Issue 05 - Fierce Truths Magazine

fierceTRUTHS

Real. Raw. Awake.

OUR GIFTED GODDESS

ISSUE 5

y p p i L a Er i c Evolving the human spirit

Sagittarius Personal Truth Adventurous Culture Positive Independant

MAGAZINE

“To live your truth fiercely is the greatest gift you can give yourself�

Welcome! from our fierce founder

throws are you. Allowing you to bring a healthy and balanced perspective back into your life and in the way you view your future potential.

We also had the honour to interview internationally acclaimed photographer, Christopher Rimmer. In this article, Christopher introduces us to the beauty of African culture through his deep love and respect for their country and through the eyes of his lens.

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MAKEUP - Zoe Karabatos @zoekmua

For this issues Gifted Goddess interview, we spoke to Erica Lippy and discovered what drove her to create one of the leading podcasts in the personal development arena. You’ll be inspired to say yes to creating your dreams, regardless of what that little voice of fear tells you!

elcome to our issue 5 of Fierce Truths Magazine! With the energy of Sagittarius overshadowing this issue, you’ll be taken on a journey of adventure, personal truth, and culture. Prompting you to focus on how important it is to authentically live your truth as a contribution to the world we live in.

You’ll be given tips in order to understand the best way to navigate all the good, bad and ugly experiences life

Our intent with every issue of Fierce Truths Magazine its to deliver you spiritual- self-development-in-a-box.

Hoping that one or more of our articles will be that missing piece you need to remember how extraordinary you are and how incredible your life can be.

Then when you are ready to dive in a little deeper into your own soul growth. You can unlock your own purpose and get clear about the magic you are meant to bring to the world by diving into our Passion. Purpose. Pathway online course.

This month is set to not only inspire you to discover what your unique truth is, but to go and live your truth fiercely as well. You deserve to be seen by the world.

With fierce love,

Kim Bleeze

@fiercetruthsmagazine

Founder and CEO

@fiercetruthsmagazine

fiercetruthsmagazine.com

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Contents

Letter from Founder Meet our founder Kim Bleeze

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37

Lapis Lazuli Our crystal of the month

Contents Check out what’s in our issue!

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41

Our Fierce Experts Who are our fierce experts?

Our Team Meet our team this month

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43

Fierce Fitness Health and fitness

Unleash Your Adventurous Side Carpe diem, seize the day

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45

Radical Thinking Re-think your way into joyous living

The Greatest Secret Rhonda Byrne's latest book

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47

Earth Whisper Words of wisdom from the Earth

Our Gifted Goddess Meet Erica Lippy

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49

Spirit & Soul Spirit lessons with Colby

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly 19 Turning life experiences into lessons

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Empowered Healing Transform yourself

The Relationship Quandary 21 A conscious relationship series

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The L-Plate Witch Witchy wanderings

Unearthing Cultural Secrets 29 An interview with Chris Rimmer

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Horrorscopes and Stars What do your stars say?

A Personal Truth 31 Learn to live authentically

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You Are Invited Are we looking for you?

Our Team Editorial Kim Bleeze: Editor-in-chief | Creative Director Scott Grasso: Editor Elizabeth Vigar: In-house writer Andrew Karabatos: Magazine Layout Designer

Guest Contributer Ryan Crawford

Regular Columnists Jo Lastro: Fierce Fitness Renee McCready: Earth Whisper Scott Grasso: Radical Thinking Karina Barca: Empowered Healing Kim Bleeze: Spirit and Soul Colby Rebel: Spirit and Soul Lana F Jackson: Astrology with Lana

Social Media | Research Kristina Colina Marissa Colosimo

Carpe Diem, Seize the Day

How to Unleash Your Adventurous Side Written by Elizabeth Vigar

Fierce Truths Magazine

You know that feeling you get when you have just agreed to do something a little out of your comfort zone, or even something downright crazy? You immediately feel a fire burning in your belly that is fuelled by var ying degrees of excitement and anxiety. Why is it that we feel so alive when we choose to partake in something out of the ordinar y? It ’s because embracing adventure in your life presents you with opportunities to see your reality in a new and fascinating light. And that can lead to leaps and bounds in personal growth.

Our spirits crave adventure. There is a German word, “wanderlust ”, that has been widely adopted in English.

The word describes the desire we have to travel. It hints at a deep longing we all have to experience things outside of what is familiar to us. Adventure is not merely about travelling to exotic destinations.

Adventure is a way of life. It ’s an attitude. It ’s your ability to find what ’s new and different in familiar situations. It ’s exploring your ability to be spontaneous, live in the moment and find excitement in both the familiar and the unfamiliar.

To be adventurous is to be willing to see the world from a different perspective, thus broadening your horizon. Adventure is a unique experience for ever y individual.

For some, the adventure could be visiting a new café or going for a walk. For others, adventure means a one-way ticket to a

foreign countr y. Both scenarios have the potential to awaken the adventurous spirit inside of us. It ’s simply about pushing ourselves a little outside of our comfort zone, to help our mind, body and spirit to feel more alive.

When we test our boundaries, we learn more about ourselves. By embarking on adventures, we are giving ourselves the priceless opportunity to gain experiences that will lead to a greater sense of understanding, personal growth, achievement, accomplishment and wisdom.

To be adventurous does require courage.

When we tr y new things, it is natural to feel scared of failure. However, there is no true failure when we wholeheartedly commit ourselves to tr y something new.

If it doesn’t work out the way we planned, then the lesson we learn is exactly what we needed to discover. Life is a journey, and the only way to keep moving forward is to challenge yourself and embrace the magical moments that come laced with the beautiful opportunity for a soulful adventure.

Living a more adventurous life will show you ways that you can grow that you never dreamed possible and even holds the power to change you at a truly fundamental level.

Here are 7 ways that you can welcome more adventure into your life Change up your routine

Go on a wal k with out a des tina tion in min d

This is a simple way to break free of the humdrum of day to day living. If you always visit the

Usua lly, when we leave our hous e, we have our day map ped out and our plan s penc illed in.

same places, tr y a new cafĂŠ or supermarket or park. Embrace your spontaneit y and call an old friend for a catch-up. Visit

Sche dulin g regu lar outin gs when you have no idea wher e you will end up is a grea t way to welc ome new adve ntur es into your life.

a museum or ar t galler y. Take a dif ferent route home and enjoy the change of scener y. Sometimes, all it takes is to take a break from

You woul d likely be surp rised what you will f ind arou nd your

the tried and true for a while. It may take a little ef for t, but it will

neig hbou rhoo d. Catc h a tram , train or bus with next to no idea of wher e it will take you. You can spen d an entir e day expl oring a

make your life feel more exciting.

place that you neve r knew exist ed, and you will hope fully come hom e

feeli ng refre shed and invig orate d.

Take a day trip Dream ing about that year-lo ng overse as trip might be preven ting you from embar king on the advent ures you can enjoy right now. Taking a day trip to a place you have never been before can give your soul that feeling of rejuven ation and cleans ing, in

the same way, that a long holiday would. Just by getting away from

your familia r surrou ndings , can spark an apprec iation for and joy in the small things.

Ge t mo re act ive

Try saying 'Yes' more

You r bod y nee ds to feel adv ent ure , too ! Wh en you get you r bod y mov ing, esp ecia lly whe n you are tr ying new acti vitie s, you will feel a sur ge of adr ena line and end orp hins . Pus hing you r phy sica l bou nda ries can mak e you feel mor e adv ent uro us.

When you are faced with moments of indecisio n when somethin g feels like it could be fun or exciting but you are a little scared or ner vous, tr y to push through those feelings and say ‘yes’ to new experien ces. It will increase your conf idence.

Get closer to nature Sleeping in a tent under the stars can awaken that deep sense of belongin g and oneness with the universe . This awakens our soul and is what adventur es are made of. Visit a forest, swim in a lake, spend a day at the beach.

Spending regular time in nature can reset your clock, in a good way.

Seek new know ledge Seek new knowle dge – Activel y challen ge your though ts and beliefs . Look for new perspe ctives.

Read about topics that interes t and excite you. Engage in deep conver sations with others about things you feel passio nate about.

By keepin g yourse lf open and recept ive to new ideas, you are nur turing the advent urer in you.

Li fe is an ad ve nt ur e. G et ti ng m ar ri ed an d ra is in g a fa m il y is an ad ve nt ur e, bu il di ng yo ur ow n bu si ne ss an d m ak in g a na m e fo r yo ur se lf is an ad ve nt ur e.

Ad ve nt ur e, in a nu ts he ll , m ea ns to se iz e op po rt un it ie s w it h en th us ia sm , pa ss io n an d pl ea su re .

Carpe Diem

Once you know, freedom is yours.

The Greatest Secret, the long-awaited major work by Rhonda Byrne, lays out the next quantum leap in a journey that will take the reader beyond the material world and into the spiritual realm, where all possibilities exist.

The book reflects Rhonda's own journey, and shares the most direct way out for those experiencing hardship and the path to end pain and suffering endured by so many, and shines a light on a future without anxiety or fear.

Filled with accessible practices that can be immediately put to use and profound revelations that take the reader on an incomparable journey, Rhonda's discovery is reinforced throughout by the revelatory words of sages from around the world, past and present.

‘The Secret showed you how to create anything you want to be, do, or have. Nothing has changed – it is as true today as it ever was. This book reveals the greatest discovery a human being can ever make, and shows you the way out of negativity, problems, and what you don't want, to a life of permanent happiness and bliss.'

– From The Greatest Secret

Purchase Here

IMAGES © Erica Lippy personal collection

Meet Erica Lippy

Our Gifted

Goddess

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e 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 Erica Lippy.

Erica Lippy is a Los Angeles native, Life + Wellness Coach, Podcast Host, and the creator of Passion Love Pursuit; an intentional movement that encourages you to become your best self — living a vibrant life more passionately and purposefully.

Erica’s mission is to help ambitious women become the women they are meant to be, to attract the dream life they are meant to have by mastering themselves; Mind, Body, and Actions.

Here is what she had to say.

by Kim Bleeze

KIM: Hi Erica and welcome. Can I begin by asking…

Who is Erica Lippy?

Erica: Okay, there are two ways to answer that, so I’ll speak to who am I as a person first. I consider myself somebody who seeks their own personal evolution. I constantly want to evolve into the best possible human being I could be. To become more enlightened, grounded and deeply rooted in my truth and existence is most important to me. And it’s a journey that I’m on. It’s a journey that I know will never end.

My desire is to live more boundlessly and fully expressed as the true authentic being I am. That just speaks to me, as I want to live my truth, walk the walk and talk the talk. Just constantly evolving into a better human you know, living in light, joy, love and fulfilment. And most importantly, what I would love to say is to not seek perfection, but just be happy as the person that I am. At least making the choice to constantly evolve and work towards being a better person. So that’s who I am.

As far as what I do and what I’m stepping into, I’m a life and wellness coach, and a host of the Passion, Love, Pursuit podcast. Also a professional fit model, which is basically a live mannequin for clothing manufacturers.

I’ve been doing that for about, oh my gosh, I think about 16-17 years now, so quite a long time. But now I’m stepping into my true passion and purpose, and that took me so long to find.

So that’s the woman I am, somebody who really wants to lead with love and constantly be stepping into the light. And being comfortable sharing my vulnerability, my strengths, my weaknesses, whatever they may be. To be my true authentic self.

KIM: What lights you up most about your life and who you are?

Erica: What lights me up about who I am is honestly the vulnerability. I have no problem sharing my weaknesses and also my strengths. I really like to be grounded in my truth, and I believe that is my superpower. I’m able to really step into that uncomfortableness and take ownership for my life. That lights me up. But what also lights me up are new experiences, adventure, things that really stimulate my personal development. I love personal development and I love impacting lives, so that most definitely.

KIM: You have this incredible, upbeat, motivational and adventurous energy, right? Has this always been a part of who you are?

Erica: Absolutely and the older I get, the more I seek adventure and new experiences. Like I said, I believe personal evolution and adventure are the best ways to evolve. It’s part of that stepping into an uncomfortable space; that’s when we grow. So adventure to me is just such a powerful tool to evolve, and also see what you could accomplish and what you are capable of. It has always been a part of me and honestly, that brings me so much joy.

KIM: Erica, you mentioned stepping into uncomfortable places, and feeling uncomfortable but doing it anyway. Can you talk us through a time in your life where something came up, and you felt uncomfortable about it and you just did it anyway?

What was the process that you took yourself through to overcome it?

Erica: Absolutely. Actually, it would be my podcast.

Stepping into the space of podcasting was very new for me. Especially for somebody who felt that I couldn’t speak well, I couldn’t interview anybody, I didn’t know what I was doing, I didn’t know any of the technology. Just saying yes and being like: “Okay I’m doing it, I’ll figure it out along the way,” and allowing myself to be imperfect in the action of what I’m doing. I knew that it wasn’t going to be perfect at first, but I knew I would get better.

I remember when I was first doing podcasts, I would not record video. Doing video was very challenging for me because I wanted to focus on the interview.

And one of my learning disabilities growing up was an auditory memory disorder. It was hard for me to retain information when I would hear it. For me to actually focus, I needed no distraction. So I didn’t want to have video, and I’d rather just focus on the energy and interview and that was a real challenge. But I think just doing a video, and not judging myself for the imperfectness of it. I think that’s what really helped me to develop this confidence to continue doing the podcast, and also now doing video with my podcasts. And again, the more we do something, the better we get and of course it’s not going to be perfect. Nobody is perfect the first time. So we have to say yes and just do it.

IMAGES © Erica Lippy personal collection

KIM: What were three things that helped you overcome some of the more challenging experiences or moments in your life?

Erica: One is very important. It’s taking ownership of your life; taking full responsibility. That was one of my biggest lessons. I struggled so much in my relationships.

I had several long-term relationships, but then I also had a series of up-and-down relationships. I was the common denominator in these situations, so I had to take full ownership that I had part responsibility. Taking ownership for my part in the relationships was one of the most powerful things I could do: “Okay, if I’m responsible for this, what needs to change? What am I responsible for? Who am I being and who do I need to become to create a different trajectory in my life?” That was super important.

The other thing to overcome the challenges I had was to discover what my limiting beliefs were. We all have them. I talk about this all the time; limiting beliefs which I consider are roadblocks. If we want to get to one place, and we’re in another place, obviously we need to close the gap. The way to close the gap is, we need to know, number one, where we’re headed, and then we also need to know what’s in our way. I consider those the roadblocks, which are the limiting beliefs.

I learned the process of really rewriting my limiting beliefs and also knowing what they were, the things

IMAGES © Erica Lippy personal collection

that were always in my way. Getting really honest and truthful with what those limitations were. Another thing that really helped me is that I got a life coach. She helped me see a perspective that I didn’t see. That helped me get through the challenges I had. Saying yes to her, even if I didn’t have the means to do it at the time.

Because I knew that she was going to hold me accountable, and she was going to be my cheerleader to help me get to where I wanted to go.

KIM: What gets you up in the morning?

Erica: What I feel like every day: here is a day to take on our life and start brand new. Even if we didn’t accomplish something the day before, I feel like it’s a new day, we could start fresh, we could start now. But honestly what I love so much is my morning routine. It makes me feel energized and ready to take on the day, whatever comes at me. When I do my morning routine, the things I like and love to do to is set up my day, and then from there I feel more energized and more empowered to take on the day. That’s what I really get excited for, is honestly taking responsibility for my life.

The first thing is my morning routine. I work on my mind, body, and soul and I think that is just so key to setting up your day. Besides that, I get up to live my life with passion and purpose, and just do the best I can. Not judging if I’m not in a particular space that I want to be in. And also just enjoying the journey along the way, and being able to inspire and impact people as best as I can throughout the day.

KIM: You host this incredible podcast called Passion, Love, Pursuit. You’re always connecting to truly inspiring humans, right?

Your podcast is probably changing thousands of peoples’ lives, by helping to inspire them to live a better life. What was behind your journey of becoming a podcast host?

What was your motivation?

Erica: It’s a great question. It all began with my personal journey to become the best version of myself. That led me towards understanding what it takes to live a more authentic, healthy and purposeful life. I learned to change my habits and my mindset towards my limiting beliefs. That gave me the

chance to deepen the connection with myself. Then what developed was my newfound passion and purpose in starting the podcast because I’m like: “Well, I’m on this journey and it’s not some end-journey life”.

we want. What do we desire in life?

What is our vision? Who do we want to be? Who do we want to become? We have to get clear on that, otherwise we don’t know where we’re going. So clarity is definitely number one.

I feel that we’re constantly evolving.

Even if I seek mastery with myself, I know that it’s always going to be evolving. It basically began because I was on this journey of mastery and personal development, and I wanted to continue it. I wanted to have inspiring conversations, and I wanted to serve these types of conversations to others seeking the same. So I was really inspired by my own personal journey and not selfishness in any regard.

I knew that I wanted to be on this journey with everybody else that seeks the same.

The next step is taking radical responsibility. Like I said, everyone is responsible for anything that happens their life. I’m talking to adults here; I’m not talking about a young person who’s possibly been abused. But talking to an adult who may be in an unhealthy relationship. We have the choice to move away from that. We choose the action we take in our lives.

So really taking ownership of your life.

Making decisions that are aligned with your goals, it is so critical.

KIM: How important do you believe it is for others to act on their dreams, like you have?

Erica: Ah, it’s critical… It’s critical to live a fulfilled life. I think that we have to go after our passion and really seek to live a purposeful life. That is really what I’m trying to help women uncover, to become the women they’re meant to be, to live the dream life they’re meant to have. And that I believe it’s by mastering ourselves, our mind, our body and our actions. I think that our life is meant to be lived blissfully, vibrantly and fulfillingly. It’s so critical that we live our life filled with passion.

So many people are working a job that they’re not happy in and they’re miserable. I think it’s just it’s so vital that we live our life in the best possible way we can and reach our dreams; whatever they may be, how crazy it seems, no matter what.

I think we should reach for the stars if we can. No matter what, we’ll land on something bigger than we anticipated.

KIM: You’ve got your podcast, and you were just talking about how you help women to achieve their goals and their dreams. Can you talk us through how you do that?

Erica: Yes. I have developed a formula to do that, and there are several steps for a woman to master herself, her mind, her body and her actions. Step one is developing clarity. Well… if I’m here and I want to go there, we have to close the gap. We need to know what

The next one is clearing the roadblocks. We talked about the limiting beliefs, because that is literally what is stopping you from getting you where you want to go. We have to get clear of what your limitations are, and what the stories you tell yourself are.

Like I said earlier, looking at it from a bird’s eye view. Like: “Is this true and is this really something that is stopping me, and how do I shift that? How do I align with something that is more the truth?” I think that is super important.

The next step is mastering your energy. I talked about my morning routine that sets me up for my day.

I know that I’ll have the energy to go after things that I want, because I feel fulfilled from my morning routine.

If you’re being positive, if you’re looking at the glass as half full or half empty. If you are really surrounding yourself with good, positive people and people that uplift you. Opposed to people that suck your energy and bring you down. So mastering your energy is so important, and of course there are ways to do that such as with meditation or movement.

The final step is always last, because some people want to start with the action before the other inner work. But mastering your energy and your action is how you make baby steps every day to get to where you want to go. Even if it’s a small little step. Celebrate the small wins because everything adds up. I think that’s really how women can start to get to the life they wish to get to, and create their dream life. By mastering yourself, your mind, your body and your actions.

KIM: Amazing. What is the vision for the work that you do? Where do you see it going?

KIM: I love that because so many people have fears around being seen, right?

Erica: My goal is to create online programs and resources that are accessible to most anybody. I want it to be affordable. Online programs and group coaching, and then also creating an accountability group for like-minded women who want to constantly evolve and support one another. And also to continue on this journey of self-mastery. I’ll be creating a retreat that will have everything for full transformation; happiness, fulfillment, relationships, purpose, passion, play, adventure, service and community. I also have some books in me.

Erica: Yes, and let me touch on that.

Even people who are good at public speaking, they still have fears to get on stage, they are still uncomfortable, they still get that nervous bug. But they are able to work through it. They know what works for them to calm their nerves, because everybody gets nervous. We have to really be comfortable not searching for that perfection, because nobody does it perfect the first time, no one. So we just have to keep taking baby steps and that’s how we develop more confidence.

KIM: Erica, you’re always showing up on social media and sharing inspiration and your message.

Really allowing yourself to be seen, right? Well, what allowed you to get comfortable with being seen?

Because that’s a huge discomfort for many people.

Erica: That’s a great question. I love that, and honestly a lot of it started from a social media challenge I did earlier in the year. I just feel like we just need to step into the arena, we have to say yes to things. I think we have to step into the uncomfortableness and that’s the only way we can grow.

I didn’t like doing videos at first, and I was told so many times to do video with my podcast. I was like; “I’m not ready, I’m not ready”, but when I just pressed play and didn’t think of it needing to be perfect, it released the pressure and like, I talk so much about authenticity and being vulnerable.

The most important thing you could do when you’re on camera, especially, or even showing up on Instagram or whatever it may be, is to be authentic and also be vulnerable. I really stress that we are all perfectly imperfect just as we are. We don’t need to prove ourselves.

For so long I thought I was confident and comfortable in my own skin.

But I think I always lacked internal confidence. The only way I developed it is through showing up and just being seen and being accepted as I am. Not needing to be anything other than that.

KIM: What do you desire most in the world?

Erica: I desire for people to come together as one. Humanity is really distraught right now; it’s so divided.

What I would love to see is for all of us come together as humans. We all have had pain; we all have had some form of trauma. Once you’re able to see another person as a human, as yourself, you’re able to be more compassionate and more empathetic to what they’re going through. I would love more people to see that in others, to be more compassionate and empathetic. And I would love to see more light in the world. There’s just such an array of darkness.

One thing I’m super passionate about is mental health, especially with kids.

It’s one thing I struggled with. I had depression and I almost committed suicide when I was 15 years old. The age of children or youths committing suicide in the USA is 10 to 18 years old, which is insane. I’m really passionate about finding a solution to help mental health for kids, and to provide them with the tools and solutions that we’ve learned as adults. I really feel that it needs to go into schools. Mental health is a serious issue and it needs to be addressed.

KIM: What is the most important message for people to get comfortable with who they are? And to get comfortable with being seen in their world? Not even on video or on social media, but just being seen to the people they love and their community?

Erica: I love that question. Well I think many of us think we’re broken, and that something needs to be fixed. But instead of going into that negative spiral, look at it as if you are a powerful woman or man, with the capacity to reclaim the energy from old patterns and habits. We have the choice every day to reconnect to our inner light.

Stop believing the stories and the lies that we tell ourselves because as you know, our brain, our mind, is always trying to keep us safe.

The beautiful thing is that we get to wake up and create our new life. Think of yourself as an artist. Think about: “What is this dream life that I would like to create? What does it look like?

How do I want to express myself? Who do I want to be? If I were an artist, this would be a masterpiece.” As I said earlier, one important piece of advice is that you are not broken, you don’t need to be fixed. Just continue evolving and growing, and be more aware of deepening your connection with yourself. Then commit to yourself, closing the gap between rejection and our true acceptance. There’s no treasure outside of us; everything we need is within us. We really need to accept ourselves, be more compassionate with ourselves and others, and choose to show up and be real and authentic. Let yourselves be seen and embrace your vulnerability, your silliness and own all your superpowers. It’s accepting and loving what is not, and what should be.

I really believe that all love mirrors back to you from the love you have with yourself. So self-love is the root of everything. I really believe that.

It’s really deepening the love with ourselves.

KIM: So last question Erica. What is your fierce truth?

Erica: My fierce truth… That I’m enough just as I am. I don’t need to be anything else; I just need to be me.

My true authentic and whole self.

www.awakenhq.com

How to Navigate the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Turning Life Experiences into Lessons We Can Learn From

by Kim Bleeze

Life is often challenging, but we can learn to make the most out of all of our experiences. It is simply a matter of perspective and how you choose to view what has happened in the past, and what is unravelling in your world presently.

Now let me be clear here. That doesn’t mean if you’ve had something truly terrible happen to you that you should ignore it, or try to forget that it happened in a ploy to be happier. Like the whole “ignorance is bliss” thing. I don’t mean that at all. It just means that you

shouldn’t have to spend the rest of your life emotionally paying for something that you experienced.

It gives your power away and can also be a driver for depression, anxiety, feeling lost, misplaced, misunderstood etc.

When really, we all deserve the opposite. To live with peace in our hearts and happiness in our soul.

But don’t worry, I get it. If you’re experiencing pain and

struggle right now or in the past, it may take a minute until you feel ready to take a different view on it. That’s okay! It’s not about “getting over it” without doing the healing work. That would be unhealthy. It is about leaning into the challenge, meeting it, and then giving new meaning to it. Instead of what your head wants you to believe it is, or tells you about yourself. Then, the more you lean in, in a way that is healthy for the soul, the more awareness and healing you will receive. It is not about bypassing and ignoring what is there, it is about shining light on it instead.

And as I said, it is okay if you’re not there yet. Let me at least plant the seed for you, because with the right conditions it will begin to grow.

Life is constantly teaching us. Whether you believe it or not, many of your experiences have lessons attached to them with opportunities for personal growth. These experiences are a part of a greater cosmic design and the path your soul chose to walk in this life. You are being taught whether you like it or not!

How quickly you learn your lesson, and whether or not you’ll have to repeat that lesson over and over, will depend on how self-aware and conscious you are about your own choices, behaviours, actions and reactions.

It may be that you keep ending up with the same type of shitty relationship, because you’ve not healed that part of you that believes you don’t deserve better. Your choices, behaviours, actions and reactions are ultimately shaped by the lens you see your life and life experiences through, and the meaning you give them at the time they happen.

For instance, you might have two people looking at the same experience. One is wearing (yep, I’m going to say it) rose coloured glasses that have been well taken care of. For the other, the lenses are cracked because they’ve been stomped on and mistreated.

They are going to see the situation differently, aren’t they?

So the way I see it, you have two ways to do life. You can choose to be a victim, where everything is constantly happening to you. The story that plays in your head on repeat tells you it won’t get better.

Or the flip side of that, where you believe that life is happening for you. You choose to be a victor, to see the lesson in everything. You gain a lot more control over your life.

not enough to stop bad shit from happening right?

If this sounds like you, I want you to know that is perfectly okay. And it’s right where you need to be, for now. I’m not judging you and I don’t want you to judge yourself either. Leaning into accepting wherever you are right now is all part of your journey.

Then there is the flip side. Here, most of the experiences are happening for you to learn and grow from, then evolve through. Feels expansive, right? In this state, failure and mistakes don’t exist. There are only lessons that teach us to take a different approach next time.

Because maybe, just maybe, the way you were doing things is not how your life is meant to stay or flow.

The thing is, we get in our head a lot. We make plans. We imagine scenarios of how we “think” we’d like our life to be. We have a relationship that we “think” will be forever.

And then when it doesn’t turn out the way we want, we feel shitty about it. We often think that we’ve made a massive mistake, or worse, that we didn’t deserve things to work out. Like that failed marriage, or that job that ended on us abruptly, or that move we weren’t ready for.

All valid reasons to get upset, right?

Well, what if there was another way to look at it?

What if the things that don’t turn out, the mistakes that you “think” you’ve made… what if all of those experiences could teach you instead? Could lead you closer to what your life could potentially look like instead.

How can we know what we want and love, if we have nothing to compare it to? There will always be a duality to life, and opportunities to live the full range of experiences we need to grow into a better version of our selves. So the good, the bad and the ugly side of life show up in order to help us find real meaning. These experiences help us to surrender to our own groove, get into sync with what makes us happy, and know what makes our heart burst with joy.

Sometimes we need to wade through the sludge first.

You could panic thinking that you’ll get stuck or worse.

Or you just keep moving through it, getting more surefooted as you do. It’s all about perspective and how you choose to look at things. If not at the time they are unfolding, then certainly after or as soon as you can get your heart and your mind around it.

Can you see the difference between both? It is literally like flicking a switch.

Let me use a personal example.

The victim story feels energetically constrictive, takes away your power and perhaps your free will. You may often feel like you have no control over your life, certainly

I fractured my ankle a few years back. It happened at a time where there simply couldn’t have been a worst time. You relate, right? It’ll happen in those times when

bombs have been exploding in your life. I was already unwell and had been bed-ridden off and on for many months. I was about to move to a new house, my ex and children’s father was dying, and I was in a transitional period with my career and purpose. I didn’t know up from down, only that I needed to keep moving forward before my life imploded. Now I won’t lie, there were days when I felt at my worst. I felt so sorry for myself that I didn’t want to get out of bed, even when I did have the energy to.

What got me through it was the knack I have of seeing the bigger picture in everything. Asking myself “why is this happening for me?” instead of “why is this happening to me?” I leaned into the experience and the answers I received in return. I welcomed what I was shown, and especially what it was teaching me. It was a big awakening around how I needed my life to change.

While I don’t discount that it was a bleak period with real struggle, I also recognised it for the gold it was. With the struggle came the incredible opportunity for personal growth and insight into my life I’d not seen before. In many ways, that experience moved me towards the path I am on today. Because I let it guide me, I chose to receive the lessons that were clear as day once I started acknowledging them.

This has been the case in all the experiences I’ve had so far. But it has all come down to the way I have chosen to look at things. Regardless of whether what I am experiencing is good, bad or ugly, I always ask “Okay, what is this teaching me?”, “What is this showing me?”, “How can I use this information to improve this situation?”, “How can use it to get clearer about where I am going?”

Here’s a simple framework to turn your experiences into lessons:

1

Choose that you are going to recognise the lesson in everything: Trust that all experiences are there to teach you and to inspire personal growth, ultimately serving you on your life journey. I always like to think there is a higher purpose to everything, but you find the words and the belief that resonate for you.

2

Pick an experience that you are struggling with. This could be from your past or your present. What is the narrative you tell yourself about it?

What thinking loop you are caught in? How does it influence the way that you act and react? There is no right or wrong so don’t judge yourself.

3

Lean into the experience a little more. Without projecting blame or responsibility, what could this experience teach you about yourself and your life? What have you learnt? This recognition may come to you easily or it may take time. It is perfect either way.

4

Lastly, lean into the lesson and use the information to create a more fulfilling and happier life for ourself – if you don’t already have that, of course.

The lessons that life can teach us come in many shapes and sizes, and can bring intense sadness or happiness. Ultimately though, they gift us with an opportunity to see where we need to perhaps heal our heart, make changes in our life, or perhaps be steppingstones to a new direction we need to take in our life.

So my advice to you is to meet every experience as an opportunity to learn. Allow yourself to be led toward solution instead of getting bogged down in the problem.

The Relationship Quandary

Ongoing Series At some point in our life, we’ve all been there right?

Navigating the ups and downs of an intimate relationship and doing the best we can to create harmony and lasting connection. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. Either way, each experience with a partner or potential partner can bring us an assortment of lessons, learnings, love and yes sometimes, heartbreak.

Each month we will bring you conscious and authentic conversations with singles and couples alike. Discussing with them the answers to some of those important relationship questions we’ve all potentially asked at some point.

“How we should communicate?”

“What makes a relationship successful?”

“What is key to lasting relationships?”

“What does love mean?”

“What should I look for in a relationship?”

“How do I communicate what I want?”

Intimate Relationships are an imperative aspect of emotional and mental wellbeing in human and spiritual development. So take a journey with us each month to see how others are navigating the relationship quandary.

IMAGES Š Adrian and Arleen Hanks personal collection

Meet Adrian & Arleen Located in northern NSW, Adrian and Arleen Hanks both work as exceptional facilitators of deep spiritual and emotional healing.

Helping both men and women to move through the difficult issues of life and live in a more joyous and harmonious way.

Kim: How long have the two of you been married?

Adrian: 15 years. We just celebrated our 15th year just a few weeks ago.

knew what I wanted. I wanted honesty, I wanted integrity, I wanted realness and fun. A lot of fun and good sex. [Laughter]

Kim: What has marriage been like to navigate?

Kim: Did you go into marriage with any expectations?

Adrian: [Laughter] Calm seas, rough seas, hurricanes, sank a few times.

Arleen: Well, this is marriage number three for me so, yes, I guess in some ways. I knew what I didn't want, and I pretty much had a good idea of what I did. Adrian and I had been really good friends for a year and a half before we even started dating or anything. I

Arleen: Climbing mountains. It's like a journey really, it's travel, it's an adventure.

Adrian: It is. It's a real journey. I think there are three initiations, really, to go through. There's marriage or relationship initiation, parenting initiation and then spiritual initiation. I think they've all got their challenges and particularly in relationship. That the journey can be absolute bliss, or it can be, you know for me, my worst nightmare. [Laughter] So it's got everything thrown in the mix. No two days are ever the same but that is part of the journey, navigating that every day and doing what one can do to come out the other side.

Kim: Have you always felt in tune with each other?

[Laughter] Arleen: Actually I think the key thing that I’ve realized for me is when I’m not in tune with myself, I’m not in tune with anybody. So the major lesson I’ve learned, especially through the blip (recent separation) and other things like that was being totally honest with myself and totally in tune with myself. When I’m in tune with myself, I can pretty much adjust and be in tune with anything. So the major problems in the relationship have always been when I am out of tune with me. That's a bummer isn't it?

Adrian: It's tough isn't it because then there's no blame, and you know blame is a beautiful toy we use. [Laughter] Am I in tune? I think like Arleen says, for me it is about me being in tune with me.

But there's one thing about being in tune with Arleen, it’s trying to be in tune with where she's at physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. So I take responsibility for being in tune with me.

But I think it's also secondly important to try and tune into where she's at, so that I can gauge and maybe temper some of my needs, wants, beliefs around where she's at. So I think it's twofold; it's one internally and then being aware of where Arleen is at in that space as well.

Kim: When you're going through a difficult time how do you come back to a place of love and balance with each other?

Adrian: Sex. [Laughter] Seriously yeah, for us, if we have a bit of a blow, we have a makeup and we have a hug. Our deepest connection, our deepest spiritual depth soul connection is in that sacred sexual space. So that's the key place that we go back to ultimately.

Arleen: But it often starts in the bathtub to be honest. Water and ritual for us is important. Bath time has always been a very special place. You’re butt naked, you can't exactly run away. I mean well, it's a small tub. He's got legs in there everywhere and you try to jump up and run away, in that situation you can't really. So a lot of the time we resolve really deep things by going into that very vulnerable place and it's close, it's intimate, and you can turn it into something sacred. You can wash each other. We leave the dregs behind in the tub and you rinse off, so it's got meaning.

We've done so much in the bathtub.

Adrian: We have, and I have a real special protection when I’m in the bathtub. It's called bubble bath [Laughter]. I’m serious, I do I have my bubble bath in there and it feels like I’m really protected with these little bubbles. It's quite funny.

Kim: What is one of the most difficult times you've faced in your relationship together, and how did you

overcome it?

Adrian: Probably just the recent one. Well there's been a couple, but I think the recent one we just had. A three-month separation which was pretty testing and the relationship was off. We took off the rings; we met and said “No it's done.” So it was a pretty consciously thought out process. Arleen didn't want to be with me, I didn't want to be with her anymore. We had some stuff to work on and we both felt it was probably best to be separated to work through our muck. So we did, we actually separated and that was a tough time. It was really tough because, I’ll speak for myself, I made the choice not to physically see Arleen and I reduced my connection and contact with her. Although it was my need it was also a painful choice. There were lots of tears, lots of selfexploration about myself and trying not to be in relationship with the woman that I actually did love. That was a challenging time. I learned my lesson after three months and we came back together.

[Laughter] But it was a tough time, it was hard time.

Kim: How was it for you Arleen?

Arleen: It was hell. It was very painful. I’m not having any contact with my best friend, because Adrian is actually my best friend now, more than anybody else in the world. We were very close before we got into a relationship and he's the person I can share anything with. Losing my best buddy and not being able to talk to him at the end of the day, not being able to have a hug. That was really hard, but it made me really look deeply at my own stuff because everything in life is a co-creation. There's nothing that you can actually just fully point a finger at somebody else for. Either you are co-creation or you're not and it takes two to tango, right? So I took that time to really work through my own stuff, to look at my own thoughts, how I was thinking and realized I’ve been focusing on all the negative stuff. So I did some very deep work and went into some deep gratitude journaling about all the good things.

I actually wrote him a very deep soulful letter, before I realized that we were going to get back together and get a chance to ever give it to him. I actually did give it to him eventually and it turned things around. I really started spending time and appreciation for everything I did get in the relationship. So that when we did see each other again, that was just my best buddy standing there.

Adrian's my soul mate, and there's a connection beyond anything you know. He can be…; when I’m in a cranky mood he can be an asshole, but he’s still the best person out there.

Kim: So what makes relationships successful?

Arleen: Fun. Adrian: Fun, communication, communication, communication.

Arleen: Honesty.

Adrian: Honesty, trust, good sex, for us.

Arleen: Choosing what you focus on. Really taking time for gratitude for what you are getting from the person. Accepting them for who they are. I often say that Adrian's an eagle, he flies, he's up in the sky. I'm a bit of a wombat, I’m very earthy, down on the ground and there's my path that's where I’m going. Adrian's hypersocial, flitters here, flitters there and we meet in between. It's about accepting I am not an eagle, so asking me to fly and sit on top of the trees is just not going to happen. Likewise for Adrian, he’s not going to burrow underground. That's my thing. So accepting him for the eagle and appreciating the beauty and the qualities of that

eagle. Then finding a way of being compatible with each other. And you don't have to be 24/7 with each other. He doesn't have to meet every single one of my needs. That's not what it's about. In fact, it's his quirky weirdness which is the greatest part, because it keeps me laughing all the time.

Adrian: I think part of it too Kim, is love languages, really supporting and giving each other the needs of the other. We're both very tactile and we both love gifts, so that's easy for us. We are constantly like two magnets just touching, touching, touching continually as much as possible during the day and during the night. We feed each other energetically because we know we both enjoy the touch. So finding out what your partner needs is very important as well and delivering that. It’s really important.

Kim: What do you both believe is the most important quality of a marriage?

Arleen: Love and trust.

Adrian: I come back to communication every time, and that's verbal communication and non-verbal communication. For me that's the key. Honesty in communication, feeling heard in the relationship, really important. And speaking one's truth and asking for what you need.

Arleen: Appreciation, really taking the time to honour and appreciate the being of the other. There's a really beautiful person in there when you honour that, and when you focus on that. Really see them.

Adrian: I know if I’m seeing Arleen and if I’m seeing her soul, that deeper aspect of who she is. Without my filters on, without my lenses on, without my rejections and angers and judgments and all those things. Then the connection really happens. So I take responsibility for that so that we can have that communication, we can have that connection. So connection and communication. I think they're essential in good, healthy, conscious relationships.

Arleen: Adrian also mentioned responsibility; you taking responsibility for your own stuff. Choosing to respond rather than react, making it a conscious choice. He may do something and then instead of reacting, pausing and just checking where is he right now? What's happening for him right now? Maybe there's a reason why he's done that? Instead of jumping to a conclusion.

That's responsibility.

Kim: What is an example of how you both communicate with each other?

Adrian: The bathtub is our communication space and we're quite lucky. We've both been trained in psychotherapy and counselling, so we have some skills. Not that that's always a good thing, being married to a therapist. It's not, it can be challenging as well.

[Laughter] But in general I think what's worked is having some skills. Not just in communication, but learning to temper and tame any possible reactions, judgments that will put us back into conflict. So taking that responsibility to breathe and sigh and if

a trigger comes up, deal with the trigger. Rather than projecting back onto the other person, because that's just conflict and that's common in a lot of relationships sadly, where the skills haven’t been learnt.

Arleen: Just checking in, you know. “How are you?” This is a common thing to us, we meet up every day, we connect. It's that eye to eye contact, it's that touch, then really asking “How are you doing?” and listening for them to just be themselves with you.

Kim: What would your advice be to a couple who may be reading this and they're struggling communicating with each other?

Adrian: Get a really well qualified, experienced relationship coach/ counsellor and start the journey. Go and get some tools, get some help, get some support and just start the communication process.

It might be back to 101 communication, but have the courage and the vulnerability to step into the space. It takes a lot of courage and vulnerability to do it, but that would be my first piece of advice.

Arleen: We've done that, we've had couple counselling. We both work independently with the therapist all the time because that's our profession, and we use that opportunity to actually work on our own stuff too. It's so worth it because you see each other in a better way, you hear each other in a better way. So one of the key things, Kim, is probably to do an evaluation of the relationship.

Sit together, or even separately and just write an evaluation “Where am I right now my relationship? What do I want from the relationship that's not present?” Then go seek the support and help to create the vision individually and collectively.

Kim: So last question, what does love mean to both of you?

Adrian: [Laughter] It's a big word love.

Arleen: It's a feeling, it's a space [Laughter] Adrian: For me love is that soul, soul connection you know, in terms of relationship love. In our relationship that word “I’m in love,” I think expresses it for me. I’m literally in love, the energy of love. So it's about falling into or being in a place of energy that the other is in with me.

Arleen: Absolute vulnerability with that one person. It's a bearing of your soul, it's deep connection. It's this… [reaches over to hug Adrian]. That's my place and this is my home, my favourite place to be.

Adrian: Yeah, love is a real place of deep connection, it’s coming home.

Arleen: It's home but you know, I'm my full self in being without Adrian. But I’m actually something more with him. He brings another aspect of myself that I can't bring alone. Doesn't mean I’m half a being without him, I’m not. I’m still a full being, but with him there's a greater aspect that is available, there is something more.

Tune in to this ongoing series in our next issue!

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Unearthing the Cultural Secrets of the African People An Interview with

Christopher Rimmer T

here is a beauty in humanity, irrespective of religion, culture, nationality or politics, which we can all recognise no matter where we come from.

When we remove these social constructs, it leaves us with qualities that transcend the superficial ways that we view and judge one another. These qualities, such as compassion, empathy, humour, honesty and generosity, are the essence of human values which is the foundation of a universal language we all speak with one another. By learning how to recognise this beauty in all people, we choose to actively help put an end to discrimination and prejudice, shaping the world towards a place of oneness and peace.

Christopher Rimmer, a critically acclaimed Australian photographer, has dedicated much of his career to capturing and portraying the lives of the African people through his poignant, yet natural and captivating images. Through his work and early childhood growing up in South Africa, Christopher has developed an appreciation for the South African culture, in its vast differences and surprising similarities. In his images, we see how there is a universal language we all share, that connects us all on a deep and visceral level.

Christopher’s family left England when he was very young to live in South Africa, which ignited his appreciation for the African culture. Growing up during the South African Border War, he came to Australia after being conscripted into the South African army in 1982. It was during this time that all white males had to do two years of military service.

To avoid this, Christopher’s mother sent him to Australia to live with his uncle. Since his escape

to Australia, Christopher longed to return and rediscover the Africa of his “childhood imagination.”

After being diagnosed with cancer, which is what killed his father during Christopher’s childhood in Africa, he decided to go back. This was his first trip back to Africa, and gave birth to his photographic project In Africa. With the help of a local guide, Christopher began his artistic journey capturing the essence and humanity of Africa in a striking and soulful collection of intimate photographs.

“When people care, they are emotionally engaged. I want people to look and be emotionally connected to them when they look”.

During the brutality of the South African Border War, Christopher’s brother had been killed, as well as other school friends he had known. He came back to heal his past wounds and to confront unfinished business. In Angola, where the land is riddled with life-threatening land mines, Christopher spent time getting to know the African people, connecting with them, and learning about their culture. When tourists visit, he says, they often do not take the time to learn the ways of the culture, and they cause a lot of offence. He describes the people there as being very gentle and always smiling and laughing. The women spend hours grooming themselves, and the men compete with each other for social status.

MAGES © Christopher Rimmer professional photography collection

MAGES © Christopher Rimmer professional photography collection

Christopher has learnt many valuable lessons about the African people and their culture, and this has altered how he views the world.

He sees the need for us all to respect and uphold these valuable differences. There are lessons that, he says, we could all benefit from understanding as there are aspects of their lives that he believes we have lost in our Western world. They have spiritual meaning in their lives, which directly contributes to their satisfaction and a sense of purpose.

We must have meaning in our lives to achieve happiness.

“The thing that struck me is the simple happiness they have, and the kinship they have with each other, and their simple, repetitive way of life”.

Even though there are vast differences between African and Western culture, there are unexpected similarities. Superficially, these people couldn’t appear more different to us, but they desire the same things – truth, meaning and inner life. Their purpose in life is their kinship and connection they have with each other and the spiritual world. The complexity of their rituals and spirituality exists in every facet of their lives. Every waking and every sleeping moment, they live following a spiritual practice.

“They cohabit with their ancestors and spirits”.

His message is that there are a lot of commonalities and aspects that we can identify with and can

convert into a Western notion.

Yes, these people are visually and culturally very different, but what is it that connects us all as human beings in terms of necessary human existence? Universal human values are what we all need to uphold, respect and value in every form we encounter it.

“Judgement is a cultural artifact”.

“Humans have more that connects them than disconnects them.

The experience of existence is consistent throughout humanity.

There is a commonality in human beings”.

Moving into the future, Christopher says he wonders about what will be lost as the modernity of the Western world slowly moves in and alters the simplicity of what they have in Africa.

Christopher is an advocate for preserving cultures and encouraging mutual respect and tolerance.

What makes one culture different from another is a remarkable thing that does not need to drive people apart and create conflict.

On the contrary, if we were all able to show a deeper level of respect and willingness to understand and connect in love and compassion, we would learn more about each other and ourselves. It is through our similarities and differences that we can come together in an air of appreciation and draw strength from our universal human values, encouraging solidarity, friendship and oneness.

Written by Elizabeth Vigar

Fierce Truths Magazine

christopherrimmer.com

To see more of Christophers work, visit...

MAGES Š Christopher Rimmer professional photography collection

A Personal

Truth

by Ryan Crawford

W

hat does it mean to live in, hear and act on truth? How can we determine the truth amongst the many opinions and knowledge perceptions of our modern world?

Our world has never been more connected.

The internet, advancements in technology and access to knowledge has advanced our level of perceptual knowing as a species to new heights.

We’re provided instant access to nearly all of humanity’s collective knowledge learnt, perceived and recorded to date.

But has this advancement of knowledge and information provided us with more truth? Or just more information?

Truth is defined as “being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or standard.”

However, what this modern day definition fails to address is that “truth”, as a basis for original standard or perceived reality, is merely the handing down of believed principles and perceptions of how things work, operate and appear in our day to day lives. Like an operational handbook provided to us upon entry into human life, we are taught, raised and fed common “truths”. These truths then further vary again based on society, location, belief and even upbringing. They are the beliefs handed down from each generation to help the next, continuing the cycle of belief and basis for perceived truth.

Now there are some common truths we mostly share as a collective. Like the outcome if we skydived off the Empire State Building without a parachute, or what would happen if you placed your hands in boiling water. However many of our believed, professed and even followed truths are less clearly defined. Like the claims of truth in presidential elections, or reporting by the wider global media.

Take a moment to sit with these questions as you feel into your thoughts and feelings about truth: Do you consider truth to be a fixed principle, or subject to perception?

Can an individual’s truth differ from what is widely believed by the collective?

Can your truth also be my truth, or is it inherently yours, as the experiencer?

What does it take for us to fully realise truth?

How do you personally distinguish truth from non-truth?

If truth is a personal, perception-based experience, how can we develop the knowledge and clarity to understand and recognise it within ourselves. Before we experience something for ourselves, it remains a belief. We may claim to have logical understanding or even have faith in something, but we can’t truly know it until we experience it. This makes experiential learning the essential ingredient in discerning truth for ourselves. For instance, learning from a book or the experience of another, our perception of truth becomes known to us only when we have experienced and walked that experience. Felt it for ourselves and had the opportunity to assess how it feels to us, whether is uplifts or lowers our vibration.

IMAGE © Esranur / Adobe Stock

So what does living in our truth look like?

Living in truth means embracing and accepting all parts of yourself, just as you were created.

Each of us is a unique spark of the divine, with our varied, talents, qualities, quirks. Much of early life is spent trying to cover up the parts of our selves we don’t like, to fit in and be accepted.

This self-perpetuating cycle is the cause of much grief and pain in our lives. We move further and further away from who we really are, and avoid the parts of ourselves that we feel are unworthy of love. Each step we take away from our true selves disempowers us from our core being, our power and is the cause of much human pain and suffering.

Why would anyone choose pain over truth?

This feeds from a core self-limiting belief that we are not worthy, lovable and perfect – just as we are!

We convince ourselves that who and what we are isn’t good enough to make it in the world and attract all that we want. So we set about trying to change, improve and evolve into the “best” versions of ourselves. The limitation and damage caused by this belief is that it takes our inner power and points our attention to attracting validation and love from outside of us. In effect, we chase perfection. We already have many wonderful qualities and gifts, yet feel the constant pull to improve, upgrade and change ourselves. How often have you thought “Oh if only I was more like this, things would be so much better.”

Why do we struggle to believe that we are worthy, lovable and complete – in all of our quirky, messy differences?

Because truly accepting all parts of our self takes work!

It requires us to look deep within, to shine the light on all parts of ourselves. Not just our “highlight

reel,” like society shows us, but our losses, our mistakes, the parts we feel shameful and embarrassed about. The parts we hide within and would never want to share with the world. It means looking deeply into all parts of ourselves and owning up to who we are. The student, the teacher, the lover, the judger, the wounded, the strong, the victim, the attacker – all reside within us and form part of our One-self.

Living in our truth means not leaving any part of ourselves out in the cold. Welcoming all parts home with open arms. It means choosing to no longer show only your favourite parts and reject the parts you deem unworthy. It means honouring all of yourself and coming to terms with the fact that you are all these things and not judging yourself for the way you are or may have acted in the past.

Each step we take towards accepting all parts of us, is a step closer to happiness, peace and an empowered life. Truth is being yourself, just as you are, in the way that feels right to you.

Here 3 helpful steps to begin Living in your truth:

1

Begin calling all parts of you home. List all of your attributes, qualities, weaknesses, things you love and things you wish you could change about yourself. Underline all those which you feel uncomfortable showing to the world and standing firmly in. Spend time feeling into each attribute and why you have chosen to not own and love these parts of yourself.

2

Watch your self-talk. The most powerful creative tool in our world is the way that we say things to ourselves. Whenever you catch yourself speaking negatively towards yourself, reaffirm your perfection, magnificence and worthiness as a perfect child of the universe.

3

Change your story. We weren’t born with our self-limiting beliefs. We learnt them from our parents, our surroundings and culture. They make up “The Story” that we tell ourselves about how the world works, what we can and can’t do and how we show up. It’s this story that keeps us locked in our cycles of limitation. Write down 5 things that you’re going to change about your belief story from today.

Meet Ryan Ryan Crawford is a speaker, guide and teacher – He draws upon his business experience and intuitive energy, to inspire, align & empower others to reach their greatest potential. Through the integration of empowering beliefs and habits, Ryan helps business owners take their time back, increase financial abundance & achieve balance in their lives.

Stone of the Heaven

Lapis Lazuli, often referred to as “Stone of the Heaven,” has a deep celestial royal blue colour that is flecked with gold. Reminiscent of the blue of deep seas, it has been prized by many ancient cultures including the Egyptians for its spiritual power. It is used as a universal symbol of vision, honour and truth and can help us to connect with our Third Eye Chakra and Throat Chakra. When the energies of these two chakras are in balance, we find that our mental and psychological health can improve and clear the way for our intuition to guide us towards what we want.

The Third Eye Chakra is linked to our ability to receive spiritual guidance through the mind.

When the mind is open, we are more connected to our intuition, intellectual thoughts, and ideas.

When this chakra is in balance, we can see the truth more clearly and build upon our awareness and understanding. Lapis Lazuli is thought to be able to heal the soul by helping us to connect deeply with our inner desires and spiritual purpose.

The Throat Chakra is linked to our ability to express the energy which is associated with how well we can communicate what we feel: our emotions, ideas and beliefs. When the Throat Chakra is in balance, we feel open and able to honour our truth and set it free into the world.

Keeping this chakra in balance enables the other chakras an outlet for their expression and natural release of energy.

IMAGE © MuhaiminAzfar / Adobe Stock

Lapis Lazuli

IMAGE Š Oliver Mohr / Adobe Stock

Ways to Use Lapis Lazuli Meditating with Lapis Lazuli can help to expand your mind and even facilitate a connection to your past lives. You could also place your stone over your throat during meditation to serve as a tool to clear energies and promote selfexpression.

To activate the Third Eye Chakra and discover your wisdom, wear a Lapis Lazuli pendant or earrings. Wearing a ring or bracelet will activate its protective qualities.

The Health Benefits of Lapis Lazuli If you have difficulty expressing your thoughts and feelings, then Lapis Lazuli can help to unblock the Throat Chakra. It allows you to find balance in your expression.

If you suffer from insomnia, Lapis Lazuli can help you to find a more peaceful slumber. Wear it as a pendant while you sleep or place it under your pillow. Lapis Lazuli will connect you more deeply to your subconscious and you may find yourself having more meaningful or prophetic dreams.

Lapis Lazuli is believed to have many physical health benefits. It is thought to boost the immune system, alleviate migraine headaches, reduce menstrual irregularities, prevent inflammation, improve circulation as well as reducing blood pressure. It is associated with the element of water so it can cleanse you of toxins and impurities.

It encourages emotional healing and can help you in love and relationships by providing you with wisdom and strength when you need it.

How to Look After Your Crystal The best way to maintain and maximise the powers of your crystal is to recharge it under the light of a full moon. First, wash it under cool running water and place it under the moonlight for a night.

This can help to restore all of its’ natural energy.

You could also try smudging your Lapis Lazuli with sage. Burn a smudge stick and allow the crystal to be bathed in the smoke, while you visualise any negative energies disappearing.

If you are feeling stuck in your ability to communicate or you are feeling overwhelmed or confused, Lapis Lazuli can help you find your focus and guide you back to mental clarity and connection with your inner-self. Having these energies flowing positively will help you to be the creator of your life. This will assist you in shaping, structuring and building your life to your liking and clearing the pathway for embracing all that you love and deserve.

Written by Elizabeth Vigar

Fierce Truths Magazine

IMAGE © magann / Adobe Stock

LET YOUR INTUITION GUIDE YOU

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M I N I C O U R S E

S T A R T T O D A Y

Tap into Your Potential AND EMBRACE WHAT YOU WHERE BORN TO DO

PASSION Discover Your P U R P O S E Get Clear About Your P A T H W A Y Redefine Your

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Fierce Experts Check in monthly to see what advice our experts have for you Spirit and Soul

Spirit and Soul

Kim Bleeze

Colby Rebel

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.

Colby Rebel is a heart centered international Psychic Medium, Certified Master Spiritual Teacher, radio host of The Colby Rebel Show and Best-Selling author located in Los Angeles, CA. She is the founder of the Colby Rebel Spirit Centre where she teaches students how to develop their gifts.

Fierce Fitness

Radical Thinking

Earth Whisper

Jo Lastro

Scott Grasso

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.

A Melbourne-based healer, intuitive and mentor. For the last 27 years, Scott has worked with men and women who want to find a new way of peaceful living that is in harmony with their true selves and others. He believes that any personal journey is an “inside job”: it begins with focusing on ourselves.

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.

Empowered Healing

The L-Plate Witch

Horoscope and Stars

Karina Barca

Meg Crawford

Lana F. Jackson

A Melbourne based Medium, Healer, Psychic, Reiki Master Teacher, Mentor, Forensic Healing Practitioner and Facilitator of ‘Sistahood Sundays’. Through her own healing and empowerment journey, her passion became very clear. To serve, inspire and assist all who want to grow, heal, evolve.

A word nerd (ie. writer, freelance journo, contributor and general pen for hire). Her side hustle is being a lawyer. She’s a rock dog to the core and likes Ghostbusters just a little bit too much. You can find her communing with chickens, bunnies and cats, when she’s not engaging in witch business under a full moon.

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.

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Fierce Fitness

by Jo Lastro

Outside Adventures “Adventure is about pushing yourself, and growing as a result.”

During COVID lockdown, many good habits and routines have changed or completely gone out of the window.

But now we need to look at how we can gently reintroduce positive habits around good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and mental health. Plus, how to reconnect with the outdoors, which I believe is essential to finding a sustainable balance in our busy lives.

Being in lockdown would have given you a chance to think about a lot of things. And if you like the outdoors, I am sure you would be thinking about getting outside. I know I am!

As restrictions are slowly being lifted in Australia, it is time to start thinking about how you can go back to a new version of normal life, of course, with social distancing. It is also the time to think differently when it comes to exercise. Instead of associating it with gyms and all the fancy equipment, think “outside the walls.” I mean treadmills, step classes, cycling. Sometimes the same old thing becomes, well, old.

I want you to remember fitness is not just about sweat, six-packs or sex appeal. Yes, you heard that right. It is about having enough energy to do activities safely and ones that get us moving – outside!

Being outside enriches your experiences. And outdoor exercise can be adapted to anyone’s level of fitness, in any part of the world, in any season. You do not have to be the fittest, strongest, or fastest. It is about the ability to learn, pushing the corners of yourself and growing as a result.

Big Decision

Whether it is hiking, rock climbing, canyoning, white water rafting, skiing, stand up paddle-boarding or Nordic walking, you can find the perfect outdoor adventure anywhere that you live. All these adventures will make you feel stronger, more vital and energized. They will work wonders for your coordination skills and concentration.

Stop

Stop saying to yourself “I’m too old for canyoning!”, or “Skiing sounds like fun, but I can’t stand up on skis.” Even “What on earth is Nordic walking?”

Rather than making the same old excuses, think of all there is to be gained from embracing these new fun activities. Outside adventure is great for all ages, not just for kids;

adults can have fun too.

Time to jump right in and commit!

Adventure and Exercise

Let me take you on an adventure, and show you some different outdoor activities with fun and exercise intertwined.

Stand Up Paddle-Boarding Yoga instead of Yoga

This is the ultimate summer exercise in any part of the world. There are many reasons why people enjoy doing yoga in water, and you may want some quiet solitude!

Doing SUP yoga is a fantastic way of strengthening your core. Your body stabilises the board through the various poses, manages the drift of the board and deals with the waves.

The added challenge of doing yoga on a wobbly board will force you to be very present and intentional with

your movements. It also encourages a beginner’s mindset as you become engaged and curious to maintain the simplest tasks.

Tip: To prepare yourself for this activity, practice “easy sitting pose” at home

BANNER IMAGE © doozydo / Adobe Stock

Kayaking Instead of the Rowing Machine

Paddling the day away in a kayak or canoe hardly seems like exercise, right? I mean the tranquil water, the lapping of the waves and stunning ocean views. What more could you ask for? Sounds ideal!

However, the benefits of kayaking include cardio fitness and increased strength for both your upper and lower body. Bonus!

Tip: To prepare yourself for this activity, at home practice doing Russian twists with a dumbbell. Sit with bent knees and your feet pressing firmly into the floor, holding a dumbbell in your hands.

Tilt back slightly, keeping your spine straight. Twist to the left and then to the right. Of course, only do exercises that feel right for your personal situation.

Nordic walking instead of walking Nordic walking is a year-round activity. Yes, even in the cold.

Nordic walking is a low-impact total body exercise. Similar to cross country skiing, Nordic walking poles (which are different to hiking poles) are planted behind you in order to propel you along using the power of the upper body (back, arms and core) as well as the legs – making it easier to work quite hard.

Nordic walking is for all ages and all fitness levels. Former runners, who have had joint replacements and cannot take the higher impact of running, also love this adventure.

You enjoy this at many levels: low, medium, or high intensity. It combines the simplicity and accessibility of walking with core and upper body conditioning – resulting in a full body workout. The best part, because Nordic walking does not feel like hard work, you will be happy to walk further and for longer.

Tip: To prepare yourself for this activity, when walking practice standing tall and swinging your arms

Have you decided which adventure you are going to choose?

work, social media, chores, and rules.

Finding an escape to enjoy is not just good for you, but recommended, especially after this lockdown period in Australia.

2. Adventure helps you face your fears and helps build resilience in your everyday life.

3. Adventures connect you with new people out of your current social circle.

Remember

You know that being outdoors is good for you, and you certainly will get your body moving and blood circulating.

Outdoor adventures enrich your life, get your body in motion, and puts you in touch with sunshine, rain, and snow. They can be done all over the world in various seasons. Outdoor adventures help to bring your attention to the present moment and share unforgettable experiences with friends or loved ones.

Good vibes

1. Adventures take you away from

Love Jo xx

IMAGE © M.studio / Adobe Stock

first. Cross your legs, close your eyes, and sit still. From here move to sitting on your knees.

T

R A D I C A L

H I N K I N G

By Scott Grasso

Practice Subversive Self-Care Don’t worry, Dear Ones. If you are asking yourself “WTF is going on right now?”, I have good news. It’s just the end of the world as we know it.

Don’t worry, Dear Ones. If you are asking yourself “WTF is going on right now?”, I have good news. It’s just the end of the world as we know it.

Like many spiritual seekers and practitioners, I am deeply unsettled about the current state of our planet. It seems like the ugliest aspects of humanity have sprung out of their hiding place, presenting themselves unabashedly for our consideration. A stampede of selfishness, hatred, racism, sexism and dishonesty. A cavalcade of callousness.

How can this possibly be consistent with all of my teachers, who say that we are on the precipice of a new world, The Age of Aquarius? People like Lorie Ladd, Phil Good, Jennifer Hoffman and Celia Fenn. When they say that Love is winning, why doesn’t it feel like that? Where is the evidence?

Before we can choose the Light, we need to see the Darkness.

I ask you to consider something truly radical. What if all of the fugly in the world right now is actually

instructive, not destructive? What if it is a massive wake-up call, divinely orchestrated to snap us out of our self-centred reveries, our routines, our disconnect from ourselves and each other?

What if things had to get this bad to get our attention? What if we are being forced to choose sides?

Do we endorse the polarisation of society, or do we cry out that we want something more loving and connected?

I am a recovering alcoholic. Twentyseven years ago, my life was a total shit-storm. Fearing that I was going to die, I cried out to a God that I

we first need to heal ourselves. Of course, be in the world too. But for now let’s get you to take care of your self.

Here’s a little secret: you are everything in the world, and everything in the world is you.

Because we are all interconnected.

If you learn how to practice radical self-love and self-care, you are energetically giving this gift to everyone else too. Focusing on self-care and self-love disrupts the darkness. It is a higher vibrational activity that dissipates fear, anger and separation. If this feels selfindulgent, let me reassure you; there is a big difference between being self-centred and being centred in yourself.

IMAGE © monsitj / Adobe Stock

There is a big difference between being self-centred and being centred in your self.

didn’t believe in: “Please help me or kill me!” It was in that dire moment of desperation that I connected to a source of healing outside of myself. realised that my dis-eased thinking could not heal me. I needed a source of wisdom that was bigger than me. In other words, things had to get as bad as they were for me in order to overcome my fears, selfsufficiency and selfishness.

What if the same thing is happening in the world now in a macro sense?

So let’s change our focus from what is going on in the world to what’s going on with you. I love the expression: “If you don’t go within, you go without.” My experience is that in order to heal the world,

So what does radical self-care actually look like? In a nutshell, I want you to create the change in yourself that you want to see in the planet. And then watch that radiate outwards into your world.

Here is my program for a new relationship with your self, and a radical new way of thinking and feeling about your life. When enough of us do this, our higher vibes will contribute to the manifestation of a nicer version of the planet, just waiting to be realised.

1. Upon awakening, give thanks for another day. Even if you don’t mean it. Say out loud: “Thank you for this day. I choose joy and abundance.” Ask to be given the power, courage and wisdom to be the best and highest version of your self.

2. Ask a Goddess, your spirit team or guardian angels to protect you during this precious day. You don’t have to believe. You just need to try this contrary action.

Willingness is key here. Start with: “Dear Goddess, please help.”

3. Make a gratitude list: what are 3 things that you are grateful for?

Developing a sense of gratitude is the single greatest attitude and energetic adjustment that I have ever tried.

4. Connect with your body for 10 minutes. Exercise. Stretch.

Whatever is safe and comfortable for you.

5. Experience Nature. Park your car and walk on the grass. Hug a tree. Go to a florist and smell the cut flowers. Experience the joy and wonder of all that humans didn’t create.

6. Allow yourself to connect with sources of wisdom that are outside of your ego mind.

Meditate, read, and listen to spiritual teachers. Be open to new ideas. Get curious.

7. Ask yourself: “In addition to honouring my responsibilities, what do I need today?” How would you support a best friend who needed care? Do that for yourself.

8. Smile and say hello to 3 strangers each day. Look them in the eye and experience their divinity.

9. Throughout the day, ask your spirit team to give you the next loving thought or action. The angels want to support you, but respect the universal law of free will. They can’t help if they aren’t invited in.

10. Don’t be a dickhead. Ask yourself: “Do I want to be right, or do I want to be happy?” Practice compassion and compromise.

Apologise when appropriate.

11. In the evening, review your self-care routine. Were you loving to yourself and others? Did you celebrate your magnificence? And if you fell short of loving yourself fiercely, what got in the way?

12. Say the prayer “Thank you.”

Take 5 minutes and envision yourself wrapped in golden healing energy.

You’ll know that you’re making progress when your obsession and distraction with external events starts to diminish. When instead of judging and criticising, your new self-love practice begins to radiate outwards with compassion. As the band R.E.M says: “It’s the end of the world, and I feel fine.”

Namaste.

EARTH

By Renée McCready Lady Pachamama, Earth Wisdom Keeper

Cultivating Quiet Listening and Discernment: A Fundamental Teaching from the Plant Realm

“The earth herself becomes my master story teller” Thus Spoke The Plant - Monica Gagliano From a witness perspective, the earth sees us observing her and her offerings. She welcomes us to utilise her abundance for medicine, ceremony and food, shelter and warmth.

The more I drop into my role as an “Earth Doula”, the more I’m understanding the need to assist others in discerning certain protocols. Specifically, understanding what is okay to take from the earth and how we can reorganise our own ways of interacting with her offerings in safe, honest, respectful and sustainable ways.

This month I want to touch into a tender subject.

One that I’ve been quietly speaking about, as I’ve been softly listening to the plants and observing how their role plays out in the greater ecosystem of our human spiritual awakening. I want to talk about the overuse and popularisation of certain plants for smoke cleansing or “smudging”. Are you currently using white sage or palo santo for smoke cleansing or blessing?

My wish is to pass forward awareness and not to condemn anyone’s choices. I hope to enlighten a deeper inner dialogue, cultivating the act of quiet listening and discernment from the plant realm.

There are plant spirits whose song is being misappropriated. They seek us to pay attention to our choices, and how we go about utilising their offerings.

An important teaching I’ve gained from the earth is to quietly listen and practice discernment. What I’ve learned is that plants do not have to fit into our structures and confined version of their teachings.

We use our human platform to give them a voice for how we desire them to be, but we are residing in

their domain. We need to allow their voices to move through us, not from us.

What is apparent in the popular spiritual and the wellness culture can be quite the opposite. Plants are often grown in large quantities in a monocultural manner, over commercialised, over harvested and their wild medicines are taken without respect, prayer and offering. Because often humanity only wants to extract one part of them, in excess amounts for our own perceived needs.

A living plant is a dynamic organism. If we speak for them without their song, we miss the lifechanging medicine they offer in their totality.

Two plants that I want to speak to are white sage and palo santo. Both are being over-harvested in the wild and are very deeply sacred to their original caretakers.

White sage has been over-harvested in the United States. Any imported white sage possibly comes

WHISPER

IMAGE © LoloStock / Adobe Stock

may have spiritual practices like smoke clearing, but the act of smoke cleansing is not inherently spiritual or specific to a certain culture. This is very different to smudging, which is a very sacred indigenous practice mostly connected to North America.

from unrepeatable sources, so please always check with your supplier. Ask questions about what their original source is. On the other hand, if you grow your own or know of someone who does, you can harvest your own which would be ideal. There are also other plants that can be used for smoke clearing which I will mention for your future reference. You can also source an ethical brand that’s been grown in Australia from a reputable small business.

“Smudging” is a sacred Indigenous ritual. It involves

cultivating and sustainably harvesting a plant, drying and binding it together into a wand, and calling on the spirit of the plant while burning the wand to help cleanse the energy of and/or bless a space. Smoke cleansing can look a lot like smudging. It’s the act of burning herbs, wood, incense, resin or other safe-toburn materials that hold unique cleansing and magical properties. The smoke is then waved over the area you want to cleanse. You can smoke cleanse whatever you want, and as much as you want. Some cultures

When using any bound plants or a wand, it’s important to wholly honour the practice involved.

Calling on the spirits of these sacred plants to clear a person or space, or when blessing in ritual or ceremony. The act of smoke cleansing doesn’t just start when you light the bundle; it starts with the cultivation of harvesting of these plants. If you buy them, give thanks to where they came from, including the person who lovingly crafted it with reverence and ritual.

Smoking bundles have been used in many different cultures all over the world, and should be honoured in such a way, aligned with their unique cultural practices.

When you are working with smudging, you’re actually working with all 4 elements. It’s not just smoke and fire, but the earth in plants and the binding, the water. Traditionally, a seashell is added when using a feather to move the smoke around.

Palo Santo, or “holy stick”, comes from a tree indigenous to South America and is very popular in the countries of Ecuador and Peru. It is used by plant medicine Shamans in ceremony and is very sacred and integral to their work. Bulnesia sarmiento is currently on the endangered list, and there are only 250 adult trees left in the wild to date. Whereas Bursera graveolens, another species of palo santo, is safe to continue to use for smoke clearing if sustainably and ecologically harvested. Please check which one you are purchasing. Maybe consider using plants closer to home, from your own bioregion instead.

One of the biggest learnings on my earth wisdom path so far is to work within your bioregion. The use of medicines from the land you live on and around.

If it’s not possible to self-harvest or grow your own plants from seed, then find someone who does and support a small local business. Find someone who creates sustainable, ethical smoking bundles and has reverence and gratitude for the plants they are working with and creating from.

Spirit & Soul

by Colby Rebel

Have a Cuppa with Spirit.

Connecting with Spirit is a wonderful privilege; one to honor and respect with authenticity and integrity.

It can leave the sitter with an experience to cherish for a lifetime, but many times nerves and old habits can prevent the connection from being as strong as potentially possible. When working with Spirit, you may initially feel the flow but then suddenly experience challenges in deepening your evidence.

Perhaps you deliver a piece of information, but then stall with how to unfold it further.

The more you can peel away the layers within your spirit connection, the more you can deepen the experience for the recipient. So how can that be done?

The easiest and simplest way is to imagine yourself having a conversation with Spirit.

Imagine sitting across a table and simply having a cuppa with Spirit.

With your coffee or tea in hand, begin the conversation with Spirit by getting to know them.

Start with asking about who they were in the physical realm. Let go of feeling you have to describe how tall they were or explain their receding hairline. These are old patterns within evidence. Evidence is the details you could never have known if you weren’t directly communicating with that Spirit. That is the magic within mediumship. Allow yourself to be more personal with them. Immerse yourself in curiosity.

Ask them about their hobbies. What did they enjoy?

Learn about their family members. Did they have children? How many do they have? How are those children today? Are any of those children in Spirit with them? For those in the physical realm, do they visit them? If so, how are they doing that? Are they sending the sitter a sign or symbol? If so, what is it? Are they playing with electronics? Perhaps they witnessed something recently their loved one did which you can validate with your sitter.

Commit to being genuinely curious about the Spirit.

Release the impulse to deliver information in a way that sounds more like you’re reading a resume than getting to know them personally. Pull up a chair, relax and find out who your spirit was while having a physical experience. What did your Spirit love to do in their spare time? Did they enjoy gardening? If so, ask

them about their favorite flower. How about traditions?

Did they follow any traditions or pass any of them down to younger generations? These are the details that will matter the most. They will allow your sitter to experience those memories once again. It’s in these moments that the peace and closure can occur because the sitter will trust your connection with their loved one.

How many times have you spoken to a barista, asking them about their day? Engaged in a conversation with your friend’s mother to see how she is doing

IMAGES © Cristina Conti / Adobe Stock

while you are there for a holiday dinner? We indulge in conversations all of the time, yet forget to do it when connecting to Spirit. Spirit is a person. Spirit is someone’s loved one, without the physical body, but their soul remains. The essence of who they were is a gift laid before you. Expressing the imprint of who they were and what they enjoyed is how you can continue to honor those in Spirit. The evidence is in the details and those details are revealed within the story of Spirit. The conversations you have with them will fill in the blanks you experience when the connection feels it has a lull in it. Being curious is the

key to the connection. It’s the key to unlocking the memories, the validation and the message of Spirit.

You are meant to be a messenger of Spirit. Trust your connection, and take that link further by having that personal conversation with that loved one on the other side. Not only will you leave the table giving your sitter the true essence of their loved one, but you will have honored spirit by giving them a voice to tell their story once again. So next time, grab a cuppa with Spirit and let the story unfold!

Empowered Healing Transforming Through Self Awareness

By Karina Barca

Discover Your Personal Truth “There is one rule, though: once you discover your truth, you have to go all in. Fully. Every single chip.” ~ Kamal Ravikant, Live Your Truth ~ Living your truth requires you to have awareness about the importance of ascertaining and connecting with your own inner power. To do that, you will have to embark on a personal journey that leads you to live your authentic life. An authenticity that already resides within the very core of your being, but may be lying dormant, undiscovered, or only partially discovered. It is not yet at its’ full potential.

The personal growth work of exploring and finding your truth can be difficult. It can be painful to ask yourself the hard questions about your life, your

desires, and your intentions. And as if that were not enough, these questions may lead to revisiting old wounds that you may prefer to leave behind and buried.

Choosing not to ask the questions or deal with the pain only leads to avoidance or numbing what is there to be healed and discovered. You will be making the decision to live a life that is not in alignment with who you truly are. And what is more painful than living in denial! It will only wear you down, and is an ongoing reminder that you are not living your truth. You will only be holding yourself back from the life you were born to live.

You must accept that you have dark in your life.

Not everything is love and light all the time. It is about getting real with yourself and looking and dealing with the confusion, messiness, and pain.

Because that is where your truth lies; underneath all the rubble.

patterns and become acutely aware of your highest principles and values, it increases your sense of appreciation and consciousness in one’s existence.

IMAGE © zolotareva_elina / Adobe Stock

You all have beliefs, values, and ideals which you trust and honour. You will find yourself being pulled by them when communicating and expressing yourself. When you live and make decisions that are in alignment with these in mind, you will understand the importance of doing so. These principles allow you to express your authentic nature.

Your truth must represent that which is true for you, and you alone, and not be hindered by outside influences. It is expressed through the unveiling of the authentic self, the soul’s true essence. It is in the letting go of the false layers and the falsehood of your thinking and of the programming. You will find that there are common themes that need to be addressed in almost every area of your life.

This is not a reprogramming of self, but rather a necessity to remove that which is false.

Negative thinking is one of the largest obstacles faced that hinders the joy of your own existence. When you consciously work to remove these thought

You will also discover and experience that not all people share your same core values.

Therefore, your actions and vocal expression may cause discomfort and conflict with family, friends, work colleagues and those you meet. Accept it with the knowledge that we are all on our own individual journeys and our truth is not to be forced upon anyone, but merely shared if we choose to.

You know you are on your path and living your truth when you understand and accept that it is a process of unravelling and allowing the emergence of your authentic self. You will find yourself drawn to revealing and becoming the highest version of yourself. You work on yourself, knowing that through personal growth you are constantly letting go of that which no longer serves you to become your full potential.

How do you know when you are living your truth?

When you read the following statements and can say them honestly, feel them in your heart and apply them your life, you are well on the way to living your truth.

I respect and honour myself. ~ I express myself according to my highest moral values. ~ I respect and honour those I encounter. ~ I appreciate and honour the knowledge and wisdom within me. ~ I listen and welcome others to reveal their truth and wisdom. ~ I withhold judgement about others, for it is not my place to judge. ~ I honour my purpose by being of service to others. ~ I live in congruence with my highest truth by connecting with my inner wisdom. ~ I do not hold on to disempowering mental or emotional states. ~ I live with integrity when I am accompanied and when I am alone. ~ I cocreate with the universe and am the conduit and expression of life’s infinite creative potential.

I invite each one of you to gift yourself the journey of discovering your own personal truth. Through personal development, healing and trial and error, you will become attuned to the essence of your soul and reveal your true authentic self. There is nothing more beautiful than living your truth and being who you want to be.

The truth will set you free.

The

L-Plate Witch

Witchy Wonderings with Meg

Witchcraft and Service

IMAGE © AngellozOlga / Adobe Stock

How I get my magical kicks: asking for opportunities to be helpful Kindness, acceptance and being useful float my boat. That’s not nerdy. I maintain that they are sexy principles by which to live. So how does that fit with being a witch? Well, my initial spells were very self-focused. Specifically, I wanted to write for a bunch of magazines. I petitioned the Goddess Brigid before knocking out articles on spec and sending them to outlets that were a good fit. Next thing I know, I’m commissioned to write for a new stable of publications!

However, over time things shifted and I stopped making requests for my own ends. In another spiritual tradition, I’m urged to ask only for guidance and opportunities to be of service.

Frankly, that sits way better with my heart. I started conducting gratitude rituals and asking

for a shot to be helpful instead. The sticking point was that being so fresh out of the gate, I was fudging it. So, when witchy-wonder Fiona Horne started talking about service in her most recent book, The Art of Witch, I was on it.

Starting as the lead singer of 90’s surf-electrorock fave Def FX, Horne’s life has been a magical ride. Literally. For the last few years, she’s been a pilot living in the Caribbean. Recently, she returned to our shore in the name of love and has been touring the west coast with The Art of Witch.

Basically, she’s spent the better part of a month talking about service and witchcraft to an Aussie audience. With that it mind, I all but skipped to the source for an opportunity to interview her.

I describe it as being useful in the world. It’s determining your success not so much by what you have, but by how equipped you are to be able to give. Service then becomes the foundation of being a modern witch because witches evolved – from a nebulous history – as healers, wise women, wise men, herbalists. It was always in service to the community.

Somewhere along the way in witchcraft, we got a bit caught up in the idea that I’m magical and I can make things happen. For instance, “I want this. I want that. I want a bigger, better job, a bigger, better house, a bigger, better lover and a bigger pocket of money”. More, more, more. Me, me, me. We forgot that’s not how we evolved.

Consequently, that way of living implodes. As a witch, I’d consider that when you start living like that, the universe goes, “all right, time for a lesson”. And it takes everything away. That’s what happened in my life a few times, until I worked out what was going on. So now, I define my success not by how much I have, but how much I’ve been able to give.

How would you encourage already practicing witches to approach their craft in perhaps a different light?

There’s a common phrase in witchcraft – “as is my will, so mote it be”. I’m offering that we redefine that statement, which is so entrenched in our magical practice, so that “will” becomes part of the word “willing” – “as is my willingness to be of service, so mote it be, according to how the universe best determines the good of all, with harm to none”.

Also, if you want to guarantee the results of your rituals and the universe bringing to you what you need, then don’t make them about what you need.

Make it be about how you can be more useful in the world and how others can benefit. The spell will manifest every time. The universe will conspire in your favour to allow you to present and be useful.

MAGES © Fiona Horne's personal collection

Fiona, how do you describe service and why is it important?

For someone who hasn’t engaged in service much before, where should they start?

I think it’s exciting to start local. It’s always tempting to think, “I’ll give $25 to the children’s fund” and you send it off and don’t think about it again. I think, look around at your neighbourhood for where can you be useful. A friend I have here mentioned that there’s a trail that’s always littered. You can always do some local service work like that and pick up a bit of trash.

I’m often on the beach and some of what I pick up becomes art. I turned a fishing net with shells all over it into part of a statue in the backyard. It’s a sea witch and the net’s her hair.

Or, if you see the Council spraying Roundup in the park, write a letter and ask them to stop. There are so many ways to be of service and be practical. The feeling of usefulness you get out of it is incredible.

Also, when you wake up say, “Universe, today I’m going to do three things that are useful and that just aren’t about me and my needs”. You’ll be amazed at how much easier your life starts to become. …

I’ll wrap up with a little story of my own. In 2016 my role as editor for an international magazine was made redundant. Subsequently, I applied for every journo job going and kept getting knocked back. I’d never struggled to get an interview before in my life, so it was a rude shock. As time dragged on, it became downright demoralising. Eventually, in enough pain, I wrote a letter to whatever moves the universe and asked to be found where I was needed most. I popped my epistle in an envelope and “posted” it in my bedside table. I kept applying, but nada, although freelance opportunities fell from the sky. Then, my Dad was diagnosed with lung cancer and Mum had a stroke a fortnight later. I was immediately able to care for them and step up. I was exactly where I was meant to be the whole time. I just didn’t know it yet. So, if you’re feeling a bit lost right now, ask for a chance to be useful and keep the faith. You never know what’ll happen next.

Go to fionahorne.com to find out more about Art of the Witch and forthcoming events

MAGES © Fiona Horne's personal collection

Stars

and

By Lana F. Jackson

Planetary Movements for Sagittarius

Please be aware that the timing of the planetary movements has been based on Australian Eastern Daylight time (AEDT).

The month of Sagittarius is gearing up to be very active in the lead up to the festive season. Neptune, planet of Spirituality, has been Retrograde for most of 2020 and will be heading direct in its ruling sign of Pisces on 25th November. Be prepared for a significant surge in spiritual and healing energy as we connect into an energy that will influence the masses. On the 2nd December, the Full Moon in Gemini will set tongues wagging as the lunar energy hypes up emotions and intuition around thoughts, ideas and communication on all levels. Mercury, planet of Communication, moves into Sagittarius, expanding on knowledge and wisdom by bringing in a balance with the Sun and Full Moon.

The New Moon in Sagittarius on the 15th December will amplify the Sun and Mercury’s energy and create the space for freedom of speech, higher education and adventure.

This energy will also be amplified in relationships, as Venus moves into Sagittarius as well on the 16th December. Saturn, planet of authority, responsibility and career will be moving into Aquarius on the 17th December and shifting this energetic focus towards humanity, community, technology, innovation, politics and change. Jupiter, planet of expansion of knowledge, wisdom and benevolence will expand this energy as it too moves into Aquarius on the 20 th December.

As we draw to the conclusion of 2020, Mercury will set the scene for 2021, when it moves into Capricorn, directing our thoughts ideas and communication towards, career, business, finance, authority and responsibility.

Enjoy the month!

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Horoscopes

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What does Lana have to say about the Planets this Issue?

IMAGE © Aloksa / Adobe Stock

Happy BirthdaySagittarius!

SAGITTARIUS

22nd November to 21st December 2020

What does Lana have to say about your Horoscope this Issue?

CAPRICORN

22nd December 2019 to 21st January 2020

AQUARIUS

21st January to 19th February 2020

PISCES

19th February to 20th March 2020

ARIES

20th March to 20th April 2020

TAURUS

20th April to 20th May 2020

GEMINI

20th May to 21st June 2020

CANCER

21st June to 22nd July 2020

LEO

22nd July to 23rd August 2020

VIRGO

23rd August to 22nd September 2020

LIBRA

22nd September to 22rd October 2020

SCORPIO

23rd October to 22nd November 2020

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