fierceTRUTHS Real. Raw. Awake.
MAGAZINE
The Silent Pain of Domestic Violence Three brave women share their harrowing personal journeys, and how they were able to survive and create vibrant new lives.
MEET
7
WAYS TO EXPRESS YOURSELF
GIFTED GODDESS LISA WILLIAMS
We’re thrilled to spend some quality time with this fierce International Spiritual Teacher, psychic medium, speaker and mentor as she shares her fierce truths.
OUR INAUGURAL ISSUE
MEET OUR TEAM
Who are the fierce souls who bring this magazine to life?
Contents 3 Fierce Truths Magazine
2 Letter from Founder
38 Cacao Recipe
3 Contents
39 Our Fierce Experts
4 Editing Team
41 Jo’s Fitness
5 Express Yourself
43 Intimacy Alchemy
9 Music of the Month
45 Earth Whisper
10 Book of the Month
47 With Love from the Afterlife
11 Our Gifted Goddess
51 Numerlogy
17 Finding Love with Rose Quartz
55 Horoscopes and Stars
21 The Silent Pain of Domestic Violence
61 Classifieds
29 RizeUp
64 You are Invited
35 The Healing Power of Sacred Cacao
65 What’s Your Fierce Truth
Meet our founder Kim Bleeze Check out what’s in our issue! Meet our editing team Tips to get you started Kattimoni: Rise Up and Radiate Change Makers 3rd Edition Meet Lisa Williams
Our crystal of the month
3 brave women share their stories A word from CEO of RizeUp Cacao, medicine for the heart
Dive into a cup of cacao Who are our fierce experts? Health and fitness Sexs, love and relationships Words of wisdom from the Earth Messages from the spirit world
Read your numbers for this month What do your stars say Products and services Are we looking for you? Share your fierce truth to win
The Editing Team Creative Director and Writer
Director of Operations
Kim Bleeze
Nikki Bowler
Communications Manager and Editor
Writer
Scott Grasso
Elizabeth Vigar
Graphic Designer
Thank You! To our Editing Team and our Fierce Experts for all their hard work!
Andrew Karabatos
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4
Express Yourself Tips To Get You Started by Narelle Clyde
What would life be like if you were living as the “most expressed” version of yourself? That means your true self. Your authentic self. The one who you came here to be. ALL of her in her power, her beauty, her greatness, her wisdom - her downright magic and all the miracles she beholds! Who would you be? How would you hold yourself? What would you share with the world? Living a life fully expressed is not something that is reserved for a select few - we ALL get to live in our fullest expression. Every single one of us. We all have a light to shine, something of value to give and an inner beauty that exudes with every move we make. When you look in the mirror, there is a miracle, a goddess, a piece of pure magic staring back at you. I invite you to start to see her now and begin living your life as the most expressed version of you. That life is available for everyone. It is your birthright to live a life according to your own values, to what lights you up. It is also your birthright to radiate that beautiful light inside of you that we oh-so-know is in there, even if you haven’t quite been able to own it yet -- never mind knowing what the bloody hell to do with it! Ask yourself this: do you ever wear a mask? No, not the kind of surgical mask we are being asked to wear now. You know, do you put a filter over who you really are, depending on who you’re around? You might have one mask that you wear with your partner. Another with your friends. A different mask for a different set of friends (god forbid they should all meet together and then you’d need to decide which mask to wear?!) Then there’s the mask you wear with your parents, siblings, co-workers, the hairdresser, the next door neighbour.... And the list goes on and on. It’s exhausting. No wonder you’re going to bed each night feeling drained of energy and wondering why. It’s the masks. When you take them off for good, and just be YOU - you can be in any situation, any environment, with any other person in the whole wide world and just be yourself. That is absolute freedom, dear one! And it’s available for you, right here, right now.
Here’s the truth: You get to be ALL of you. ALL of the time. That doesn’t mean you need to be dancing and prancing and singing from every rooftop - unless you want to of course, then by all means YES, go do that! Being fully expressed is not about being extroverted, or ‘out there’. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin. It’s about knowing who you are and being completely unapologetic about it. It’s about loving and honouring your light as well as your dark. It’s about being able to communicate and articulate your needs, most importantly with yourself. It’s about having boundaries and a level of love for yourself that deserves an award. It’s about sharing your gifts with the world. It’s about saying yes to you and all of your desires. It’s about knowing you are worthy and deserving of it all. It’s about letting go of judgement, first and foremost on yourself. It’s about choosing you first. It’s about knowing that the more YOU you are - the more life responds to you, bringing you abundance in health, wealth and happiness. You truly do get to do, be and have it all - whatever that looks like for you.
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My Top 7 Tips For Expressing Yourself 1. Meditation This daily practice is a tool that has absolutely changed my life. From once wearing many masks, flat out exhausted, battling major anxiety and depression - meditation enabled me to re - connect to myself and in the process, re - discover who I really am. When you know who you are, you are able to express yourself from that space. Pure, grounded, authentic. Meditation helps you to liberate energy by letting go of limiting behaviours, patterns and stories that keep you stuck. If you are new to this practice, I recommend starting with 5 minutes each morning. Have your phone on flight mode, set a timer, sit upright and simply focus on your breath. In through the nose and out through the nose. Yes, your mind will wander! It ’s not about getting to an ‘empty mind’ - it ’s about giving
3. Identity Statement
yourself that time, that space to connect with
Also known as ‘Scripting ’, you can do this by
the higher aspect of you. You can increase the
reading, writing or speaking aloud. This daily
length over time. Aim to get to 20 minutes by 30
practice builds neural pathways in your brain
days continuous practice. Have fun!
caused by repeating the same information over and over. When we practice ‘being ’ the person we want to be (in our fullest expression) our brains
2. Exercise
don’t know the difference between fantasy and
Not only does exercise release Endorphins,
reality. So over time, we automatically start
which means we feel really good -
it also
to look for (and attract) people, environments
improves our overall health and wellbeing. This
and experiences that help us to create that
means we feel energised and have an increased
ultimate reality.
zest for life! When we exercise regularly, we look and feel better - which increases confidence.
This is one of the foundational tools I teach
When we are confident, we are able to express
my private coaching clients as I believe it ’s
ourselves more freely and naturally - becoming
fundamental to consciously creating the life
a magnet for more people and experiences that
you desire. Start by taking yourself, journal
feel really good!
in tow, to your favourite place where you can really tune into what you want. For me, that ’d
As an ex-Personal Trainer, I recommend moving
be the closest beach, but for you it could be
your body daily, in a way that feels fun and
a park, forest, your garden, bedroom or even
motivating. Between 20 - 40 minutes is great. For
favourite coffee shop. Think about your ideal
me, this is a mixture of yoga, walking, running,
life; what does that look and feel like? Who is
strength training and freestyle dancing to
the person who is living that life? List out all
my favourite music. (Side note: dance like no -
of their characteristics - that ’s your identity
one’s watching - because they are not!) For
statement!
you it might be a team sport or group training
statement every day, ensuring that you’re
exercise. There are so many options available
really feeling how it feels to be that person. I
to us, experiment with what feels good for you,
invite you to learn more about Scripting and
knowing that it doesn’t have to mean hours
consciously creating your dream life by diving
slogging it out in the gym.
into my FREE Script Your Way To Success Workshop.
Read,
write
or
say
aloud
this
Fierce Truths Magazine
6
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IMAGES Š Lisa William’s personal collection and used with permission
Meet
Lisa Williams Our gifted goddess by Kim Bleeze
We all have an inner light to shine. One that has the potential to create a positive impact on our little version of the world. Yet, we often may find ourselves shying away from that truthful part of ourselves. Choosing instead, to remain hidden and only dreaming about our dreams rather than daring to make them come true. Then there are those fierce women in the world who understanding their worth, their drive, their passion and see it as a non-negotiable. Taking a leap of faith with both feet first and going after what calls to their heart, instead of allowing their fear to be in the driver’s seat. It will be those women whose inner light shines naturally brighter and for no more a reason than choosing to know courage and own their fierce truth. They dare to follow their dreams and in doing so, become a beacon of hope and inspiration for others whom they touch along the way. These are our Gifted Goddesses. Women just like you and me who dared to follow their calling and leap with both feet, intuitively following their souls’ path and saying yes to where their intuition guides them. These women not only live with passion and purpose, they use it to create a massive impact too. I trust you will be as inspired by their stories as we are and for this month’s issue, let us introduce you to Lisa Williams. Lisa is a renown International Spiritual Teacher and psychic medium, speaker, and mentor to thousands of students all over the world and it was an honor to spend some time interviewing her. Here is what she had to say.
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Kim: Lisa, can we start by asking, who is Lisa Williams in your own words? Lisa: That’s a loaded question! I’m really just a simple girl from a small town in the UK who made a big life in the USA as a Psychic Medium. It was never expected, and it was something I never thought would happen, but here I am. I’ve had this gift since I was a kid and always something weird and wonderful would be happening. Such as things moving around my bedroom, me having imaginary friends, and saying things that just happened to come true. I guess back in the late 70’s early 80’s it was weird, but now it’s my normal. I thought everyone spoke to ‘dead’ people, but I guess I was wrong. I grew my gift to what it is today, through hard work and a lot of fumbling in the dark and trying to work it out on my own. To me, my gift is who I am. I flow with Spirit throughout my life and I am the representation of the Spirit, but I also have a very normal life. I’m a wife, mother, daughter, friend, and teacher, and I wouldn’t change it for anything!
Kim: What was life like for you as you started to develop your gifts? Lisa: It was very fortunate that I had a supportive husband, but prior to that I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just fumbling in the dark. There were no development circles, no online presence. There was a spiritual church which, although I fit in it, it was very cornering into things. So, I did a few readings here and there and I honestly had no idea what I was doing, I was fumbling around in the dark. I started getting a few customers which let me down a path to finally embrace what I was doing. My then boyfriend (also first husband) was really supportive. He said that I have a gift and I need to embrace it, whereas for me it was kind of “Filling in the gaps”. Which being a single mum and struggling through life as we all do, it was just extra money for me. Then I realized that more people were visiting me for my “woo woo” side than anything else, so I thought “I think I’m onto something here. I was a physic junkie myself as I didn’t know where life was taking me, it was just very bizarre. So finally, I embraced it. I got myself an office and everything else. And my Dad was asking me when am I going to find a proper job. It’s probably only in the last 15 years that I have fully, fully embraced it. And I know 15 years is a long time, but when you have been doing for 26 years like I have, it really isn’t a long time because it was never supposed to be permanent because in my head it was “you don’t do anything permanent, you don’t do anything tangible in other people’s eyes”. It wasn’t until I started to travel, moved to America, and was doing TV shows, and went to Australia and other places, then started teaching that I felt home. I felt home while teaching. Prior to that, it was a struggle, and I believe that you have to go through your own struggles. For example, I’ve had cancer, I’ve had terrible relationships, I’ve had friends betray me… I’ve had it all and I got to the point where I didn’t think I could get up in the morning
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and then I realized that I pulled on those experiences to keep me going to help other people with my gifts. To help other people see another day, that there is a life after struggling and that you can do it. You don’t have to succumb to being a withering mess on the floor. I knew that I didn’t have to be a withering mess on the floor because spirit had my back. Having that consent dialog from spirit changed my life.
Kim: Do you find that your work is inspired by those dark days you had yourself? Knowing that someone else maybe feeling the same?
IMAGES © Lisa William’s personal collection and used with permission
Lisa: Absolutely, but I think now (even though I still have those days) what inspires me are my clients and my followers. They are my inspiration. There have been so many times over the past 3 months where I haven’t wanted to get out of bed or face the world and I have really wanted to hide and cry. But, it was because of those people, in a way relying on me that I went “No, I can’t, I have to show up” because there is an expectation for Lisa Williams to show up, to show her face, to be the healer to be motivating. For those days that I just wanted to hide, it was my students, my staff, my teaching, may fans and follows that kept me going. But I feel like I pull strength from that because you know, if I can show up today, then you can too because I have realized that we all go through stuff, but moving through it is the mindset of it. Whether we move through it with heaviness or we go, “I got to face this”. There was a point about 7-8 weeks ago when I walked out of the bathroom into the bedroom and I know that I had a choice about how I faced that day. I could go in like I did the day before in all Doom and Gloom, or do I show up with a smile on my face. So, I put music on, I walked the dogs and went in with a smile on my face. And I didn’t want to, but you know what that smile changed everything. And I took moments of joy in that day that I held onto. Whether it was listening to music, my son telling me he loved me, my daughter giving me a hug, or a sweet text from my husband. I held onto those moments, so I didn’t get sucked back into the cycle.
Kim: Do you think spirit helped as well? Lisa: Absolutely, (grabs pad of paper) these are all messages from spirit. This is all I have been doing for the past 3
months, all 85 messages from spirit. It is what has kept me going, COVID here in America has been really bad so it made me go into myself. I’ve seen a lot of things I didn’t want to see or look at. I had to change my approach, I lost friends, I lost teachers, I lost everything but at the end of the day, these messages are what kept me going. My husband told me that he had to stop listening to these messages. He said even though they are from spirit, they are from the deepest darkest places of the earth.
Kim: It sounds to me that it was your drive and spirit that kept you going? Lisa: Yeah it became my purpose. Today I am on message 85 (Spirit gave me a day off) but, to me the stuff that they give me is incredible. I am meeting different spirits, and it not only resonates with me, but it resonates with everybody listening and even though it’s very powerful for me in a way it’s also very powerful for the listener. It’s pure philosophy, you know when you hit that higher realm and you are listening to the elders and the ascended masters, they don’t care about your car, or your boyfriend so it’s pure philosophy and it’s amazing. I was having a moment. I was in my office and I sat there crying and I just wrote and then I went into my bedroom and I was still crying and spirit said “read your message of the day” so I went back to my message and I started crying again because it was so powerful, so prominent, so raw and that’s all I could do.
Kim: Would you like to share one of these messages Lisa? Lisa: Okay… Open your heart to what the beauty of what tomorrow brings, without fear, can change your life today. Step through beyond any doubt in your mind and rise above the shadows that cast a darkness on your light that is guiding you. Your soul is stronger than your mind, your will is wiser than your thoughts, your belief is stronger than that fleeting moment of doubt. You are the strength that will rise above all doubt that will come your way. The mind is a beautiful place to create your dreams, hopes and desires yet standing in the space of vast memories of time and endless concerns is not something that is helpful. Shine and rise above, looking ahead at all the hopes you have let go of what has held back change in the past and rise higher than before with nothing holding you back in your limitless dreams of glory and seeing the journey as a sparkling pathway of opportunity and change. You are the hope that others look
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Finding
Love
with Rose Quartz
Written by Elizabeth Vigar For many of us, burdened with emotional wounds, we are struggling to heal our hearts from trauma. Unaware of our need for healing, we sometimes harden ourselves to avoid being hurt again and our energy feels tired and depleted. The Rose Quartz is a healing crystal of heart and love. It has the power to activate our heart chakra, making it possible for us to release negative energies and resonate at a higher frequency. With new strength, we are able to open our heart once again, making room for forgiveness, trust and the power of love. The Rose Quartz, used for thousands of years in ritual and ceremony, is a beautiful milky-pink crystal that has strong symbolic associations with universal love. Love is a strong energetic force that takes many forms: romantic love, maternal love, platonic love and self-love. The Native Americans believed it could rid us of all our negative emotions. The Rose Quartz helps us to open our hearts and purify them of any pain and suffering, guiding us back towards a place of unconditional love, kindness, and compassion. Every woman should own her own precious Rose Quartz crystal because of its’ strong symbolic association with love and its’ protective qualities. It has a soft energy that guides us back into our feminine strength. As the Mothers of the Earth, we are each the embodiment of unconditional and selfless love. The Rose Quartz can help protect us when we open our hearts, enabling us to stay strong
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IMAGE © Serena Williamson / Adobe Stock
The Silent Pain of
Domestic Violence Written by Elizabeth Vigar
We interviewed three women who were each brave enough to share their very personal and harrowing experience with domestic violence. Through their pain, they found the strength to start their lives anew, and find the love and respect they deserved. Home is meant to be a safe haven. A place from which we can seek refuge from the perils of the world. But what if the one location meant to represent safety and security is the most dangerous and terrifying place? Hidden behind doors and walls, thousands of women suffer silently at the hands of domestic violence. For many of them, they struggle to find support, help, or the courage and means to leave. Sometimes they suffer for years, alone, leading to life-long physical and emotional scars. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has, devastatingly, prompted a combination of conditions that have created an alarming rise
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in domestic violence. The stress, fear, isolation and inability to leave their homes during worldwide lockdowns has left many women far more vulnerable than ever before. This is not a new issue, but the current global atmosphere has made it more important than ever that we all take a stand against domestic violence, so that women everywhere can feel safe at home. We interviewed three women who were each brave enough to share their very personal and harrowing experience with domestic violence. Through their pain, they found the strength to start their lives anew, and find the love and respect they deserved. By loving themselves enough, each
woman was able to find the strength to say no to abuse. These women are not just survivors of domestic violence. They each display a beautiful and inspiring courage. They show that, even in the face of true adversity, every woman is capable of rising up, taking charge of her life, and being a stronger and happier version of herself. Let these women inspire you. They are the warrior women who hold their heads high and lead the path for other women. They offer their support and encouragement through their words to teach us that we are not alone. Let them guide us all towards a place of awareness, purpose and self-love.
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IMAGE © Serena Williamson / Adobe Stock
If you were to meet Simone O’Brien, you would recognise that the face she lives with now is not the one she was born with. She has no sensation or control over the right side of her face. Her right eye stares but does not see. Her beautiful smile is cracked. This is not because of an accident. This is the heartbreaking result of domestic violence.
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IMAGES © Simone O’Brien’s personal collection and used with permission
COVID-19 and the Isolation of Domestic Abuse – Simone O’Brien knows how important it is to support each other
In late 2012 Simone was left for dead by a man who claimed to love her. He inflicted injuries to her head and face that were so brutal, it left Simone’s physical appearance disfigured and the emotional scars so deep, they will stay with her for the rest of her life. Simone is now blind in her right eye and the right side of her skull is entirely titaniumplated. She has an implant in her cheekbone, and her jaw was shattered. She was only able to open her mouth a fraction, and even now she will never be able to enjoy eating all the foods she used to love. After 52 reconstructive operations, every day is still a battle in her fight for recovery.
“I feel like I am a prisoner in my own body”. Despite this, Simone has made it her life’s mission to be a voice for others, to gain support, and to help people who are struggling with domestic violence. Now more than ever we need to come together, she says. Simone could have been any one of my friends, or yours. She was a single woman with three small children living in a typical suburban home in Brisbane. She was working two jobs just to make ends meet, and life was sometimes pretty tough. In spite of this, Simone longed to find love. So one fateful day in September 2012, she decided to give online dating a go. She found a man, did her research and decided she had made a good choice.
“I saw he was in real estate and the light bulb lit up and I thought, “Great! He’s had a police check. He must be safe”. After getting to know each other, they began dating and then started a relationship. Simone was excited and happy. However, during the following 9 months, an array of red flags started to show: possessive behaviour, money disappearing,
and deleting contacts from her phone. Deep down Simone knew that something was wrong and, eventually, she worked up the courage to end the relationship. She was relieved, and so were her kids, but this wasn’t the end of the story. Shortly after they broke up, he appeared unexpectedly on her door. He wanted to talk and he convinced Simone to talk privately in her bedroom. During the next agonising 10 minutes, Simone received 45-50 blows to the head with a baseball bat, and her arm was broken. Unable to move, she called out desperately to her daughters.
“I honestly thought I was going to die. I didn’t know how to get up”. After the assault, her skull was so badly damaged that those who administered first aid said it was like mush. She was rushed to the hospital but nobody thought she would survive. Miraculously, against all medical predictions, Simone did not die. Her skull was so badly fractured that it allowed her brain enough room to swell, and is the only reason she survived. Nobody could have guessed it was the sheer volume of trauma Simone received to her head, which ultimately saved her from brain damage or death. Her recovery has been the most difficult and challenging journey of her life, but this hasn’t stopped Simone from becoming an advocate for the movement to stop domestic violence.
“We need to look out for each other and speak about domestic violence because it hasn’t been an easy journey for me to be here with you today”. Despite her appearance, she speaks to audiences of thousands of people on the devastating consequences of domestic violence. Never one for public speaking, Simone feels she now has a reason to show even more courage. Her message is that you don’t have to hide, feel scared or be ashamed. That you can speak out freely because there is so much support available.
“Look out for the red flags and speak to someone. The support and services you get. You are not alone”. Simone also speaks to children at schools about domestic violence. We can teach children about abuse and help them to recognise some of the warning signs, and this will equip them with an invaluable perspective that they will take into their adult lives. Teaching children open communication within a safe environment is what’s important. Simone’s journey has been a harrowing one, but it is the desire and need for change that keeps her going. She is now remarried to her children’s father and is looking towards a positive and happy future.
Follow Simone’s journey on social media. @simonemobrien Fierce Truths Magazine
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As Angel Baney speaks, she holds herself with such grace and strength that it’s hard to imagine this happily married wife and mother has not always had such a picture-perfect life. As a young woman, coming from a loving family in Pittsburgh, Angel was fiercely determined, and she believed that she could accomplish anything she put her mind to.
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IMAGES © Angel Baney’s personal collection and used with permission
Angel Baney had to Fall in Love with Herself, to Find Peace
With a heart as big as her smile, Angel easily fell in love with a man whom she thought was charming, creative and knowledgeable. Her disposition meant she would constantly look for the good in everyone, even if it meant overlooking a multitude of red flags. Always hoping for the best in her relationship, Angel, unwittingly, allowed the worst to happen. During their marriage her husband would drink. And when he was drunk he became highly abusive. Angel recounts their first argument, where he crushed her hand so tightly that he managed to break her finger. She vowed she would leave if he ever hurt her again, but she was soon to discover that choices are not always that simple. Angel’s husband was a narcissist, and over the course of their relationship, he slowly manipulated her to make her feel like everything was her fault. It crushed her self-esteem and made it almost impossible for her to leave him.
prompted more violence and, one time, he became so enraged with Angel that he punched her square in her face.
“I fell down and blacked out, because he had hit me so hard”. Angel was left alone and unconscious on the bathroom floor. When she woke up in terrible pain, she knew she had to escape from him, but how? By now she was so financially dependent on him that she didn’t see an easy way out. He had made sure that she no longer had her own bank account. Her car, their business and the house was all in his name. She was financially trapped by him. Thankfully, Angel’s jaw had not been broken that night, but something even more precious was breaking: her spirit.
“I have never been hit by a man. My father never hit a woman. I didn’t want to look like a failure”.
“He never stopped using emotional words. It was a way to grind me down”. He criticised Angel more and more. He would tell her that she had gained weight or that she wasn’t as smart as he had once thought. He gaslighted her and made her question how she saw herself. Her confidence and sense of selfworth was disintegrating, and the physical abuse just made it worse. Another night of drinking
For a time, things seemed to get better. The drinking stopped, and they finally got married. Not long after that, Angel even fell pregnant with two babies. She fantasised that their lives would be happy from hereon. But, inevitably, he started drinking again, prompting the most horrific night that Angel had ever experienced. He was so drunk and angry that he kicked Angel in her pregnant stomach. The impact was so strong that she collapsed onto the floor, immediately feeling the blood flowing from between her legs. There was no one around to help her. She knew, intuitively, that she had lost her unborn babies. She was right. Angel’s healing journey took a long time. The first step was finding the courage to leave her husband, and the next step was realising that she needed to love herself first. So she joined a womens group,
and began journaling and writing down her feelings. She practised meditation and used affirmations. This eventually led to her attracting more emotionally healthy people into her life.
“I did a whole lot of work on myself. I didn’t date. I didn’t even want to look at men until I started recognising what was in me that had been attracting this abuse into my life”. Angel has now been happily married for 17 years and she has a 7 year old daughter. Finally having a relationship with a man who is loving and supportive is proof that she did the hard work and learnt how to love herself. But the road to get there was incredibly difficult and she still struggles with feelings of selfdoubt to this day. Angel turned her life around and is following her passion to help women find the strength to leave their abusive relationships. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, she worries that there are too many women suffering at the hands of abuse. She wants to share her story to help others to find their empowerment. The change you need comes from within, and sometimes it can take a whole village to facilitate that change. Surround yourself with as many friends, family and support groups as you can. Learn to respect and love yourself, and people will follow suit.
To follow Angel’s journey, visit her website. www.hearmyvoicenow.com Fierce Truths Magazine
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Nikki experienced her first abusive relationship when she was only 15. Struggling with her body image and confidence, Nikki’s self-esteem was fragile and her boyfriend’s abuse sent her spiraling down into a deep depression. The experience left her shattered, and it set a precedent for a second abusive relationship. Nikki recounts her painful experiences and her long, but liberating journey back to a place of love, confidence, and respect.
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IMAGES © Nikki Bowler’s personal collection and used with permission
The Invisible Scars of Mental Abuse and How Love Saved Nikki Bowler
Nikki’s boyfriend gradually wreaked havoc on Nikki’s sense of self-worth. He criticised her constantly and nothing she ever did seemed good enough. She started skipping meals because she was convinced that losing weight would make her more beautiful. So she trained harder and harder with her sports, but eventually, her body couldn’t take it anymore. Nikki would regularly collapse from the sheer strain she was putting herself through. She had become obsessed with obtaining something she never could: her boyfriend’s love and respect. Their relationship ended when Nikki caught him cheating on her. She had done everything within her power to win his love, and yet he treated her so badly. The way she felt about herself was altered, and she questioned what was wrong with her. Why did it constantly feel like she wasn’t good enough? After a period of unsuccessful dating and when Nikki’s spirit was at an all-time low, another man entered into her life. Nikki had not healed from her first boyfriend, and she was filled with self-loathing and still very vulnerable, which made her the perfect target for another abuser. There were red flags right from the start. Their relationship progressed dangerously quickly, with Nikki moving in with him and joining bank accounts after only a few months of dating. His abuse and his projections started early and became gradually worse. Whenever Nikki would socialize with her friends, her new boyfriend would become angry and insecure, hurling ludicrous accusations at her. Dealing with his sudden mood swings was exhausting for Nikki and she lost most of her friends because of it. It became normal for him to harass her when she was socialising: obsessive calling, abusive texts and, if she ignored him, the abuse would become much worse. He had not been physically abusive with Nikki but one night his paranoia tipped him over the edge, and he
accused her of sleeping with another man.
“He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me out of the shower with me pleading him to stop. He pulled me up to meet his face, blazing with anger. I burst into tears. He let me go and left me on the bathroom floor, crying. That was the first time I was truly afraid of him”. It took years for Nikki to find the courage to leave him because she was so afraid of his controlling nature. She had been trapped by him, not only financially but emotionally too. He had convinced her that all their problems were her fault, alone. She was ashamed that her behaviour could cause such negative reactions and she was worried that people would judge her.
“With abuse like this, it’s not just physical. Josh wasn’t overly physical with his abuse but, it was the fear he installed in me. The fear of making a mistake that would anger him, or the fear of disrespecting him when I was just laughing with friends. Josh would be so sweet at times and he had everyone fooled”. After secretly saving money, and planning her escape with a work colleague, Nikki finally managed to get away from Josh for good. But Nikki soon found herself caught up in yet another bad relationship, and she started having repetitive thoughts, questioning everything about her life.
“The type of relationship where I lose myself trying to mould into the person these men wanted me to be”.
“Why was I always drawn to the same ‘type’ of relationship?” When Nikki met the man who is now her husband, she says she was still very broken. She was on various medications, and she was still underweight. Although she wanted to heal, she still had so much to work through within herself. Her husband became her biggest advocate and an integral part of her journey to become the woman she is today.
“I wanted to be respected, he showed me what respect looks like. He taught me that my feelings and opinions were important. I wanted to find my own identity again and he encouraged me to blossom. I wanted to love myself and he showed me the love I finally deserved”. With a lot of perseverance, Nikki turned her life around. She realised that her beliefs had been shaping her reality, and so she finally started to believe she deserved the love she had always longed for, from herself and from others. This is the power of manifestation. Once she believed, the Universe delivered.
“Love to me is empowerment. It’s raw honesty, it’s complete trust and it’s unconditional. If I couldn’t provide myself with those thing then, how could I expect someone else to”? I finally found my husband and the love he gives me because I allowed myself to love me, first”. Fierce Truths Magazine
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The Fierce Truth about Covid-19 and the hidden crisis by Nicolle Edwards, CEO RizeUp Australia July 2020
Our world is changing daily, and for most of us, social isolation to help combat the coronavirus crisis means staying safe at home with the people we care about. While the health of everyone is important during the Covid-19 pandemic, we are very concerned about the threat to women and children who are being isolated in the home, potentially with a violent partner or family member. For one in four women, social isolation means being lockedup in a dangerous place with an abusive partner, with no way to escape – with children possibly in the mix.
These next few months living under Covid-19 restrictions will see a heightened risk due to financial insecurity, alcohol consumption and health concerns.
Not only is a victim living with the threat of the pandemic, but also the potentially lethal threat of violence.
Being forced to share space with violent husbands or family members for extended periods of time can only exacerbate already stressful living conditions.
Figures show one woman a week is killed by a current or former partner, and research shows that violence against women increases during times of anxiety.
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In the wake of reports of domestic abuse as much as tripling in China during recent periods of isolation, RizeUp
Australia is already seeing evidence of that disturbing trend here in Australia. We believe the impact of the coronavirus on women trapped in abusive relationships is a crisis, within a crisis - as financial and emotional pressures take their toll. Sadly, the pandemic has already resulted in a spike in the number of women – and their families - looking to escape violence in their homes.
So much so, our charity, which offers a range of programs helping high-risk women and their children, is struggling to keep up with demand. In fact, it was difficult keeping up with demand before Covid-19, but in recent weeks we’ve already seen our calls for help from services increase by 20%. And with more people losing their jobs, being made redundant or working from home, and schools shutting down, the fear is these calls – and the violence against women – will further escalate. RizeUp Australia’s primary focus is to reduce the incidence of domestic and family violence in
Australia. At a practical level, we support families impacted by violence by helping them on their journey from violence to safety. To do this we have created an innovative solution that brings communities together, increases volunteering and makes real, far reaching and practical contributions to these vulnerable families. As a family leaves refuge, we furnish their new accommodation with everything they need to make it a home, so they can make a fresh start. We also support affected children by providing everything they need
to happily settle into a new school. RizeUp Australia is a vital part of the service system across Australia and has established strong partnerships with specialist domestic violence services, which enable us to provide fast, flexible solutions to women and children in desperate situations. We have developed processes and policies to underpin a safe, practical response, which enables us to work effectively with more than 360 volunteers and provide an add-value to service that existing specialist domestic violence organisations now depend on. Frontline services rely on RizeUp Australia to safely transition victim/
survivors of domestic violence from a life of fear and violence to one of safety and community. Since launching in 2015, we have supported more than 1030 families – all already linked to crisis services across Australia press the “restart button on a life free from violence”. It is during times of stress that those at risk of family violence are likely to be most in danger, so it is vital women and children have the support they need to enable them to get to a safe place. Our RizeUp Homes Program is supporting up to eight new families every week, who are at the
greatest risk of homelessness and homicide. But unfortunately, it’s still not enough as services are inundated with women fleeing violent relationships. While the below factors aren’t the cause of violence, they are contributing factors that may cause violence to escalate: • Financial instability / Job Loss • Drugs and Alcohol consumption • Physical / Mental Health concerns • Imbalance of power and control within the intimate relationship Violence against women is driven largely by gender inequality, the hyper masculine need for power and control and societal pressure
reinforcing rigid gender roles within the family unit. When there is disruption to these existing stereotypes there is an increase of violence against women. Using isolating behaviours and fear of the coronavirus pandemic as a guise of over-caring to further isolate the victims from their family, is a tactic used by violent men to control their victims. Threatening to throw the victim and/or their children out of the home to get sick is as equally terrifying as being trapped inside. Some violence offenders will also withhold money or medications from the victim or children.
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30
OUR
Fierce Experts Check in monthly to see what advice our experts have for you
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Jo’s Fitness
Intimacy Alchemy
Earth Whisper
Jo Lastro
Brooke Frances
Renée McCready
A 1st-Degree Muay Thai Kickboxer and sole owner of Jo’s Fitness Studio. Muay Thai has made Jo stronger, more comfortable in her own skin, and taught her to have faith and trust in herself. She now hopes to inspire, and help others overcome their own obstacles by sharing her expertise in fitness.
An intimacy guide, embodiment teacher and sacred bodywork practitioner. She radically stands for evolutionary relating and living a life of sensual aliveness. Her deepest love is supporting people to remember the truth of who they are and guiding them to create a life of more fulfilling intimacy.
A plant wisdom keeper, ceremonialist, shamanic healer and therapist. Also a kitchen witch, plant based chef, yoga teacher, earth doula, bio-regionalist, and a practising animist. She runs workshops, sacred cacao ceremonies, mentoring programmes and will bring through earth wisdom.
With Love from the Afterlife
Numerology with Steph
Horoscope and Stars
Kim Bleeze
Stephanie McKinnon
Lana F. Jackson
A free-spirited gypsy traveller and creative at heart who has worked as a medium, psychic, mentor, teacher, speaker, and healer for over 10 years. She has passion for inspiring people to be real, raw, and awakened to their soul’s path, and will be sharing stories and bringing messages through from spirit.
An expert Numerologist, psychic medium and teacher of her crafts. She has a passion for sharing the benefits of Numerology as a key to understanding everyday life and awakening the soul’s journey. Stephanie will reveal current cycles and identify areas that may need to be enhanced or nurtured.
An Internationally recognised Intuitive Astrologer, medium, psychic and entrepreneur who has been working professionally in her craft for over 25 years. Lana will be sharing her invaluable expertise as our in-house Astrologist each month and is renown for her accuracy and detail.
More of
Our Fierce Experts
Visit our website for our fierce experts social media links.
coming soon... Fierce Truths Magazine
40
Intimacy
Alchemy
Sex, Love and Relationships
By Brooke Frances I vividly recall the day my life changed forever. It’d been a long time coming but a fire moved through me that day in a way I’d never experienced before. It felt like I’d had a metal rod somehow inserted into my back, and like my head was somehow being pulled up by the stars. The pit of my belly had the most intense bonfire burning and my heart pulsated with new life. Fierce clarity moved through my whole entire being. It was almost three years to the day since my marriage had ended. It was also three years of journeying the rollercoaster of a new relationship with a sociopath. I’d just had yet another miscarriage and was doing my absolute best to parent my three young sons, amongst some pretty awful circumstances. I’d spent around a year feeling like I was almost living outside of myself, just witnessing. Watching myself making choices I wasn’t aligned with but that I wasn’t quite ready to give up. I knew the time was coming though. Then the knowing coursed through my blood and touched every cell in my body in such a way that ignoring it was no longer an option. I took the drive to his place, having no idea what was going to happen when I got there. I could just feel a fierceness I’d never felt before and every cell in my being knew I needed to do it. I parked the car in front of his place, calmly walked over to his front door and knocked a few times. When he answered I heard myself say all of the things I’d been holding in for fear of how he might react. I spoke with so much clarity and conviction that it shocked even me, it just poured out. Then I turned around and walked to my car, knowing I’d never see him again. I don’t really know what I said that day, but I do know that, as I spoke those words, I was speaking a new reality into existence. The clarity never left. I’d been back and forth with him for three years but, in that moment, I knew my life would never be the same again. I’d been down on my hands and knees not long before, begging for mercy. One of those excruciating moments where there is nothing left to do but surrender to the Universe. I’d faced that moment of potential death head on, was that what I wanted? I’m not sure I would have ever actually done it, but I’d definitely been tempted. My thoughts turned to my three beautiful boys though and I decided that, if I was going to choose to live that that wasn’t going to be enough. Thriving was the only real option. I did all I could to keep that promise to myself. Therapy. A coach. A 12-step program. Relentless viewing of YouTube videos educating myself on sociopathy during my weakest moments. Whatever it took. Daily practices
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to nourish myself…feminine yoga, dancing, intuitive movement, self-massage, meditation. Intentionally calling on friends. Reading anything I could get my hands on to help myself feel supported. Letting go of any connections that weren’t best for me, including my family of origin. Lots of time in nourishing nature. The process was painful, but I was committed to sitting in that relentless void until I was out the other side. It was about 6 months later that I had a surprise realization. I was home alone and vacuuming my floor when it suddenly dawned on me that something was missing from my experience. There was a stillness inside that was new to me. My everyday hypervigilance had dissipated, and I noticed I was freely breathing for the first time in years. Ever maybe. Almost like the anxiety never even existed, there were no longer any eggshells to have to walk on. This is something I’d been doing my whole entire life and I was overjoyed by the absence of this feeling! Something had deeply shifted. I’d known when I made the choice to leave six months earlier that I needed to be entirely alone. No distractions. Whilst it was far from easy, sitting in that darkness until I naturally came out the other side was the only way through to a new reality. I had to sit in that birth canal until I emerged into newness. I could have avoided myself by filling the space with any number of things but the last time I did that I nearly lost my life. Sitting right in the middle of the pain with deep love and compassion for myself was the only way. Looking at my life today, it’s hard to even imagine that that’s who I was. There have definitely been many moments of challenge since, but I’ve experienced exquisite beauty and profound growth too. At the core of this has been that flame that was ignited and burst through my being that day. It may be just three and half short years ago but, in my reality, it’s been an entire lifetime and I am beyond grateful for the journey. I feel like we don’t speak about the magic of that void space enough. It can be terrifyingly scary to be in it, I entirely acknowledge that. The pain is excruciating and the temptation to avoid it is real. But if we can find the courage to just sit there, knowing we don’t have to do a thing but feel and breathe, we do come out the other side and our whole perspective of life is truly changed forever. It’s clichéd but being a caterpillar who drags herself inside that chrysalis can take every ounce of energy you have. Sitting in that still darkness though, allowing the slow transformation to occur in its own sweet time, is the only way you can ever truly emerge into a new form. And in my experience, the wings I was given are above and beyond what I could ever have imagined. I’m still learning to fly but the view from up here is pretty magical. I’m looking forward to sharing more about various aspects of my journey since that time, a culmination of my whole life journey really. We’ll touch on radical self-love and acceptance. The magic of showing up authentically.
IMAGE © Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock
The power of connecting deeply with your body. Conscious dating and evolutionary relating. Powerful communication and how this can change your world. Understanding men on deeper levels. How to have open conversations with children. Creating profound intimacy through sacred sexuality. Speaking and living your deepest truth, and so much more. Conversations that truly light me up! I hope my sharing feels supportive and inspires new possibilities for you too.
Ask Brooke Anything Elizabeth: How do you know when it’s time to leave someone/something. In the context of relationships but also more broadly, a job, a home, a friendship, a situation etc? Brooke: This is such an excellent question. It’s also incredibly multi-layered. It’s a whole lot easier sitting on
the outside of a relationship looking in and wondering why someone might still be there. As a woman who has journeyed some pretty challenging relationships, I know it’s not that easy. It feels important to me to state that, if you’re aware that you’re in an abusive relationship, it’s time for you to seek support and start taking actions to leave now. I genuinely know it’s not easy, but leaving is the only way you can reclaim the life you’re here to live. If you’re looking for a sign to tell you that it’s time, consider this to be it! I’m going to answer this from where I am at this point of my journey though. I’ve done a hell of a lot of work to be clear on who I am and what’s important to me, I know what I bring to a relationship. This is also true in relation to a job, home, friendship, etc. If I feel like I’m consistently giving more than I’m receiving, then it’s time to consider whether a situation is truly best for me. Sure, sometimes the balance will slightly sway. I’ll give more sometimes; they’ll give more other times. There needs to be some kind of balance though. If I’m giving, giving, giving, and getting very little in return, then my boundaries are weak and I’m allowing my energy to be drained. Ask yourself what your needs are and if they’re being met. It may be the first time you’ve ever done this. I believe there is a part of you, no matter how quiet the voice currently is, who knows your truth. Be really honest with yourself when you listen for the answer. This can go against a whole lot of social conditioning that we face, isn’t it selfish to think like that? The answer is NO. We all have needs and we aren’t here purely to serve others. It’s also your birthright to feel pleasure and joy. If it’s missing from your life, then some changes might be needed. It you’re in a situation that isn’t feeling particularly nourishing, it’s really great to take stock and consider WHY you might be choosing this. Are you getting something out of it? Is it making you feel needed? Are you repeating a pattern? Does it feel good to think that it might be YOU who will help them reach their potential? Is it what was modelled to you as a child? Is it unconsciously reminding you of a situation from your childhood and presenting itself as a way of allowing healing, or space to make a new choice? Is it shining a light on a part of you that could benefit from a little love? We’ve all been there. It’s also great to reflect on what doesn’t feel good for you about the situation and if there is something you could do to cause change? Could you get clearer on your boundaries? Could you learn to express them in a healthy way? Could you bring your attention back to you and give yourself what you need? How would this change the situation…or not? There really is no hard and fast rule with knowing when to leave. It entirely depends on what’s happening, who you are, what you need and how you’re communicating this. At the end of the day though, if you’re consistently giving more than you’re getting back then, at the very least, it’s time to start asking some questions. It’s not up to us to change anyone else but we can make choices that feel more nourishing for ourselves. If you’re in that space of knowing that it really is time but you’re a little stuck in fear of the unknown…take the leap!! If you stay where you are you know exactly how it’s going to be. It can take a lot to jump but, with a little support and self-love, there IS magic on the other side!
Have a question to ask Brooke? Send it to ask@fiercetruthsmagazine.com Fierce Truths Magazine
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EARTH By Renée McCready Earth Wisdom Keeper
Cultivating “right relationships” with the land we live on Nature is a living being, and we are a reflection of who she is. Cultivating and tending to “right relationships” with our surroundings and our current environment or bioregion helps us to create a deeper understanding of how nature nourishes us, and how we can also nourish nature. If we take a moment to just be present with nature, whether that is just sitting in our backyard or in any greenspace available to us, we come to understand that nature is designed in such an eloquent and co-creative way. All parts work synchronistically and symbiotically with each other, giving and receiving in perpetual motion, all the time. Through expression of ritual and creating a relationship with the land we live on; we are establishing a personal “love language”. That love language and communication can be felt deeply by the natural world. By doing this, we are opening a portal of learning between nature and ourselves. This in turn helps us to understand more of who we are and grounds us into a greater embodiment of our own personal self-expression.
The natural world and plants reflect back to us a part of who we are. When we take the time to slow down and sit with the land and all her botanical and elemental creations, we can observe what the tree/fungi/plant/flower/herbs holds. It then becomes easier for us to create some sovereignty around things like growing our own food and respecting nature as a living being, tending to the land in a loving way, deepening our relationship with nature and nourishing and feeding the spirit of that relationship. To be
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WHISPER able to do this requires us to connect often with our natural surroundings. We can do this by practicing gratitude, by making an offering and creating a ritual through love and prayer. This ritual can be a simple act, such as going outside and simply touching the earth with your hand and giving thanks to the land for nourishing us and holding us. You can also offer up the first sip of your morning brew. Or it can be making an offering of rose petals or tobacco to the land.
IMAGE © RENe McCready’s personal collection and used with permission
Living in an apartment block may seem more difficult if you do not have access to the ground readily, but you can still create the right relationship with your house plants, too. Simply choose a specific plant that you enjoy and create a relationship with that plant. Connect with the plant each day, sing it a little song, talk to it, give thanks for the exchange of breath you share with it.
When we begin to step back into that space of nature, nurture and see her in that totality, it helps place us back into a form of expression of who we are. Living in this busy and hectic world, with all its’ programming, is causing us to be disconnected from this concept of seeing ourselves in that connection and totality. Nature is a weaver of synchronistic patterns and reciprocity. We as humans also have this ability to have a deep intimate relationship with the land, with nature and with one another. The natural world has a lot to teach us about our own Intimate human relationships. How she impacts and empowers us to become more of who we are just by her very being, as a very old and wise ancestor.
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Love
With from the
Afterlife with Kim Bleeze
It can be painful when we lose someone to death, and the ripple effects of this loss can be far-reaching and touch places in our life we never thought possible. We’ll be going about our life, and then just like that, death can swoop in and create havoc and a change we weren’t ready for. One that can take a tremendous amount of time and energy to adjust to and heal from. We miss their touch, their smile, their laugh and long to hear their voice… just one more time. And believe me, there is no date stamp on that, so don’t let anyone else tell you otherwise. When we lose someone, it can feel like we have lost them forever, and we certainly have from this physical world. We may feel it the most in those times we glance over at their empty spot at the dinner table and perhaps somewhere else they are so obviously missing in our life. Well, let me tell you a story and it is about a friend of mine that I lost some years ago. It bought me some peace, and perhaps it will bring you some peace too. His name was, well still is, Mick. We were good friends when he was living and I still lived in Queensland, and since his passing, we now have a closer connection. I remember the night I found out about his death so clearly. I had just moved back to Melbourne some months before and I was out, just having a quiet night at a friend’s house. I was having a great time laughing and being in the moment, when I realised, I had a missed call from my daughter, who was still living in Queensland at the time. The message she left was simple, “Mum, ring me back, it’s urgent.” Mick’s death was an accident, and a shock in the way that it happened, a drug overdose in the loungeroom of his friend’s house. To say the least, I was shattered and felt guilty for so many things. Leaving Queensland when he wanted me to stay, not being there for him or realising he needed help…all the things. If you have lost someone you care about, I am sure you relate to what I am saying somewhat right? I remember it clearly too because I had just started my journey with spirit and had been developing myself as a medium. I was new to this unseen world and to my connection with spirit too. I was confused, and I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel. On one hand, I had the understanding that death wasn’t as final as I had always thought. So I knew he would be okay and
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Did You Know? The spirit world is always with us, and always trying to get our attention. So, the best way to start communicating with them openly, it to simply start paying attention. Here are some tips to help: Practice mindfulness The clearer your mind, the more you will notice spirit communicating with you. Pay attention to the signs Spirit are leaving signs for you everyone! Start looking for the coincidences.
IMAGES Š Cristina Conti / Adobe Stock
Talk to them Its simple really, just starting a dialog with spirit. Whether this be with a loved one, or your spirit team and then be open to how they will answer you.
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Numerology With Stephanie McKinnon
Your Numbers
1’s
This will be a month for you to step up with your leadership. It ’s a time for you to be focused on your goals, along with being self-accountable and responsible. So follow through on any actions that need to be taken or are required.
2’s
You will need to be a team player or even a mediator. Your peace keeping might even be called upon, a month where you play out in a supportive role. Your relationships may be highlighted with those you work closely with and also your personal loved ones. It ’s a month to be aware of all your and others’ sensitive and emotional needs. Listen to your own intuition, yet your logical mind will also be called upon.
3’s
It ’s a month to be expressive and get your creative juices flowing. You’ll find ways of bringing more fun into areas that require structure and order. Use that sense of humour to lighten moments in what can often feel like a serious month. A good idea to be networking and building links in your work area. A time to encourage self and others in achieving their goals.
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4’s
A time to get organised and bring some structure within your everyday life. Look at all the fine details in everything that you are doing. It ’s a great month to do all those things you have been meaning to do yet haven’t done. Be motivated and follow through with things. Really analyse what is practical and no longer practical. A great month to realise that what you sow can reap rewards. Start building foundations in your projects, and get new long term financial planning done. Have a bit of give and receive to achieve.
5’s
A month to be adaptable, look at all your opportunities available, and follow what your heart desires most. Draw your focus back in and don’t overextend yourself as temptations could test you. Be flexible. It ’s a good time to network. Re-assess and make changes where required. Be the critique and not the critic of yourself or others around you and trust your instincts this month. Steer clear of gossiping. You could be entertaining in a social role with work. Some will see changes within their career and work.
6’s
Give yourself some pampering and nurturing, without going overboard. Get more organised within areas of work and home to create more balance in life. For some there are possible cosmetic changes within their home or property areas. This is a great time for progressive changes within work. A month where the eye for detail will step up, and a great time to implement better nurturing and selfcare to aid in your overall balance.
For all of you with Life paths of 11/2, 22/4, or 33/6: please refer to both numbers as you may alternate between both, and could need to use both to accomplish your desires.
7’s
Take time and reflect and re-assess how you want to move forward. A time to expand on your knowledge so a chance to undertake study, listen to your intuition, so feel your way forward instead of overthinking. It ’s time to be compassionate, kind and forgiving with self and others to walk forward with more inner peace. Look at how you can incorporate those life lessons into your everyday life. Have an analytical eye on all finance and legal matters.
11’s
Leadership and teamwork are now required. A good time to also place your focus on the areas you wish to grow in. Be guided by your intuitive feelings. Also be willing to lead others and be a team player as well. Listen to all your options and choices, then make decisions that make you feel good. It ’s a great month to learn and grow in business or work. Your sensitivity levels may heighten. Be aware not to overdo it, yet be willing to serve others or even do a pay it forward within your community.
8’s
22’s
9’s
33’s
Further balance is required in life, within self, with family and work. It ’s a month to focus on all financial and business matters, so be realistic and know your boundaries. Look at what is sustainable for the long term. Draw upon leadership and management skills. Step up and don’t just settle for just being content. This is a great time to manifest that dream job.
Some transitions take place, so it ’s a time to let go of what is no longer long-term maintainable. Research what you need in your life right now. Others may seek you out for your knowledge and wisdom. Your humanity and compassion may be heightened with those you work with. It ’s a month to oversee any final details or issues within areas of family, work and finances.
See you all next month. Stephanie
Your management skills will be required and you might find yourself heightened in all areas of sensitivity levels. A great time to look at your long term goals and the intent you bring with it. Look at how your goals can also be beneficial to others within your area, not just self. This gives you greater opportunity. Time to focus on your ambition. Peacekeeping might be essential at times, Remember that your way is not the only way.
Be compassionate with self, and in all areas of your life. Tap back into what you desire and love with work and family. A time where possibly some sacrifices may be required in the short-term for the long term benefits. Reassess your values and how your boundaries need to adjust or realign to offer you more balance within your life. Set aside/make time this month for some self-care, as you could be required to support others as well.
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22nd July 2020 to 23rd August 2020
IMAGE © Aloksa / Adobe Stock
LEO
Happy Birthday Leo! Happy Personal New Year Leo. This is your time to dive in deep, stand in your personal power and shine. There is still work to do though and you can decide if you work smarter or harder. Whilst your ego may feel challenged, this will lighten up as you stand in your truth. The Full Moon in Aquarius on the 4th August, your opposition, will either bring in the balance or have you feeling like you are totally out of sorts. Ride the wave Leo and hold on to that roar. If you’re feeling a bit more sensitive than usual, don’t over think it or hold on to feelings that no longer serve you. Any fears or insecurities that you may be holding onto can be overcome when Mercury moves into your sign. Mercury sets the scene for you to work with your strength and courage and acknowledge your self worth. Take advantage of Mercury’s intention and focus on manifesting your heart’s desire. The Lions Gate will open on the 8th August, giving you a much needed boost as you connect your mind, body and soul. Pay attention to the different people you connect with and trust your intuition as home and family become the focus. Your personal power and comfort zone will also be tested. Don’t come out fighting Leo, this will not work to your advantage. Instead, it’s wiser to focus on how you can overcome these challenges by connecting with the right people to move beyond them. In the final days of Leo, the Sun, Moon and Mercury line up in Leo to give you that final boost of Leo spark. This can help you to see your way forward and really identify what ideas to bring into form, enhance your self worth, and dive deeper into the matters that are close to your heart. This will be supported with a plan of action and sets you up to move in the right direction to manifest your heart’s desires.
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VIRGO
23rd August to 22nd September 2020
LIBRA
22nd September to 23rd October 2020
SCORPIO
23rd October to 22nd November 2020
SAGITTARIUS
22nd November to 21st December 2020
The time of Leo is for you to really sit and contemplate on the thoughts and ideas you have had in the past, and to acknowledge that you can bring them into form. Allow your intuition to speak with you on the resources that will compliment your plans. Try not to overthink the process and allow yourself to be shown the big picture when the Full Moon peaks on the 4th August, giving you the opportunity to release everything that no longer serves you. Your creativity will be stirred as Mercury moves into Leo, giving you the open door to walk through and take action in a practical way. Venus moving into Cancer will help you to focus on relationships close to home and strengthen the connection with loved ones. Finances will also be the focus around the 10th. Collaboration and communication with work colleagues will reveal new ideas and shine the light on how you can bring your ideas into form, once you gain an understanding of what is being presented to you with the Sun, Moon and Mercury Leo conjunction in preparation for your Personal New Year when it begins at 1:45am on the 23rd August 2020.
It’s time to honour yourself and make decisions around what you truly desire Libra. Whilst you may be feeling a bit restricted in moving forward with Mars sitting in your opposition of Aries, as well as Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto Retrograde also challenging you in Capricorn, this Leo energy will give you a window of opportunity to see how to create balance in your life by honouring yourself and making decisions that involve ‘you’ in the equation. The Full Moon in Aquarius will bring things to the surface for you to see the big picture and highlight the right social and work connections to guide you in your chosen direction. Mercury moving into Leo will inspire your thoughts, ideas around communication and collaboration across the board, before Venus moves into Cancer and challenges your ideals on relationships with loved ones in the home. Finances will also be enhanced, giving you inspiration and new ideas to enhance your creativity and increase your self worth as the Sun, Moon and Mercury line up in Leo. This will be followed by Mercury moving into Virgo, in preparation for how you can be of service to others in a way that is more in alignment with your intentions.
As we move into the time of Leo, you can either go with the flow or totally resist. Leo energy will challenge you to go deep and connect with what is right for you and your ability to manifest anything you desire. Make the most of the energy leading up to the Full Moon in Aquarius on the 4th August to give you the intuitive insight to clear any stagnant energy. This is a great opportunity to detach and identify the people, places and things that no longer serve you, and for you to cleanse and release it all before Mercury moves into Leo and challenges what you really want. Venus moving into Cancer will bring with it an intuitive boost to connect within and honour your relationship with yourself and the people who really matter to you. Staying focused on what’s important to you will either bring in the balance or keep you in your comfort zone until late October. As the New Moon, Sun and Mercury line up in Leo, you will be shown new opportunities to reconnect and honour yourself before we move into the complimentary energy of Virgo in the early hours of the 23rd August 2020.
Whilst the energy of Leo will stoke your flames of creativity to bring your ideas into form, it’s a good idea to slow down and contemplate which one to act on first. You are being called to work though the flames as much as you want to embody them. Keep your ego in check Sagittarius, this energy can have you acting before you think. You have the opportunity to expand on your truth and philosophy. So stay positive and focus on clearing space for new connections during the Full Moon in Aquarius. Focusing on the big picture and the pixels will show you how to connect with the ideas you have been contemplating as Mercury moves into Leo. Embody the Universal push to follow your dreams and make strong connections with family and friends when Venus moves into Cancer. Although you may experience a few hiccups around the 12th August, stay motivated as the New Moon, Sun and Mercury line up in Leo to show you the way forward to honour yourself and spread your wings. It’s also a good idea to have a plan of action when we move into the potentially challenging energy of Virgo on the 23rd August 2020. Fierce Truths Magazine
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