- Weekly Astrological Forecast for January 18 through January 24, 2021Continue reading →
January 18 through January 24, 2021
The Sun moves into Aquarius on Tuesday, ushering out the diligent vibes of Capricorn and instilling us with expanded vision, innovative ideas, and a longing to make sweeping changes over the next 30 days. An Aries Moon showcases the start of the workweek, inspiring us into action Monday through Wednesday, which will definitely prove to be our most productive days of the week. Thursday and Friday are ideal for physical activities and projects, financial concerns, and addressing health issues as the Moon marches through grounded Taurus. When the Moon moves into Gemini on Saturday, the weekend will be all about communication, electronics, updating your social media, and reaching out to people you’ve lost touch with. Whether you’re surfing the information highway or chatting the hours away on the phone with loved ones, you can be sure that intellectual pursuits and fun will be at the top of your list!
- 5 Peculiar Secrets to Self LoveContinue reading →
5 Peculiar Secrets to Self Love, by Tess Whitehurst
(Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal.)
Self-love—you hear about it all the time, but what is it, really?
It's not having a high opinion of your abilities. That's self-esteem.
It's not giving yourself a hug when you feel stressed. That's self-kindness.
It's not taking time for a pedicure. That's self-care.
Self-esteem and self-kindness and self-care are just fine. They're great, actually. But they aren't the same thing as self-love.
Self-love is actually just what it sounds like. It's love…for your self.
But for some reason it's easier to consider what love is when you think about someone other than yourself. Your cat, say. Or your grandma. Or maybe your baby. Basically anyone you absolutely, positively, unquestioningly love. Do you know you love them because you have a high opinion of their talents? Do you know you love them because you gave them a hug? Do know you love them because you filed their toenails?
No. You know you love them because love is a powerful thing and there's nothing else like it. You see your loved one, and you connect with their eternal, worthy, adorable self. You feel expanded and uplifted when you're around them. You wish with your whole heart that they could always know their own inherent worth. You would drive into a 0% contained wildfire to save them. It's not because they're perfect, or even exceptional in any particular way. It's because…you love them.
Now turn that lens around. Imagine feeling that way about yourself.
That's self-love.
Now that we've identified it, how do we live it? Here’s how: we open our hearts to ourselves wider and wider over time. First the self-love shows up as a trickle. Then it might sputter a bit. Over time, it becomes a creek, and then a river, rainstorm, waterfall, and flood, and then eventually we get in touch with our self-love's ancient and eternal depths and it becomes the ocean.
Here are some strange and unexpected ways you can begin to open the floodgates.
- Forget About Being Awesome.
Let's revisit the example above: the person or animal you love. They might be amazingly awesome in certain ways. In fact, they almost definitely are. But that's not why you love them. And you would never, ever want them to feel like they had to be awesome in any particular way in order to deserve your love—or anyone else's, for that matter.So, stop demanding awesomeness of yourself as a prerequisite to self-love.This is not to say that you aren't awesome. I'm sure you are. But that's not what makes you worthy of love. Your lack of awesomeness in a particular area is not exactly a reason to love yourself, but it can be a portal into self-love.
For example:
- Do you act awkward on first dates? If the main character of a movie had that same tendency, you'd love her for it. Why not love yourself for it, too?
- Do you panic whenever you need to parallel park in a pinch? Next time that happens, think of it as an opportunity to have compassion with yourself for being an imperfect human, doing her best.
- How often do you cook up a meal only to realize you forgot an ingredient or left it in the oven too long? Or maybe you never cook up any meals at all. Either way: so relatable! Everyone else loves you for it—why can't you love yourself?
- Eat Whatever You Want All the Time.
Did you read that right? Did I mean to write, "Eat Whatever You Want…All The Time??Yes, ma'am. Alllllllllllll the time. As in, wake up, eat what you want. Then keep doing that all day. What if you wake up in the middle of the night and you're hungry? Eat! Whatever you want! And keep eating it until you don't want it anymore. If you haven't been initiated into the intuitive eating movement yet, that all sounds like crazy talk. I know. I know because that's exactly how it would have sounded to me before I learned that once you start eating what you want all the time, and then you stick to it, your cravings and desires start to even out. Your body starts to trust you to feed it what it wants when it needs to eat. So then it doesn't ask for chocolate or Fritos or birthday cake during every waking hour. It asks for those things sometimes, but other times it asks for green smoothies, grapes, salad, almond milk yogurt, or fire-roasted peppers and steamed kale over quinoa.But the best thing about intuitive eating? You don't have to obsess about food anymore. It's there when you want it. So when you don't want it, you know you don't want it, and you can concentrate on other things—like writing your romance novel or talking to your nephew about his new video game or watching the sunrise with your best friend…And loving yourself, exactly as you are—which includes letting your body be the exact size and shape it wants to be. (Which, spoiler alert, probably doesn't match the Photoshopped #fitspiration bodies on Instagram. And if having that sort of body involves obsessing about food all day? Then who needs it, honestly.)
- What Random Person Annoys You? Investigate.
Is there someone you secretly can't stand, and you don't know exactly why? Or maybe you do know why, but your annoyance seems a little disproportionate? Like, why on earth do I care so much? We're not talking about jealousy here (because we're talking about that below). We're talking about someone irritating you like an emotional mosquito bite.Here's your mission: figure it out. What exactly is it that bugs you? Describe it. Is she full of herself? Does he act entitled? Do they use figures of speech that irk you? What?Then, ask yourself: what if I let myself be that way? Just a little bit? Would it be fun? Could it be fun? What would it look like?
Often those odd little inexplicable annoyances are pointing to something in your own personality that you haven't previously been willing to claim. Maybe you wish you could be a little more "full of yourself." Maybe you'd love to believe you were "entitled." Maybe you secretly desire to use trendy little slang expressions or just to be a little less strait-laced with your communication style.
This is a way of getting to know yourself better. And to know you is to love you.
- Name Your Inner Critic. Mine's Called Chad.
Actually, my inner critic isn't called Chad anymore. The critical voice in my head used to appear as a sort of rapey party dude named Chad who had a lot of super rude opinions about my body and appearance. But after giving Chad a name and imagining him as a character, I realized I didn't really value his opinion, and he eventually disappeared. I still have an inner critic show up sometimes, but it's not the same guy.The point is, by naming the inner voices that speak negatively to you, you gain power over them. They don't seem so omniscient or omnipotent. You can be like, "You are so creepy! Why should I care what you think?" Or, depending on how your inner critic shows up and what they say to you, there may be other ways you can work with them to diminish their power to bring you down or keep you small. - Admit It: You're Jealous. But of Whom? Discuss.
We don't like to admit to jealousy. It's not an attractive or elegant emotion to have. Nevertheless, most of us are at least a little jealous of someone. Or, more often, more than one someone.What's fun about jealousy is that it almost always holds the key to one or more positive qualities we already have but don't realize we have. Or possibly choices we wish we could make, but haven't yet. For example, if you have a natural talent for comedy, but you never tell jokes, you might be wildly jealous of the funniest guy you know. He might tell a joke and while everyone else is laughing, you're wondering what the hell everyone thinks is so funny. Or, maybe you've always wished you could explore the world, but instead you went to college and then immediately entered the workforce and had some kids. Your adventurous friend might light up the jealousy center in your brain whenever you scroll past another goddamn picture of her smiling in Rome or Amsterdam or Dubai.So, what is it? What part of you is asking to be seen, acknowledged, and set free? And how can you go ahead and let yourself out of that cage? By telling a joke or two? By planning a modest trip (it doesn't have to be Dubai)? Or what?
Freeing yourself to be even more of yourself is an act of both giving and receiving love. To yourself.
Remember, opening up to loving yourself isn't a switch you flip. It's an emotional flow that becomes more and more robust over time. Choose to see yourself through eyes of love and take weird little steps like the ones above. In time, your drippy little faucet of self-love will be as wide and as deep as the sea.
Article originally published in The Llewellyn Journal. Copyright Llewellyn Worldwide, 2021. All rights reserved.
- Forget About Being Awesome.
- Double Vision: Psychic Feels Others’ PainContinue reading →
All my life I have known little things: I see places before I go there; I know when people are going to call; I feel when someone close to me dies right before it happens. I can find people and things better than most, for I sort of know where to look before I start. For example, my uncle was shot when I was little. Moments before my mom got the phone call, I heard a gunshot and woke up screaming that my head hurt. A few moments later, my mom got the call that her baby brother had been shot in the head. The night my grandfather died, I got dizzy and told the kids I was babysitting to call their mom. They asked me why and all I could say was that I had to go somewhere. As soon as their mom was on her way, I got the call that my grandfather had had a stroke. He was gone before I got to the hospital. These are just a few examples. I often get really sick or have odd pains. My little girl (born 4/10/04) is starting to show signs of the same, and I would like to be able to explain things better. She is telling me about things right before they happen, and has started telling me this is her way of playing pretend. I encourage her by telling her that it's okay if Mommy doesn't see these things. I would just like a little more insight into what's going on. Thanks in advance!
Christina
Astrea:
Your and your daughter are both empaths. Empaths feel not only their own feelings but also the feelings and thoughts of others. Even when you don't know exactly what is happening or you are far away from incidents, you may pick up on what is going on.
Often these are events affecting members of your family or others with whom you are close. You can learn from these feelings and experiences without having to actually go through them yourself. At times, it may seem like you are having these feelings yourself because when you're tuned in, they seem very real. I understand because I go through the same thing.
Let's face it, most people don't understand. Some think we're all just downright STRANGE, and we are, but so what? Isn't it better to be able to feel than to block that out?
We're not trying to be snoopy or nosy; we just know what is going on inside and outside other people. Just because folks around us are unable to comprehend our special abilities doesn't make them weird. Your daughter has a special gift and is going to become a great healer. We need more of those, for sure!
This is a huge responsibility for both you and your little daughter. Be sure to let her know that she can tell Mommy for now, but should keep this your secret until she's older. Both kids and grownups can be cruel, especially when they fear something they don't understand. You want to be sure to protect her from the scorn and disdain of others.
Even some people in your own family may judge her psychic abilities harshly, so it's best if you only share with one another for now. Since this is both a gift and a burden, you want to make the burden part as light as you possibly can for her. Together, the two of you will accomplish great and wondrous things. You're so smart to nurture her in this way!
As an empath, so far you've only felt the pain of others. By paying close attention to what you're feeling that is negative, you can also learn to feel other peoples' joy. What you've done so far has been involuntary, but you can begin to change this with your daughter's help.
The two of you are much stronger empaths together than either one of you is alone. Find some time every day to sit quietly and play concentration with her. Use playing cards, toys, crayons - whatever works. If you develop a stronger telepathic bond, this gift will grow to be rewarding for both of you.
*****
Susyn:
You possess a rare and unusual gift. The experiences you describe include all the hallmarks of a true empath.
Empaths are people who are highly sensitive. They can pick up the emotions, thoughts and physical experiences of others, even if those people are at a great distance. Everything emanates an energetic vibration; an empath is able to sense these vibrations and recognize or feel subtle changes by experiencing them personally.
As an empath, it's easy for you to pick up others' physical and emotional pain. You need to take some care or these sensations could start to overwhelm you.
It's important to find ways to ground and protect yourself so that you won't constantly be processing others' experiences. You'll also want to set boundaries with people who try to invade your space with their emotions, even if they don't know they are doing so.
How wonderful that your daughter also has this gift and that you're encouraging it. Individuals who display empathic attributes or who openly express their empathic feelings are often dismissed. They are told to keep these feelings to themselves, and in some cases, they may even be ostracized. With enough negative feedback, eventually empaths may try to ignore or squelch their gifts.
It's thought that empathic powers are inherited and genetically carried from one generation to the next. This could explain why your daughter is also showing signs of being an empath, and why you were able to feel and sense first-hand the physical ailments that your uncle and grandfather were experiencing.
You may want to do some research in your family history to see if others have had similar experiences. The more self-aware and educated you become about your empathic nature, the easier it will be to work with your abilities and explain them to your daughter.
Keep in mind that as an empath or psychic, you won't always be able to change or prevent the events you sense either before or while they are happening. On the other hand, developing this gift may prove helpful in many situations for various reasons.
It sounds like your gifts are already well-developed. If you want to increase your knowledge and move to the next level, there are resources that can help you learn even more, such as how to practice stretching your psychic abilities. The more you know, the more you can share with your daughter as she grows and her own gifts blossom.
Astrea:
Many times in life we hear, "You will always have what you NEED, but not necessarily what you WANT." Your spirit must have needed to experience the feeling of leaving your human body, and the suggestion in the next chapter of Sylvia Brown's book was all it took to get you there.
Even though you hadn't read it yet, your SOUL recognized the title of that chapter as something it had been seeking, and your soul, knowing that you had that reference to read after your experience, got with it and out you went!
While I don't usually recommend her books, Sylvia Brown has a wide reaching and powerful effect on lots of people. A Gemini like you would be able to relate easily to her writing and put it to good use. Synchronicity - you gotta love it!
I like your description of "getting caught." That's exactly what it feels like, isn't it? One minute you're free and hovering above the room, and the next minute, ZAP! back down into your corporeal form you go!
As a little kid, I loved that "feeling of return." With practice, most of the time we can control that event, but sometimes, when our physical ears hear a distracting noise or something else occurs to knock us back into reality, back we go. With practice you will be able to control your return better.
I find it interesting that you were visiting your mother-in-law and not someone in your own genetic family. Evidently, you and your husband got married for reasons that are even deeper than love. His family's interest in "psychic stuff" will nurture your children in such matters and help them to grow into their own abilities.
You'll never have to be concerned that when your daughter visits them, she'll be discouraged from exploring her own psychic life and power. My parents encouraged me to develop my psychic senses in a time when it wasn't nice to even discuss such things in public. Heck, it's STILL not considered a great topic at the dinner table in some families!
Your kids will get to talk about it ALL and ask questions and read and study. This is going to give them such an edge in life! Talk with your husband about how you want to present this to your kiddos, so that you are united in your approach and ready to tell them their experiences are all natural and okay.
A word or two of warning: Geminis often have difficulty staying grounded in REAL LIFE. Don't get so strung out on your ASTRAL life that you neglect what you're doing here on Earth.
You are at the beginning of a long journey to learn where your power really lies. Try to be patient with this process and take your time.