Back in January, I shared some personal stories of signs I've received over the years---from departed loved ones offering comfort and reassurance, to signs from my guides, letting me know I am on path.

I believe that sharing these experiences are important because they give us hope. They renew our faith that we are not alone in this Universe, that our lives really do mean something, and that the people we love most are always with us.

This next story is a beautiful example of this.

I learned that day, that by turning towards my pain, I became stronger, and I learned to value the whole spectrum that is this human existence.

Pluto is the planet of destruction and rebirth. Pluto exposes that which is toxic, decaying and unhealthy, so we can bring about much-needed healing and renewal. Pluto is the slowest moving of all the planets, so when Pluto changes signs, it’s a very big deal.

It’s no secret that these last several years on Earth have been challenging. During times of economic instability, political division, war, and overall turmoil and uncertainty, it can be easy to lose hope. That’s why I feel it is important, perhaps now more than ever, to cling to stories that uplift us.

Free Will or Destiny - which holds more power? How much influence do we really have over our reality? Philosophers and theologians have contemplated this question for millenia. 

I recently finished the book Atomic Habits by James Clear, and boy was it a gamechanger. I've struggled my whole life with ADHD, and as a psychiatrist once told me, the thing people with ADHD struggle with most is consistency. Forming consistent, healthy habits has frequently been a challenge, which has often led to disappointment, feelings of inadequacy and low self-worth.

Hope reminds us that we do have control over our experience. As we are waiting to hear if we got the job, or for the doctor to call, or to see if our relationship with our partner will last, or if our loved one will recover from their illness---we can choose hope as we navigate the vulnerable space of anticipation and uncertainty. In these moments, hope is our greatest teacher.

Religious Oppression is the abuse of power by the patriarchy, capitalists, organizations or individuals--done in the name of God---as a way to tyrannize, marginalize, persecute, torture or kill individuals who threaten systems of power, or who challenge authority, societal norms, or white comfort.

I believe it is the right of each individual to find their own spiritual path, and many find their peace within religion. I fully support that.

However, the dark side of religion is religious tyranny. For millenia, oppression, colonialization, and genocide have been carried out in the name of religion. I believe this is the greatest evil that exists on Earth.

These are the most powerful spiritual tools that I use on a daily basis. I find that when I start my day with prayer, when I ground and center with God and Mother Earth, when I call in my power animals for guidance, my day becomes a magical, sacred experience.

I ground, center and pray before each client session, and set the intention to be a vessel of love on their behalf, to help them with what they most need on their journey. When I do this, I am shown how to hold space for the special soul that sits before me.

I often pray and set intentions before writing a post, before going into a meeting, even before going to the gym if I know I'll need extra strength for a difficult workout.

How grateful I am for womb magick. Being raised Catholic in a patriarchal society, I was taught to believe that a woman's power lay in being innocent, nice, and sweet, being able to pleasure a man, but not be too sexual or otherwise be labeled a slut. I was raised to believe that I had to be neat, clean and sanitary with my menstrual blood, to take birth control pills, and to suffer through the cramps. Our historical, ancestral inheritance has taught us that strong women are b(w)itches, and need to be silenced, shamed, objectified, or burned.