing manipulative people and relationships into my life.

I decided enough was enough when I began having visions of myself doing the most trivial every day acts such as driving in a car, or putting on lip-balm...in the future.

Having visions of the future was an odd experience. I could hear my future-self thinking that everything was fine and I was just having another vision, which told me I would soon be used to this and needed to stop ignoring my abilities. Expe-

riencing those Deja Vu moments wasn’t as jarring after a while, and I did find that reassuring my pastself helped in my present. It was all very Bill and Ted. This is part of what brought me to this point. Slowly I’m transitioning myself back into the world I knew was fact, before I actually knew it.

I find that the more I question, the more I discover I was right where I should have been all along. I’m learning from my mistakes, and learning to trust myself.

Trusting in your own abilities isn’t always easy, but a divination platform such as tarot helps. If I can offer any advice, it would be to trust that tiny pull on your soul when you are standing at a crossroads.

Always follow the path to happiness, even if it’s poor, and always remember that what you put out will come back to you three-fold.

Written by Rebecca Bonk

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ANCESTRAL KARMA Breaking Karmic Energy Patterns

Karma is not as simple as it is often portrayed to be. It is more than how your actions in this life will decide your fate in your next life. It is more than being good in this life for fear of being a born a fly in your next life. Karma is about life lessons.

It’s about personal evolution and spiritual growth. It’s about freeing yourself of ego-based mindsets that limit your spirit-based service to the world. Karma is so much more than many can even comprehend, and it is not limited to a person.

Although most think Karma is only for individuals, it can also be passed down through families. The easiest way to view ancestral Kar-

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ma, as shown to me by my guides, is like the little black cloud you see hanging over people’s heads in cartoons. Until you find a way to break free of that little black cloud, your life may be showered by negative occurrences with the occasional zap by a Universal lesson. It can make everything in your life difficult, and make you feel just as though are under a little black cloud.

Ancestral Karma may be what’s holding you back from spiritual growth but something that’s more difficult to see than personal Karma. Like an invisible hand holding onto your shirt as you’re trying to walk through the door of personal

healing and happiness. Personal Karma can be easier to identify than ancestral Karma because you may not have the insight into your family’s history as you do your own.

Ancestral Karma can be easy to pass down because it begins with energy. Energy patterns that are passed on through the emotional cords you develop with your family members. All of us develop emotional cords with our family, especially our children. When we feel strongly about something, that energy passes right through those cords. It could be wonderful if you are constantly filled with positively and light, but how often does that

happen? On an energetic level, it’s like secondhand smoke. Our negative emotions, limiting thought patterns and fears can be passed right into our family members. What does that do to our children?

A good balance of positive energy and negative energy is fine, but what happens when children grow up with years of anger, hatred or disempowering energy? It becomes their norm and unless they break free of it, they pass it on to their children and the cycle is perpetuated generation after generation.

For example, equality of race, gender and sexuality has come a long way in the last century, but acceptance is not only about changing mindsets, its about changing the Karmic energy behind those mindsets. Take a look at your parents, your siblings and as many past generations as you can. See if you can identify patterns that seem

prevalent amongst your family.

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The first step in breaking these Karmic patterns is identifying the pattern. Some patterns may be difficult to identify, but something that can help is thinking back to when you were a child.

What things did your parents do or say that made you feel bad, afraid, irritated, sad or just plain angry?

Childish irritations aside, there are many things children rebel against not because the child is naughty, but because it conflicts with their soul’s energy. Children are energetically pure—they have a direct link to their soul. They act and react purely based on their heart and soul desires, as did you when you were young. Connect with your inner-child and delve into your past. What did you experience that conflicted with your heart and soul?

Are you repeating that energy?

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The second step is finding the energetic cords. Cords often attach to your chakras—the spiritual energy centers in your body. You may have a single cord attached to a single chakra or numerous cords attached to numerous chakras. This is where it gets tricky, you must try to feel where the cord is in your body for the particular pattern you want to break. This will require meditation and making sure all of your chakras are as clear as possible before you begin.

You may have heard about de-cording, which is great to break energetic connections for the future, but what about all of the energetic gunk that has already come to you via that cord? Visualize Ancestral Karma as spiderwebs that weave their way through your body. These webs are sticky little traps that can capture your positive emotions and limit positive change.

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Identifying these cords requires connecting with your childhood self and remembering how you felt while experiencing the Karmic patterns. This may take time. Ask the Universe for assistance. What emotions does the pattern elicit? For example does it make you feel afraid, insecure, disempowered or sad? If you feel a multitude of emotions, you may have numerous cords for that Karmic pattern. This is not a process you need to rush. In fact, identifying all the cords could take days or it could take years. Some patterns may not become recognizable until you have learn a certain spiritual lesson or gain insight from your own personal Karma.

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The third step is having patience with yourself. Breaking free Karma and removing the energetic cords of your family can be a long process, and could even be an on-going process depending on your family ties. The important thing is that you are aware of the Karmic patterns you need to break, and are taking measures to do so.

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The fourth step is changing the Karmic patterns you’ve identified. One way to do that is by doing the exact opposite of whatever the pattern is, as long as it isn’t harmful to others. Another method is doing something drastic when you feel yourself in the midst of repeating the pattern.

A comment I heard constantly growing up was, “What is wrong with you?” It wasn’t even used as a question, just a comment implying there was something wrong with me for acting like a kid. It didn’t occur to me until recently how utterly disempowering it was, and how incredibly hurtful. I have said it to my child on occasion, but realized it was a repeating pattern of disem16 LOTUS MOON

powerment, something I needed to change. Now, whenever I begin to say it I pinch myself, put my hand over my mouth or just walk away.

You have to find what will work best for you in regards to whatever pattern you are trying to break.

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The fifth step is taking action.

It may be uncomfortable, but if you find yourself in family situations where the Karmic pattern is being carried out, you need to say something or remove yourself from the situation. This can be extraordinarily difficult whether you are watching someone else acting, or you yourself are acting, but take action and stop that energy.

The best thing you can do is tell yourself that your actions are not about making someone angry, they are about protecting your energy, and that of the person on the receiving end of the Karmic pattern being carried out. You aren’t here to make other people happy, you are here to make yourself happy in

alignment with your soul’s desires.

You are here to help your children make themselves happy in alignment with their souls’ desires.

Now, with that being said, breaking ancestral Karma is breaking patterns for yourself and your children only. When you take action against a Karmic pattern being carried out, it’s for the protection of your own energy. You are making a clear choice to deny that negative energy pattern from continuing.

Everything we do is about making a choice and standing in our light, Karmic patterns are no different.

As you’re going through these steps, remember that Karma is about life-lessons. Whatever patterns you identify, look for the life-lesson. As you seek to identify and break these Karmic patterns focus on personal growth, and find a way to teach your children what you learn along the way.

Written by Heather Noble

Blossoming Light S

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HEATHER NOBLE

INTUITIVE, ENERGY HEALER, EARTH WITCH, REIKI MASTER

INTUITIVE 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 - blossoming-light-intuition - intuitivewitch1 - blossoming light - blossoming light LOTUS MOON

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Grayce

AWAKENING EXPLORING TAROT CARDS

H

ave you ever found yourself at a Halloween party where there was a psychic doing free Tarot card readings?

Maybe you get a reading and the psychic tells you that you’re going to meet your future husband or wife at this point in time?

Or have you ever seen the old black and white movies that shows a gypsy and her crystal ball in a smoke filled tent beckoning you inside to tell you your future as she lays out the Tarot cards?

As far back as I can remember, I have heard stories of my grandfather having the ability to read Tarot

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cards, and regular playing cards for that matter. My mom told me stories about the Tarot cards my grandmother gave, and how she had wrapped them in a satin cloth and had them tucked away in her closet. My uncle would give family and friends card readings, sometimes without them even asking, just intuitively knowing they may have needed one.

I stayed away from Tarot cards as long as I could because I was frighted by some of the cards, particularly The Hanged Man, Death and The Devil, but I couldn’t stay away from them forever—they were

in my blood. I remember my first reading, it was during a visit with my uncle. I was uneasy and terrified of getting one of the ‘scary’ cards— of hearing something I didn’t want to hear. Instead of being frightened, I ended up intrigued by that first reading and wanting to learn more about Tarot. That is where my Tarot journey began.

So what exactly are Tarot cards and what are they used for? Tarot cards are a form of divination.

Basically, they are a psychic reading using cards. Like all forms of divination, they don’t tell you your exact future, but provide insight

into possible outcomes based on the current energy.

How do you find and choose a deck? You can order them Online or buy them at local bookstores or metaphysical shops. There are so many types and styles of Tarot cards available that it can be tough to choose. I find myself attracted to the artwork. I prefer decks with a lot of colors, detail and inviting images.

When I was selecting my first deck, I researched Online and in books. The information I found suggested beginning with the traditional decks, however the advice I received by those who read Tarot said to select a deck that feels right to you. One that you are drawn to.

The most recognizable deck is the Rider-Waite deck. I personally never liked the look or feel of them—I wanted a deck that I resonated with, one that I was attracted to.

For my first deck, I selected Angel Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue. I chose that deck because it felt safe.

Since I had always feared the ‘bad’ cards in Tarot decks, this was a deck of angels and made me feel secure rather than fearful. The messages were softer and uplifting, and the artwork beautiful. My deck, like most decks, came in a box accompanied by a small book with a story about the making of the deck, an interpretation for each card and instructions for various card layouts.

There are countless ways you can prepare your cards, and there is no one way that is the right way—it’s simply about what feels right to you. When I take my cards out of the box for the first time, I hold them to my heart and ask for my angels to bless them with love, white light and positive energy. I also like to feel and visually connect with each one to interpret their

energetic messages before I start trying to read them.

Each Tarot deck has 78 cards. Of the 78, 22 are Major Arcana cards, which represent the deeper, more meaningful or spiritual aspects of life, and are considered the most important cards in the deck. The other 56 are Minor Arcana cards made up of four suits representing the influences in day-to-day life.

For those just beginning their Tarot exploration, it’s a good idea to study the images on each card because they tell a story, and give you a sense of the cards’ messages.

When beginning to read the cards and interpret their messages, you should start with the basics. A good spread to learn is the 3-card spread, which represents the past, present and future.

There are many different books on how to read Tarot cards that will give you an in-depth breakdown and explanations of each card’s meaning as it lies in different spreads, but I have found the book

that comes with the deck works is perfectly fine.

Learning how to read Tarot cards may seem like a daunting task, but one thing I’m learning is to not over-think the reading and trust my intuition. The more you use your cards the more they will take on your vibrational energy making it easier for you to understand them without having to use a guide book.

A good habit to develop while learning to read Tarot is keeping a journal. Taking notes as you learn gives you a reference to help you remember lessons as you discover them, and to see how far you’ve come. It’s important during any educational journey to periodically take note of how far you’ve come.

As I continue on my journey of awakening, I know my learning will never end. I look forward to all that I will discover about myself and the world around me, and know that my Tarot cards will help me along the way, like the sun lights the land.

Written by Grayce LOTUS MOON

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The A, B, C s of

SPIRITUAL EDUCATION

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ducating yourself on spirituality can be a daunting experience. Although the world is full of spiritual wisdom centers, you are the only person who can truly teach you about your spirituality. Although many might try, no one can tell you what to believe, how to believe it or how to live a spiritual life. Spiritual education is simply enlightenment, enlightenment to what you already know. The wisdom of the Universe is inside of you and all you have to do is learn how to access it, but how do you access it?

Although there are a few spiritual schools scattered throughout the country, and a plethora of Online courses that teach all the various aspects of different spiritual paths, 20 LOTUS MOON

if you’re just beginning your journey of enlightenment you probably have no idea where to begin. I am asked all the time, “How do I learn about spirituality?” Well, you learn about spirituality by following your heart. This can be difficult to understand for many who are first beginning down their spiritual path because they have denied their heart for so long, they don’t know what listening to their heart actually feels like.

The easiest way to understand truly listening to and following your heart’s desires is identifying what brings you joy. When I feel joy, I become so full of excitement and happiness it feels like I might burst. It’s similar to the feeling of infatuation. When you start a new

romantic relationship you’re often elated to the point you can’t eat, you can’t sleep and just want to spend all of your time with the other person. This is very close to what I feel when I act in alignment with my heart and soul’s desires. Everyone will feel joy differently, but exploring what makes you happy and brings you joy is where your journey of spiritual education can begin.

My journey began as a child.

From my youngest years I was obsessed with being a witch. I loved The Wizard of Oz and TV shows like Bewitched and Charmed. I longed to have a magical power and be able to wield magic to get what I wanted. I didn’t come from a religious household and from a

young age felt free to explore my spirituality as I desired. I tried numerous religions, but it wasn’t until I started learning about witchcraft that I truly felt at home within my soul. I bought my first spell book at 16 and fell in love with the practice of magic, but it took me another 16 years to actually feel joy from it because my spiritual education was lacking.

My spiritual education taught me that feeling joy was being in alignment with what I loved at a soul-level, and doing what I was destined to do. Although I loved being a witch, my goals were egobased. Now that I have altered my magical practices so they are spirit-based and aligned with the Divine, I feel joy every time I perform a spell.

Spiritual education begins with an interest or hobby, and can blossom into an amazing new lifestyle. So what are your interests? Do you love painting? Writing? Wood working? How about healing or giving friends advice? So many of the things you love can be a link to your heart and soul’s desires, and essentially your life purpose.

For example, maybe you like word working. Do you like living trees? Do you like forests? Trees are incredibly powerful in many ways, from ancient traditions to modern healing. Explore what interests you in regard to trees.

How about healing? Do you tend to self-diagnose, or wish you could heal yourself and your loved ones instead of relying on doctors?

Maybe you would be interested in essential oils or Reiki. I know spiritual experts from all over that world who have found ways to turn their passions and talents into lucrative careers, careers that help others find their passions and

spread their light. Just by reading this magazine you are opening yourself to new paths and ways of thinking that allow you to dream of a life where your heart’s desires are your livelihood.

Let yourself dream and explore.

Let your curiosity run wild because the more you explore, the more you will learn. That is what spiritual education is all about, discovering what you love and allowing yourself to grow in ways you’ve never before considered. After I learned I was intuitive, I felt compelled to listen to a radio show about ascended masters although I had no idea what they were. That night while listening I met my first ascended master.

After that I became obsessed with chakras, then Reiki, then met my second ascended master and I was on my way. Eventually I made some breathtaking discoveries that changed my beliefs and my life.

Don’t hold yourself back from exploring and learning about what interests you because of your fears.

Especially where spirituality is concerned, people are often afraid

to explore for fear of religious repercussions. Just know that if you are clear in your light and your purpose is true to the Divine, you are protected from darkness. Allow yourself to explore your passions and learn from them, discovering your talents along the way.

This reminds me of how my mom relates to technology compared to my son. My parents generation grew up without technology, while my son has been raised with it.

Over the years my mom has been afraid to experiment with technologies to learn for fear of damaging something, whereas my son is constantly messing up my electronics, but he’s also learning a great deal.

Don’t let fear block you from connecting with your true spiritual knowledge, that which your heart and soul know to be true. Spiritual education is everywhere, but you have to follow your heart. Ask the Universe for helping learning, and be prepared for vast new opportunities and experiences.

Written by Heather Noble

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Back to Sch

Essential Oils for A

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t’s that wonderful time of year when we feel like our schedules have once again returned to normal—school is back in session.

Although our children’s return to school may be a relief in some ways, many parents worry about their children’s health and how long will it be before they are home sick after exposure to new germs?

Other than how to get their children to focus on homework after summer break, exposure to new germs is the biggest worry for parents at the beginning of each new school year. Like their parents, children also begin the school-year filled with worries, and mixed emotions about their return.

Getting sick should be the last thing children and parents worry about. Whether beginning kindergarten or returning to high school, everyone can benefit from essential oils to prevent illness and promote academic success.

As a parent, you can find peace of mind in helping your children feel at ease using essential oils. Whether you send your kids to public school or home school them, here are some helpful tips to keep everyone healthy and successful during the new school year.

Start each day off right by diffusing citrus oils like lemon, grapefruit 22 LOTUS MOON

hool Victory

Academic Success or orange for a boost of energy. Five to seven drops of diffused citrus oil will get everyone off to a great start. You can also add a few drops to your morning shower to help waken and stimulate the mind.

Citrus oils are known for their uplifting effect on temperament, so if the morning routine is normally a bit chaotic, use citrus oils to help calm tensions while you are getting ready for the day.

You can protect your family everyday with essential oil blends like DoTerra’s Protective Blend.

This blend combines orange, clove bud, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary oils. The Protective Blend can be placed on the bottom of your feet day and night to boost the immune system and ward off new germs.

If you feel a sore throat coming on, add 2 to 3 drops of this blend to hot tea with a bit of honey. The honey helps coat throat muscles allowing the essential oils to breakdown phlegm and kill bacteria to soothe your throat and cough.

A new school year means new classes, new teachers, new students and maybe even a new school.

It can be exciting but sometimes overwhelming and stressful for children. Oils like lavender, roman chamomile or cedar wood can have

a relaxing and calming affect on children. Before school, rub a few drops of one of these oils across the back of children’s necks, or place a few drops in their palms then have them cup their hands over their nose and mouth while taking a few deep breaths.

Those suffering from anxiety or attention disorders can use essential oils to help stay calm and feel grounded throughout the day. The Grounding Blend, also a DoTerra product, combines spruce leaf, ho wood, frankincense, blue tansy flower and blue chamomile oils.

Native Americans use spruce to bring spiritual balance and harmony to the body. In the Middle East, frankincense is used to support cellular health and over-all wellbeing. The other oils in the Grounding Blend promote circulation and stimulate the pineal gland, which controls hormonal balance.

Being that the blend is made completely from tree oils, like trees, the blend helps promote grounding and staying rooted yet flexible, like trees in the wind. This blend of essential oils can be applied to the bottoms of your feet each morning, or by rubbing drops into your hands and inhaling as needed during the day.

Another essential oil blend to try is the Calming Blend, yet anothLOTUS MOON

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er DoTerra product, for relief of tension and anxiety. This blend of lavender, sweet marjoram, roman chamomile, ylang ylang, sandalwood and vanilla bean calms emotions, reduces stress, relaxes the body, pacifies the soul and can provide a sense of safety for those with anxiety.

The Focus Blend, another DoTerra product, combines amyris bark, patchouli, frankincense, lime, ylang ylang, sandalwood and roman chamomile oils to help focus and maintain concentration. Make homework-time calm and enjoyable by diffusing essential oils that promote focus, increase memory and aid in the retention of information.

For children who are easily upset or frustrated by homework, cedar wood oil applied to the back of the neck, wrists and feet, or diffused, calms the mind and body. For those children who need help focusing on their studies and retaining information, rosemary essential oil supports information retention and minimizes fatigue. It also helps reduce tension and stress—this can 24 LOTUS MOON

be beneficial for children as well as parents who are helping with homework.

School-year success requires children get a good night’s sleep.

At bedtime, diffuse calming oils to promote a peaceful and satisfying rest. Essential oils like lavender and roman chamomile relax the mind and body, and encourage a restful state. Both oils can be made into a bedtime tea to help more active children rest easy. The Calming Blend is another oil to use before bedtime as the lavender, roman chamomile, ylang ylang and vanilla help ground children.

All the blends can all be placed into glass roller ball containers for easy and accessible use in any school environment.

Tip of the Month: Try different blends. Body chemistry is as unique to a person as their DNA, so are reactions to various essential oils. Different oil combinations will work uniquely for each person, so if a particular combination isn’t working for you, try different variations until you find a blend that works best for you.

Diffuser’s are a great way to try different essential oil blends aromatically. Here are some easy blends for you to try diffusing: Study Time – Help make study time productive and valuable with 2 drops of rosemary, 3 drops of orange and 2 drops of peppermint.

Rosemary helps with memory retention, orange uplifts and calms and peppermint helps promote attention. Distress Blend – It makes for a great afternoon pick-me up, simply combine 3 drops of fennel, 4 drops of lemon and 3 drops of marjoram. Fennel calms the mind, lemon promotes a positive mood and cognitive ability, and marjoram decreases tension and stress. Restful Night – Place 5 drops of Calming Blend and one drop of orange into a diffuser 30 minutes before bed for a smooth transition into sleep.

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, and because of the positive 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 provided. 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

Adelina Waters

Independent Wellness Advocate

www.mydoterra.com/awaters

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PURPLE POWER NO SINGING DINOSAURS HERE

T

here is much more to the color purple than it’s sometimes negative reputation as an over-used color in gender-stereotyped commercial products.

Some of you may even have grown a bad taste for the color after children’s programming was bombarded by the infamous singing dinosaur sensation in the 90’s. Over the years purple has gotten a bad rap, but purple and violet are positively powerful spiritual colors.

This month, it’s time to break out the purple, or violet. Dig deep into the back of your closet for that hidden purple shirt, or open that box of heinous purple candles you received as a wedding gift, 20 years ago—because this month, you’re going to need them. September is going to be a month of inner reflection and spiritual cleansing—

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releasing aspects of yourself that no longer serve your highest good. It’s going to be a month of connecting with the Universe and discovering your authentic-self, and the color purple can help you do so.

Before September even begins, the shadow phase of Mercury’s last 2015 retrograde begins. Over the next eight weeks your world will slow down to show you what you need to release in your life.

For some, it may be time to release relationships, jobs, thought patterns and ways you are living your life that are blocking you from having a successful, joyous and spiritual future.

When you are forced to release pieces of your life you’ve come to rely on, even if they aren’t good for you, you mourn them. You mourn because you can’t see the bigger

picture to know that better things are on the way. Unfortunately there probably aren’t many of you that mourn in a positive way. I tend to cry over a big plate of nachos or chili fries with vodka in hand.

Some of you may shut yourself away from the world while others shut down your credit cards in the name of therapy shopping.

However you mourn the loss of what was at the onset of change in your life, it’s important to allow yourself to mourn, then quickly pull yourself up and move on.

Mourning the loss of something isn’t the problem, what is a problem is reveling in your sadness and negative emotions. When you do that, you stop your forward momentum of positive manifesting. You focus on what you have lost sending that negative energy out into the Uni-

verse, which the Universe responds to by matching your negative energy and sending it back to you.

How can you best approach all of these life changes going on around you? Connect with what is inside of you at a soul-level. September might be somewhat of a wild ride, ruffling your internal energies and shaking your spiritual foundation, but that is only with regard to your human-self. On a soul-level, you know exactly what’s going on. The farther your human-self is from your soul-self, your authentic-self, the rougher this retrograde might be in order to get all of you in alignment once more.

So how can the color purple help with all this? Purple is the color of spiritual awareness and fulfillment, helping you connect with your higher-self and increasing your spiritual enlightenment. It can help

you focus on what is important in your life instead of the superficial distractions society encourages you to strive for. Purple is the color of introspection and deep thoughts helping you gain insight on your soul’s purpose. It is the color of imagination, daydreams and high ideals, helping you reach for what you desire in a healthy and spiritually mindful way.

Purple is a combination of red and blue—a perfect balance of root and throat chakra energies helping you to ground yourself while pursuing creative endeavors that free your soul’s voice. As you work toward releasing limiting attachments this month and connecting with your soul, the Universe urges you to seek inner transformation. This transformation will require balance between your physical and spiritual energy; it will also require intuitive

insight and compassion for yourself during this difficult process.

Let the color purple aid you in this spiritual transformation you are working through and bring richness and quality to your life. Let it heal you and help you return to a life of spiritual fortitude and divine connection. Let it help you strive for that which you are passionate about, and bring joy and a sense of fulfillment back into your life.

Are you ready to break out the purple yet? You don’t need to go crazy with it, as too much can create energetic imbalance, but just a bit here and there will do the trick.

Meditate with a purple candle or place a small purple flower on your desk. How about starting your day with a smoothie of purple fruits?

Whatever your fancy, let purple reign in your life this month.

Written by Heather Noble LOTUS MOON

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B

lessed Mabon! This month the witching world celebrates it’s second harvest holiday, Mabon.

Observed on the Autumn Equinox, Mabon is a holiday to give thanks for the year’s crops and praise the blessings of the harvest. It is a time when our days and nights are once again balanced before darkness reigns over the light.

Similar to Thanksgiving, Mabon is a celebration of the year’s abundance shared with loved ones. It’s a time to slow down and look back upon your year, finding appreciation for all the beautiful gifts the

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Universe has bestowed upon you.

Like Lughnasadh, traditional Mabon foods include corn, bread, berries and various root vegetables.

However, Mabon brings to the feast apples and pomegranates as they all have ripened and been plucked from the trees. Apples are a very powerful fruit magically. They are potent when used in love and healing spells, are said to be a gateway to the fairy world and the wood of apple trees can create powerful wands for love and healing magic.

Although for much of the world harvest is more symbolic than liter-

al, it’s still important to appreciate what you have reaped over the past year, and the blessings you have received. People, experiences, life-lessons, abundance, etc. Even things that may not outwardly appear as blessings, are—thank the Universe and thank the people and beings in your life for those blessings, especially yourself.

You have accomplished and learned more than you know—you deserve a pat on the back. Mabon is a perfect time for self-appreciation and self-confidence spells. It’s time to realize all that you have learned

and accomplished, and confidently face the coming year with courage and determination to make it better than the last.

Apples can help this process. They can help you heal, and help with self-love. Apple pie is the perfect edible gift to give yourself or others during the Mabon holiday. Not only do you have the potent healing power and natural love inducer of apples, but with a dash of cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and you have a dish packed with protection, luck and success. A dish that enhances your intuitive powers, keeps you true to your path and helps you release what no longer serves you.

As the Northern Hemisphere slows down and prepares for winter, and you begin your process of healing and rejuvenation, take time to seek balance in your life. With the light and dark of our days so perfectly balanced during Mabon, take some time to use that balanced

energy to balance your own energy.

What’s out of balance in your life and how can you remedy it?

Green kitchen herbs are perfect for finding harmony and bringing balance to your life. A sprinkle of basil, bay leaves, dill, marjoram or sage to Mabon feast items can bring a little magical balance to your life.

These harmony-inducing herbs can flavor all manner of dishes and food items. I love poultry dishes with fall fruits and green herbs. Apple-stuffed hens baked golden with sage butter and pomegranate juice glaze is my favorite Mabon dish.

Pomegranates are another Mabon favorite, and are known for aiding with wealth, wishes, divination, fertility and luck spells. With the Pagan year nearly at its end, it’s time to look to the future and ponder the life you want to create for yourself in the new year. Let pomegranates help you bring your coming year’s wishes to fruition. Let them help

you sow a year of fertile prosperity, luck and success on your life path.

Pomegranates bring a pert flavor without a lot of fuss. Although removing arils from a pomegranate can be tricky, once they’re out, just toss them in a dish and it’s ready to go. With their tart juicy fruit covering and crunchy white interiors, pomegranates make a perfect salad topper. How about a pomegranate chicken salad to add to your Mabon feast?

Here is a short spell for Mabon to release the old and prepare for the new. Remember to call on your Angels and guides for protection while performing this spell. This spell is best performed during the waning moon. Mabon blessings to one and all, A time to give thanks at the onset of fall. As new beginnings approach it’s time to let go, I release what’s not needed and go with the flow.

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Tucson, AZ - belleviephoto.com

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