We will be honoring the divine feminine through movement meditation, dance, flow arts, shamanic journeys and all kinds of other fun activities. We’ll be connecting to the Earth as we camp outside, spin fire and dance under the stars. We’ll be nourishing our bodies with healthy, delicious food. We’ll be feeding our souls by taking some time to step out of our daily routine to dance, play and make new friends!
I’m excited beyond words to share the weekend with all of the beautiful beings who are going to be joining us.
This is a fantastic opportunity to really take some time for yourself to refresh your soul and fill up your cup before the end of summer.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn to hoop dance or use a flow wand, this is a perfect opportunity in a serenely supportive environment. We’ll also have multi-level classes conceptual classes designed for newbie hoopers and baddasses alike to grow and challenge themselves.
I’m stoked to share my Hooping With Wild Abandon workshop, as well as lead a movement meditation class. I’ll also be offering private hoop dance or energy healing sessions if you’re interested in a level up for your practice, and your life!
Today is the last day for Early Bird tickets, but we still have spots available and we would love to have you join us! Come to the Kooteney’s and play with us! I can’t wait to dance with you!
The Hoop Priestess and The Hoop Shaman together again!
You might be finding this time a little intense if you have busy lately and haven’t had much time to relax, and just be. If you’ve been bottling up feelings, they just might be leaking out, and that’s OK, (although I know it may not seem like it). With both the sun and the new moon in the watery sign of Cancer, you might need to take a little extra care of yourself today. Cancer is the most nurturing of all the signs, so it’s the perfect time to honor your needs (especially when it comes to the feeling realm).
I know I’ve been feeling a little run down, needing some extra rest and relaxation, but it’s my fiery nature’s first impulse is push on, keep going and just keep doing all the things! Fortunately the universe has been on my side, and even though I was supposed to work a double, I was cut for both of my shifts. However, instead of being grateful for the opportunity to rest, I thought I should get as much running around done as possible, so I would have more time to rest tomorrow! That doesn’t really make much sense when I break it down though, since I need the rest right now and I don’t want to do anything!
Thing is though, when there are things I could be doing, I always feel guilty spending time just chilling out. I start “shoulding” on myself. You should do this, do that, etc, etc.
I forget that sometimes you need to do nothing, to be able to do everything. I know from experience how if I take the time to relax, my energy to do all the things comes rushing back to me, but I still forget, or perhaps, refuse to believe that I need some downtime. I have a deep seated fear of being lazy and not accomplishing anything.
New moons are a potent time to plant seeds of intention, so today I am choosing to accept and honor my need for chill time, releasing the guilt associated with ‘doing nothing’, and remembering that recharging my batteries is a completely acceptable way of passing time. It’s not ‘being lazy’, it’s spending time nurturing myself!
I choose to align myself with the element of water that surrounds me today and float along with the current, rather than struggling against it (good advice if you’re ever caught in a rip tide, by the way).
I choose to delve back into my love affair with Tao, and the principle of Wu Wei (effortless action), which coincides so beautifully with my love of the flow arts. Flow is effortless action, and it’s what we aim for when spin our props and what I try to do in the rest of my life as well. Flowing effortlessly, with grace and ease, allowing what is to simply be, surrendering to the moment, rather than fighting to control actions or outcomes. I know when I do this when I’m spinning my movements become a graceful dance that feels better than anything I else I’ve ever experienced. The same holds true for when I relax and flow with the way life takes me.
Resistance creates tension, wheras relaxation and surrender create both peace and strength!
The story I remember most vividly from my Taoist studies in university is about the strength that comes from Wu Wei. Our teacher asked us, which is stronger, rock or water? Rock may seem like the stronger material, heavy and unyielding, but place a boulder in a river where the water just flows around it (taking the path of least resistance, effortless action), that water will eventually wear the boulder down to a grain of sand.
Today, rather than doing all the things that I “should do”, fighting my feelings and desires, I’m just going to float and let myself feel the way I feel, nurture myself, body, mind and soul, and maybe take some extra time to play.
Photo from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) by Dr. Alex C. Young
I absolutely adore the solstice points of the year: these curious moments where time seems to stand still, like the pause between breaths. Since the winter solstice, the Earth has been slowly inhaling. The days have been getting longer. Almost imperceptibly at first, but living this far North, I noticed the sun setting at 11pm last night (with the most glorious colors!)
Today is the longest day, the apex of that arc that begins to descend tomorrow, as the Earth begins to slowly exhale, with the days becoming shorter and we retreat back into that deep dark space of internal reflection and creation before the light comes back. But enough about the darkness, plenty of time for that later. Right now it’s time to celebrate the light!!!! It’s a great time to notice how the seeds of intention you planted in the darkest times are ripening! It’s been exciting to watch my own creations take form and blossom with the transformational power of the solar force that rules our lives! Cheers to you, Sun!
Also exciting, this solstice marks the day the Sun moves into Cancer, the comfortable loving, nurturing water sign. Water is the element that you can magnetize with your intention and its primary power is love, which makes this the perfect time to bath yourself in the healing powers of both love and light (my two favorite things!!!)
It would be a spectacular day to surround yourself with your loved ones and play in this energy, spending time outside in the light, bonus points if you can spend time in or around water! Refresh and replenish your spirit with fun activities and light nourishing foods directly from the earth (skipping the pop tarts in favor of garden carrots or fresh picked raspberries perhaps!).
It’s also a perfect time to celebrate the change in the seasons! It’s summer time for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, and that’s definitely something I’m going to celebrate. Time to laugh, dance and play. Honor the abundance that summer brings, and spend some time deeply appreciating all the love and light surrounding you today, symbolically, metaphorically and literally!
I plan on spending the day with my family, eating and playing together, shopping for a new lego set and then I’ll be dressing up like a zebra and heading to the Zoo with Flowscience as we dance and light up the night with our LED props.
Zebra Kacie sends love, light and happiness to you all. I’ll leave you with the song ‘Here comes the Sun’ that synchronistically started playing just now by Phaeleh from his album tides: https://soundcloud.com/phaeleh/here-comes-the-sun
I always love the moon, and I’m ever so mesmerized by it when it’s full. Last night, I had a hard time watching the road as I was driving home. It was just shade away fullness, and it was hanging low in the early evening sky. Every time I was stopped at a light I would have to stare at it, sometimes getting lost in the images and sensations I see in it’s fullness. Something about it fills me with feelings of infinite possibilities and perfect freedom.
The new moon is a beautiful time for planting seeds of intention and creation. It’s also a time of infinite possibilities, representing all that can be; but I connect more deeply to the freedom and joyful, ecstatic releasing of what no longer serves me when the moon is full. I feel like every time I let go of something, I have more room within my soul for something greater. I love the expansive feeling of emptiness inside my spirit, as an empty vessel ready for whatever is coming next.
This full moon is in watery Scorpio, a sign that has made me uneasy in the past. I’m really more of an earth and fire gal, and I’m very comfortable with the mental realm of air, but the deeply emotional element of water was out of my realm of experience and expertise for much of my life. I honestly didn’t like human emotions until fairly recently, especially not the deep, painful, confusing ones. It took me a long time to appreciate them as beautiful teachers: an integral part of the human experience.
Working consciously with the elements over the last few years I’ve developed a deep respect for the cleansing power of water. I no longer shy away from my feelings, but I welcome them into my body for me to fully experience. Surrendering to, rather than fighting whatever feelings arise allows the natural ebb and flow of emotions to happen gracefully. After being fully experienced, the feelings are washed away, always leaving me feeling light and free. They no longer frighten me.
With this full moon, I welcome that cleansing water into my heart, to wash out the remaining walls I hold there. I’ve been slowly breaking these walls down and now I’m ready to smash the last bits away, honoring them for protecting me so well, and sending them back into the light with gratitude.
I am ready to open my heart all the way, to love and connect more deeply with all those I encounter.
Here are more beautiful insights on the Scorpio Full Moon from Mystic Mama.
I was on my way to do dishes, take an online class, write a blog post, pet the cats, make a green smoothie and take out the garbage while I was fluttering around the house tidying…I was little unfocused obviously, not sure what to do next, because I want to do all the things before work today. Then, as I was passing through the kitchen, my body just called out to me and said Stretch right now!!!
I dropped into a forward bend facing my sink full of dirty dishes and it felt sooooo good. I continued on into a sun salutation and the heat came on from the floor vent and muscles all relaxed. It felt like they all sighed in relief in unison. Not surprising, since my whole body was brutalized by my Orange Theory class two days ago. Its a gym with personal group training, focused on high intensity intervals… I was the only one who showed up to the 11:15 class, so I had a my own private instructor (Drill Sargent) pushing me harder than I had ever worked before. It was great, but my everything hurt afterwards.
The yoga and the heat were so lovely, that I just continued on, and practiced right there, no mat, rolling around on my kitchen for a half and hour. It was perfect and joyful. My body and mind both relaxed and it felt so good to be focused on one thing after my scattered morning had been dividing my attention in a million pieces. The change in scenery felt like it was renewing my spirit in some way. I looked around and saw the beauty in my house from a different angle.
An unusual view of my dining room
When I finished, I felt infinitely more grounded and present. I logged on to facebook for a quick break before moving on to a more productive task and I saw this post from Kari Samuels, intuitive counselor and happiness coach that explained everything I was feeling so far today:
Inspirations keeps coming in all directions and it may be hard to focus your intentions. Everything feels important right now, and you might not know where to start (or stop)! Take a deep breath. Calm yourself and know you don’t need to get everything done at once. Draw some boundaries around anything or anyone that’s stealing your attention. If it’s not necessary it can wait.
Our numerology for 4.11.14 brings us a multitude of 1 and 4 energy. (It’s also a 4 Universal Day). 1 is the number of inspiration and 4 is the number of grounding and practical matters. This is a wonderful combination of both. 1 and 4 are also numbers of authority. You need to be number 1 in your life. Don’t worry about what’s not yet done. The most important thing is that you take care of yourself and enjoy your life. Now go ahead and breathe. It feels good!
I am forever in awe of the wisdom contained within my body and spirit. It knows exactly what it needs in any given situation, in perfect relationship with all the energies of the universe.
This message from Matt Khan is the most important thing you will hear all day, or maybe, the most important thing you will hear in all your lifetimes on Earth. This is stuff I’ve been saying for awhile, but the way in which he says it and the energy he transmits to you as you hear it takes it to the next level. I’m so grateful for his eloquence, as he weaves so much important information together in such an easy to understand way.
Basically, our whole journey is about learning to love. The most important step we can take on that journey is to start loving ourselves. He talks about sending ‘I love you’s’ to the heart. This is one of my favorite practices and I think it’s probably the single most important thing we can do to change the world. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Love yourself, change the world. But it’s true, it all starts with you. To paraphrase Matt, the most effective way you can change yourself is by loving yourself relentlessly.Relentlessly means without fail, not just occasionally, or when you feel you deserve it. Loving yourself relentlessly is a baddass light warrior way to change the whole world.
You can start by simply saying it. I love you. You can say it directly to your core, to your heart. Matt challenges us to simply say it, even if it doesn’t feel authentic. Just say it anyway. The only reason it doesn’t feel authentic is because it’s unfamiliar. Once you’ve said it enough times, the subconscious mind will accept it as familiar and you will start to feel it. Once you start to feel it, it will change your vibration, re-write your DNA and completely change your life.
I can vouch for this, from personal experience. Love is the game changer. It will level up your life in every single way.
As Matt likes to say, manifestation is a game of cosmic word play. The universe and it’s field of infinite possibilities sends you whatever you focus on. Love yourself, and everything that comes into your field (even if it’s icky, love it for the experience it’s bringing you) and soon the only thing that you will receive from the universe is love itself. When you focus on love to the exclusion of all else, then there is only room for love which is the highest vibration. When you are only focused on love, you aren’t focused on things like worry, grief, pain, anger, fear or other low vibrational things, so only that which is of the highest vibration will come into your field. You start winning the game and everything in your life becomes miraculous. Living becomes a dance, rather than a slog through a muddy, painful obstacle course. As we love everything, our light becomes so radiant that it lights up the rest of the world.
Only in dreams is there anything by the highest vibration of light and the deepest vibration of truth. The Spiritual Journey is to wake up so we can know only the light of our being as the truth dancing in every form. – Matt Khan
The Love Revolution is here!
Come and join us. You have nothing to lose except all of those things of the lower vibrations, like pain and suffering. Who really wants that crap anyway? Well, we did, at first, for the experiences it brought to us. Pain and suffering forged and tempered our souls as we played the game of not knowing love to advance our soul’s evolution. But we’re done with the need for all that. It’s time to rise up, into a new vibrational consciousness and a new reality, of only love. Join us on the new Earth, which we are creating together by simply shifting our thoughts towards love. Apparently the Beatles were prophets and love really is all you need.
I’ve been having an intense experience with this Virgo full moon. I’ve boasted before that full moons don’t really get to me, but I could feel the full weight of it upon me this weekend. I was reluctant to write about the experience earlier not only because it felt deeply personal, but also I was also confused as to what exactly was happening with it’s powerful energy.
Virgo is the priestess archetype. She is an Earth sign and she reminds us to perform our sacred duties and take care of all the details in our lives. She calls us to honor the sacred within the mundane tasks of our daily lives, helping us to understand that in truth, the difference between the sacred and mundane is an illusion. All is sacred, especially our connection to the Earth through our bodies. The Virgo priestess celebrates the passing of time ceremonially and with great reverence. She loves to honor the seasons, births, deaths, weddings, anniversaries… Any excuse for a ceremony will do!
I’ve been learning how to actively work with this priestess energy since I stepped into the Priestess Process back on the Virgo New Moon in September. It’s been a lovely and powerfully introspective journey so far and it all feels so familiar. It feels like I’ve simply been reawakening the parts of myself that were lying dormant. None of the the energies are new-they actually feel ancient. Their awakening has connected me more deeply to my inner self, my ancestors, my lineage, to all of my sisters on the planet, to the earth herself- to everything really. I can’t begin to explain how worthwhile it has been, and now that we’re preparing for our emergence it feels like these energies are rising even more powerfully in my life.
Case in point: this Virgo full moon energy has literally been stirring things up within me, in my womb; my power center of creativity. Since going off hormonal contraceptives last year my cycle has been unpredictable. For the first few months I was synced right up with the new moon and I felt proud that my body seemed to get back on track so quickly. I had read that you were supposed to bleed with the new moon, so everything seemed to be in order.
Then, as the year went on, things became a little more unsettled, with cycles of varying lengths. I’m sure all the travel didn’t help and the timing of my cycles switched back and forth from new moon to full moon and to something in between. It was all very confusing as I attempted to track and make sense of it all as part of my practice of listening to my body.
Then today with the light of the full moon, I began my cycle (after a longer than usual time) and it felt significant some how. Using my google-fu I found an article on Yogagodess called ‘Should your period land on the new moon or the full moon to be in sync with nature?’ written by Zhara Haji. She revealed that there are two traditional moon cycles for women: the red moon (full moon) and the white moon (new moon).
You won’t find a lot of literature about women who cycle with the Red Moon. My guess is that’s because of what menstruating with the full moon represented in the past. According to Miranda Gray, this cycle was linked to the archetype of the seductress, the enchantress and the woman who knew how to wield healing power and magic. This was the kind of woman whose sexuality was applied to something ‘other than’ the formation of the next generation. The woman who dives deep into her depths to develop her self-awareness and then turns her energy out to help the world She was considered by our patriarchal ancestors as the ‘evil woman.’
In truth, the Red Moon cycle belonged to the medicine women, to the mid-wives, the magic-makers and the wisdom keepers of the community. These women were not focusing their feminine energies to give birth to children. Rather their energy was used to empower other women and their communities. -Zahra Haji
Zhara summarizes this energy as “The woman who dives deep into her depths to develop her self-awareness and then turns her energy out to help the world”. This archetypal energy resonated with me in such a deep way that reading these words was like having a bucket of cold water poured over my soul, jolting me awake, reminding me that this is who I am, this healer woman, priestess in service to spirit and to all of the universe.
Deep, deep gratitude for this new level of awareness of how my body is deeply connected to the earth, the moon and the star, reflecting the mysteries: As above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul.
We’re moving into a soft and dreamy Pisces new moon while the Sun is also in Pisces. Double the Pisces, double the love!
Pisces is the sign of the compassionate Bodhisattva, where the highest ideals of service to humanity are expressed. It’s the last sign of the zodiac, and the one with the highest vibrational attunement. Working in the Pisces realm means working with absolute divine love, Christ Consciousness and the ascended masters like Quan Yin, the goddess of compassion. Basically with our double Pisces energy right now, we’re being bombarded with universal love.
I know I can feel it… I’ve been pretty hard on myself lately for some reason, falling back into my perfectionist tendencies, and I’ve been beating myself up for these perceived imperfections. I know better, but that just becomes another reason to judge myself harshly :”You of all people should know better!” exclaims my inner monoluge! I had been berating myself for weeks, but finally had a respite and I felt my inner voice soften over the last day or two. Suddenly I was able to see myself with the compassionate gaze I had been missing for sometime. My heart softened and I recognized that more than any harsh words, what I needed more than anything was loving compassion. I spent some time today sending these loving, compassionate and appreciative thoughts to my heart and to my body. It felt fantastic, as though a knot of tension I’d been carrying for weeks just melted away.
I want to invite you to soften your gaze as well, and see yourself through that lens of loving kindness and compassion. See just how beautiful you really are, and how you’re doing a such wonderful job. You’re learning exactly what you came here to learn, and you are perfect in your gloriously imperfect humanity.
I find it easy to see the rest of the world through this lens. I adore and admire every person on this planet for being brave enough to come down to this difficult place to learn all they can. Turning this loving gaze inward is what’s hard. I often hold myself to impossible standards that I would never set for anyone else. But today and in this new moon window, I’m trying! I’m feeling the freedom that comes from releasing myself from whatever unloving thoughts and self talk I was holding and replacing them with love. Nothing good comes from judging ourselves harshly.
As soon as we are all able to soften our gaze with loving compassion, we begin to really love ourselves exactly as we are. This unconditional self love allows our inner radiance to shine more brightly, which in turn inspires others to do the same and makes the world a more loving place. It’s one of the easiest, yet most challenging things to do in the world, but we can take advantage of this new moon energy to plant the seeds of loving compassion everywhere we need in our lives, including our perceptions of ourselves. This is one way we can effect real change in the world, by starting right at home, by loving ourselves.
Today, February 3rd is the exact astrological date for this cross-quarter point on the wheel of the year (although many celebrate Imbolc on Feb 1st or 2nd every year). We’re halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The days are getting longer and brighter. Although this is the Gaelic start to spring, there are no signs of it up here in Edmonton, but with the light, comes hope and we know that eventually, the snow and ice will melt. I have friends who are already planning their gardens, which is a perfect project in this energy.
Imbolc means “in the belly”, referring to the pregnant flocks of sheep at this time, ripe with possibility for the spring. It’s also called St. Brighid’s Day, honoring the Celtic triple Goddess Brighid who represents the three female energies of mother, maiden and crone. She is a goddess of renewal, healing, purification, fertility, abundance, rebirth, and new beginnings (amongst other things). To honor her is to honor these aspects of ourselves.
When I stepped outside yesterday, I felt a softness in the air, and peace and joy just bubbled up inside of me. I had been reading recently about the recalibration of energy on the planet that is happening now, including the recalibration of Gaia and the crystalline grid (which stores the emotional memories of humanity on the planet). In the past, the grid has been biased to remember the heavier emotions; suffering, sorrow, anger and hate. If you were energetically sensitive, you could feel this in the land. If you stood in a battle field, you would know and feel the heavy density of the energy there.
Now, as we’re moving into a new energy and consciousness on the planet, the grid is being re calibrated so it is skewed to holding and remembering the light and the higher vibrations of consciousness and emotions. The more light we shine on to the planet, the better it will feel as places all over the crystalline grid become charged with higher vibrations.
It felt perfectly fitting to feel this energy seeping out of the earth during the beginnings of spring. So much hope and possibility for the future.
This a beautiful time to purge out some of the winter darkness from our hearts and minds and to start germinating the seeds we planted at the Winter Solstice. Not a bad time to do some house cleaning, physically or emotionally. Getting rid of clutter, body, mind and soul frees up our creative energy, which is gathering strength with the growing light. You can use this energy to charge your dreams and creative endeavors with what they’ll need to be fruitful going forward in your life.
On January 30th, we have another super new moon, the second this year. It just happens to be in Aquarius, the archetypal transcendental sign of new ideas and heightened consciousness. How exciting! The energy this new moon brings is full of powerful transformation, openness and new adventures. Aquarius is an Air sign, bringing uplifting energy, visionary perspective and an increased power to our focus and intentions.
Mystic Mama always collects the most wonderful astrological insights and I love everything about this post describing the joyous energy we’re moving into right away. Kelly Rosano’s message revved me up:
“The Aquarius New Moon represents freedom and liberation. Liberate your mind first and your freedom will follow. Aquarius reminds you to follow the beat of your own drum. Be unique. Be original. Be who you really are. Take a walk on the weird side of life. You may find a part of yourself that has been begging for expression….
….You may break free from bad habits and relationships. You could awaken to your divine destiny. You are no longer distracted by fear and doubt. You are ready to be who you were born to be. You are prepared to stand in your divine power and shine your light. This energy promotes your creative self-expression…”
How perfectly apropos. This weekend I attended a Kryon conference (which was amazing, as always) and received an intuitive message from a group member during an exercise which seemed timely with this exciting Aquarian energy. She said “Now is the time to make the great leap forward!” My reply was a simple “Ok, will do!” I feel completely ready to take that leap. My connection to spirit and our true divine nature is stronger than ever. I have no doubts about surrendering to whatever comes after this leap. No fear in my heart, just excitement about what’s to come. I’m so ready. Bring it!
If you’re reading this, know that it’s your time to shine brave lightworker. It’s ok to let your freak flag fly. Be yourself, be free and be gloriously happy. The more authentic you are to yourself, the more light you shine. The more you shine, the more we light up the world.
Have fun, do whatever feels right, regardless of how random, silly or completely mundane it is. Feed your soul by exploring your own truth, which will be different from my own, and from everyone else’s. It’s time to live the life of your dreams and have more fun than you could have ever imagined doing it!
Me Living My Dreams in Bali photo by Cadencia Photography
Dancing Into Being 