Untamed Soul Magazine - 0009 May Issue

ALSO THIS MONTH

Social Media for a New Age - Moon Wisdom- Natures Kitchen - Finding Your True North

UNTAMED soul

Issue 0009 - May 2021

reconnect to your wildness & ignite your spiritual fire

THE DIVINE

Feminist

SELFCARE FOR YOUR SOUL

y a d y r e v E s s e d d o G

REDISCOVERING YOUR INNER GODDESS

Your Root

CHAKRA

Did you know that for every Untamed Soul subscription we plant a tree with treesisters

Glevted. .

In vo

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS YOU CAN JOIN THE REVOLUTION...

Community is at the core of Untamed Soul. We strive to connect you to one another & to also provide platforms for you to share your vision.

This month we hand over the reins to 'The Everyday Goddess Revolution'. They are a community and oracle for women to inspire and be inspired.

This project is all about creating resources to raise the collective consciousness, Leanne Macdonald the founder of the revolution said .

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"We are obsessed about empowering women to rise, thrive and live life Goddess powered because we know when sleeping women wake, mountains move".

Find out more about The Everyday Goddess Revolution and its up & coming collaborations and courses at www.everydaygoddessrevoultion.co m and @everydaygoddessrevolution on Instagram & Facebook

You can get your Copy of 'Living Life

CLUBHOUSE UPDATE

Goddess Powered' on Amazon today!

e m o c l We

Hey Untamed Family.

I hope this gorgeous May Issue finds you all well.

As we dive into this month’s theme you will find so many articles to unlock your inner Goddess. From stories, tools and tips.

Whichever pages you find yourself drawn to, the message that flows through this month's issue is one of oneness and unity.

I believe that seeing the Goddess and cosmic energy in us all is paramount right now more than ever.

Understanding that we each have a mission on earth and part of that mission is built around the oneness between ourselves, earth and the elementals and the astral.

There are so many layers to this ascension and evolution as humans.

I am sure we will explore through the issues to come.

For this month let's explore The Goddess in us all. The part of us that might just be the very first step to unlocking our inner magic.

Sending you oceans of love, enjoy this month’s issue

Charlie x

Founder & Lead Creatrix Charlie Edwards @thatgirlcharlieedwards

EDITORS PICK The Divine Feminist - Welcome to the Team Ceryn Rowntree - We are so excited to finally share your wisdom in our pages.

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CONTENTS 2.

Editors Note

! e d i s n I s t' a h W

7. YOU ARE A GODDESS Co Authors of The Living life Goddess Powered.

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Things we Love..

Real & Raw Features

9 SELF LOVE IS YOUR SUPERPOWER With Infiniti Jones

11. YOU ARE HERE TO CREATE HEAVEN HERE ON EARTH With Iona Russell

13. THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH YOURSELF - with Karli Kershaw

Magic & Mindful

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THE EVERYDAY GODDESS REVOLUTION

HOW I CREATED MY SECOND ACT IN LIFE - JUDY PROKOPIAK

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19. HOW TRAUMA CAN CRACK YOU OPEN TO YOUR TRUTH - with Randi Willhite 22 **NEW** THE DIVINE FEMINIST We join our newest columnist & family member Ceryn Rowntree as she explores our roots.

19 SELFCARE FOR THE SOUL exploring the importance of Selfcare each month - with Mala Kennedy

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30 ASK MAMA STARR Mama Starr answers your questions every month on all things spiritual.

34 HOLISTICALLY HAPPY Michelle shares practical advice for your Root chakra.

23 THAT FRIDAY FEELING Unlock your creativity with Helen Bartram

Community & Connection 38 STORIES UNTOLD Our Expert Penny shares advice on how to get your story out in the world

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MY LIFE WITH THE ANGELS - YVONNE BOTT

36 LOOKING UP THROUGH MY SKYLIGHT Katie Hopkins shares her journey and powerful reflections with us

19. SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A NEW AGE NEWS - with Katie Brockhurst 42. FINDING YOUR TRUE NORTH - with Scott Hutchison McDade 40. UBOXING YOUR BRILLIANCE - with Jo Gifford

50 MOON WISDOM - EMMA HALLEY

44. NATURE'S KITCHEN Our foraging expert Jill shares with us the earths gift of wild garlic.

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! g n i v o l e r a Things we for

MAY

What we’re enjoying this month in the ‘Untamed’ HQ

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1. Dragon Oracle Diana Cooper 2. Red Moon Herb - Lung Support 3. Eyes Wide Open Mariana Caplan 4. Emily Coxhead Mugs 5. Zero waste Vegan toiletries Kit TheSlowLivingCompany Etsy 6. Tisserand Happiness Essential Oil Set 7. EMF Nikola Tesla Purple Energy pendant

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YOU ARE A

s s e d d o G Jena Robinson – Energy Practitioner I used to beat myself up for “not being good enough.” If I could speak to my earlier self in moments of despair, I would say, "What is it that you prefer, beloved? What do you want instead of what you're experiencing now?" I’d play a game with myself. Instead of hide-and- seek, it would be, ‘How quickly can you shift those emotions to positive ones?’ I would encourage myself to keep following that thread. That noticing, then the preferring can lead to taking inspired action, and I believe that has been the biggest breakthrough to awakening for me.

As we awaken our inner Goddess, often we wish to increase our confidence and find courage within ourselves but aren’t quite sure the first step to take. The #1 way I have found to achieve this, moving forward from where you are to the future you wish to live, is by rediscovering and aligning with your true purpose, ultimately leading to abundance in all areas of your life.

This alignment is also the quickest way to start healing in your life which will increase your self-worth...see the domino effect Goddess?

As you step into your goddess power, ask yourself one thing: what’s the ONE word you wish to embody? Let this word speak to the purpose you seek in your life.

Tierra Womack

As you step into your goddess power, ask yourself one thing: Whats the ONE word you want to embody?

Goddesses are like diamonds.

They are not special because they are rare, they are special because we value them.

The Universe is littered with diamonds, they are one of the most common elements that you will find out there.

Goddesses are everywhere. Each and every one of us is a Goddess.

Claiming your Goddess-ness is a Goddess given right. But you have to claim it. No one will be walking up to you and handing you the title. It is there for the taking, it is there for you to take the crown and put it on your head and live it.

When you start valuing yourself, they will start valuing you too. The time is now, claim it! - Yolandi Boshoff

Claiming your Goddessness is a Goddess given right.

A Goddess, me?...

A Goddess, me?

Naw, that’s someone who is beautiful, worshipped by others isn’t it?? Well no it isn’t, for me awakening my inner Goddess was about recognising that true spiritual soul that I am and discovering the authentic me that had laid dormant within. I was 60 when I finally allowed myself to recognise to my Inner Goddess, here are a few things that wished I had known sooner: People pleasing, been there and truly nothing is ever enough for some people, focus on pleasing you, because you are so worth it.

Everything you need is within, that divine aspect of self, your soul.

You do not need anyone but yourself to approve you, believe in you, as you are enough.

Love yourself first and then you’re ready to share that love with others.

Remember, you are AMAZING!!!!

Wendy Dixon

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Self-love is your superpower – Love is our superpower. We just have to tap into the love within.

Give the love that you desire to yourself, and love will come back to you. Self-love is the most important love that we can give in my opinion. Without love of self, we cannot truly love others.

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Self-love has become a daily practice and way of life for me and it is reflected in my life.

I trust myself and my relationships have a deeper connection. I love my body more and more every day. I am honored to be the Mother of three amazing children and two bonus children that I love and adore.

Plant medicine has helped me in so many wonderful ways. The herbs, plants, fruit, and flowers of the earth are here to help us during this time of healing and discovery.

I am abundant in love and loving friendships. There is peace that has come over me and I feel reborn and enlightened. I know that I am creating my reality and I do not look outside of myself anymore for acceptance. We all are here to experience our own unique journey to expansion.

Forgive, Forgive and Forgive!!!!

Make Love and discover your sensual sacred self! You are worthy of Love! And if you do not have a partner be your own Lover! Find all of the delicious places you can take yourself.

Listen to music that aligns you with love. Music is therapeutic and connects us to a feeling.

Choose music that makes you feel good.

Here are a few things you can do to begin your journey to healing and self-love.

Begin a daily routine to quiet your mind at least once a day.

That could be meditation, a walkin nature, yoga, or whatever you do to slow down and be present in the moment.

Move your body in ways that feel good and give you pleasure.

Dance with yourself.

Trust yourself. You have all the answers.

Connect with Mother Nature and the Moon. The energy exchange from our planet is essential.

Speak Love on yourself and others. Stop complaining and make the necessary changes to be happy and joyous.

“Love is the great miracle cure. Loving ourselves works miracles in our lives.”

-Louise Hay You are here to enjoy, create, love and be loved! The answers you seek are within you.

Change is not always easy, but living a life of hurt, pain and disease is even harder. You have nothing to lose (except limitations) and everything to gain. I believe in you!

i t i n i f In x 10

YOU ARE HERE TO CREATE Heaven HERE ON EARTH This is the story for every woman who feels lost and is searching for meaning and purpose. Who has lost touch with her divine essence and feels like a parched empty vessel, stuck, running on the treadmill of life, but not getting anywhere...

It was midnight and I could feel this huge heavy weight bearing down on me. I could not breathe. I tried to speak through snot and tears, “I can’t do this! I can’t live like this any longer!”

I was lying in bed, next to my then husband, where we lived in Texas. We had emigrated there from Edinburgh, Scotland with my seven-year-old son, after getting married. We had the holidays, the cars, motorbikes (yes, I had a bike, too), and friends. We went to live gigs, went sailing, and toasted marshmallows at the top of a live volcano in Guatemala.

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I know this sounds like the dream and our life appeared full, but I felt empty. I felt lost.

On the inside, I was crying out to be saved, to be happy, to find joy. To find my purpose. At this point, I just had not realised that I needed to save myself. I needed to return home to the divine truth; to the truth of my heart and soul’s essence and to finally align my heart, body, and spirit.

I had been trying to feed the hungry ghost within my soul with the wrong things. With food, drink, drugs, overworking, and over-exercising.

Undervaluing myself with inflated expectations of who I should be.

My thoughts, my beliefs, my own expectations were keeping me stuck. I was keeping me stuck in an unhappy and unfulfilled groove, like an outdated needle on an old record player, you remember those? I was stuck repeating the same old bumpy groove.

I had to change!

Do you know what the biggest game changer was? It was so simple. I got quiet.

This connection to my essences goes by many names, Source of Universal Love, Mother Earth, Gaia, Your Higher Self, The Divine, The Great Oneness, Universe has your back, Buddha, Goddess, Your inner light, Wizard of Oz. It had been there all along—as with you, there inside at your authentic core, your Heart, your Soul SELF as One with the Universe. Knowing this will save you decades of searching.

This sense I had of being lost, restless and unfulfilled meant that my fears kept me stuck. My beliefs and fears of being judged as not enough, along with shame, guilt and unworthiness manifested as depression, anxiety, bulimia, addiction, lack of confidence and lack of selfbelief.

I became inspired through meditation, and it felt SOOOO GOOOD. I had to continue with MORE of this. It became an integral part of my life and not a “thing” I had to do.

Release the story you have held onto, let go of the external exceptions, transmute fear into love. It is all energy, everything, so what energy are you amplifying.

IIona

It had been there all along as with you, there inside at your authentic core, your Heart, your Soul SELF as One with the Universe. Knowing this will save you decades of searching.

You can learn to surf the rise and fall of life’s waves of adversity and triumph. You are here to create heaven on earth.

You are here to live your truth.

x a n o I

Russell, Intuitive Mindset Coach The Everyday Goddess Revolution Co-Author 12

THE RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH YOURSELF IS THE REALTIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH

Everything

Sweetheart. Know that you are worthy, whole, and complete. Nothing outside of you - not a man or relationship – can give that to you or take it away. The relationship you have with yourself is the most important one. It will reflect in all other relationships..

When you learn to love and accept yourself in all of your messy and magnificent humanness, you will find a partner who will reflect that love back to you Remember, you are the common denominator in your relationships. Look at your life with loving curiosity, not judgment.

If our fundamental needs were not met as a child, as an adult it is our responsibility to hold that inner child with love and compassion and tell her what she needs to hear. You learn to show up for yourself and begin to trust yourself creating love and safety from within.

'Sweetheart, Know that you are worthy, whole and complete.'

Imagine yourself as that little girl. See her and be with her. Place your hands on your heart and visualize those moments when she felt dismissed, when she was frightened and alone, felt she was not enough. What did she need to hear?

Showing up for yourself in this way is empowering. Your beliefs about not being worthy will shift.

Do you know your core values?

What do you value in yourself and in life? Your core values are your compass, guiding you through life. In relationships, it is important for you both to be fundamentally aligned with your values. If your values are different, it can create a disconnected, unhealthy dynamic.

What do you truly desire?

Your heart’s desires are the roadmap for what is meant for you - do not dismiss them. Many women are afraid to declare what they want because they do not feel worthy. Allow yourself to envision what you want, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Close your eyes, create a mental picture in your mind. What does it look like, and more importantly, how does it feel? Write it down, in detail.

Allow yourself to envision what you want, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.

The mind does not know the difference between fantasy and reality. Our thoughts and beliefs create our existence.

This exercise, practiced consistently, will help you be clear about how you want to feel in a relationship. Change the lens through which you experience yourself and the world. You will believe love is meant for you and manifest the love you desire.

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Sweetheart, you are not broken. Nothing needs fixing. Noone and nothing outside of you will complete you. You are whole and perfect, right now. All the answers you seek are within you.

Stop searching outside of yourself and begin to hold up that loving mirror. Instead of tearing yourself down, get curious; get to know your true.

Here are some journal prompts to help you gain clarity: What examples did my caregivers model in love and relationship? Was there communication? Were feelings allowed and expressed or swept under the rug? Was there fighting, degradation, disrespect?

What have I normalized through my learning and conditioning?

What did love look and feel like. How is that reflected in my relationship(s)?

As a child, was love present, kind, nurturing or was it uncertain? Were my emotions ignored? Was life safe or chaotic? What feels familiar to what I learned in my relationship(s)?

Who did I have to be in order to receive love and praise? The “good girl”, quiet and dismissive, the “people pleaser?” I am a recovering people pleaser.

x i l r Ka

Karli Kershaw - Relationship & Inner Work Coach The Everyday Goddess Revolution Co-Author

H0W TRAUMA CAN CRACK YOU OPEN TO YOUR TRUTH We join the owner of the Co-Author & Goddess of joy Randi Willhite as she shares her journey of loss, grief and finding her truth.

What is this journey of Awakening, and how do we fully get in touch with our Inner Goddess? Having been on my Spiritual Path for about 20 years I am very grateful to be where I am now.

Before I found my Inner Goddess, I always felt like I did not fit in. I was sensitive to other people’s moods, and actions. I took everything personally. I found myself in relationships where I was taken advantage of and gave too much only to be hurt in the end. I would “cycle” through relationships.

Now, I am confident in my gifts, and what I have to offer the world!

The journey to get here has been quite a ride.

When I lost my boy, I went to a place I never knew existed, somewhere no mother should ever have to go.

But because of my understanding of how Spirit works, and my relationship with Source, I was able to come to terms with my loss. My boy had a much bigger purpose than this human experience. He is my angel, and an angel to so many more. He visits now and then, and I am so grateful. In conversations with him, he has told me, “Mom, you will be speaking about this one day, and helping lots of other Moms along the way.”

Grief is a very personal journey.

There is no “right way” or “wrong way”, only your way.

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There is definitely shock at first. And that can last a long time.

Sadness, depression, anger, guilt; all happen in their own time. The best way to live with grief is with grace. Give yourself the grace to be sad or depressed. It may last for a moment or for days at a time.

Give yourself the grace to feel joy. It is normal to feel guilty being happy, because maybe you should always feel sad. But remember that joy exists within us, always. It is meant to, and it is OK to feel it. I feel my boy is happy for me, happy that I live life in joy!

We create our realities through our thoughts, intentions, and bold actions. And when we face big or small roadblocks in life, we ask “How is this happening FOR me, not TO me?” The Universe is always conspiring for our absolute best.

The journey of Awakening is personal and yet Universal. It contains both hardships and wins.

But it is a journey that you will always cherish. No matter where you are in your journey, you always have your inner Goddess with you. She exists and has always existed. If you have been through a traumatic experience, be it in a relationship or the loss of a loved one, I invite you to seek Freedom.

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By Freedom, I mean declaring that the trauma no longer holds power over you. You are no longer a victim, but a survivor and a Goddess. All the love, light, power, and strength to live the life of magic and Joy you deserve is within you.

Journal prompts to shift from victim to empowered Goddess.

If you were able to heal from the trauma and triggers, what new outlook would you have on life?

If you were able to break through the limited beliefs you have created for yourself (IE, I am not good enough), what new possibilities do you see for your life?

If you were to find your voice and purpose, what impact could you make on others?

Randi x

How I created my second act in life...

by Judy Prokopiak When my health began to suffer, that is when I had to start letting go.

What people said, how they would feel, what they would think, what they did or did not do. Worrying about stuff that most likely would not even happen.

I began connecting to myself and tapping into what I did have control over. My thoughts, my feelings, my actions, my results, and my intuition. My purpose, my wisdom, my dreams, my desires, and my truth.

This was not an easy shift, my ego fought hard to stay in charge. I immersed myself in learning about thought work, mindset, beliefs, and trauma. I worked with master coaches and healers in order to find my truth, my purpose, my peace of mind.

I decided I would figure it out.

Since 2008, there have been five major things I did to change my life and create a remarkable second act.

While I would love to call them steps, I have discovered that because I am a living, breathing, spiritual being having a human experience, I am always working with these elements in my life, which is why I love teaching them because they are the skills you will use the rest of your life.

Reimagining my future and deciding that I wanted to be well. What else did I want?

Why did I want to be healthy?

Asking myself those questions showed me something and while I did not vision myself as a Goddess, I did imagine myself happy, healthy, and worthy and able to travel, paddle board, etc.

Reclaiming my Health. PCOS, auto-immune colitis, depression, becoming -gluten, dairy, corn, alcohol, and sugar free.

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Rewiring my mind by learning powerful thought work tools. You can start with journaling your thoughts, beginning to notice what is going on in your head.

Practice the acronym W.A.I.T. What Am I Thinking? When you feel upset, scared, anxious, overwhelmed, or angry, notice the sentences in your mind.

Choose a new more empowering thought.

Reframing my past through trauma work. I especially love E4Trauma Method®, for reframing your limiting beliefs.

Reconnecting with myself.

This has been both the most challenging and the most powerful. I believe we all crave connection and what we are craving the most is this connection to our intuition, our higher self, our source of all that is, My relationships are great because I am no longer people pleasing or shape shifting.

I live with vitality, health, and wellbeing.

My beliefs about money, prosperity and my worthiness have given us financial freedom.

My “knowing” the truth of who I AM, my freedom of expression, and creativity gives me the goddess power to live my purpose and calling as a speaker, teacher, author coach and podcaster.

We are on a constant journey of reinvention, of unbecoming and becoming.

Do not believe everything you think.

Question every thought and belief.

Do not doubt that You are a GOD(ESS) because you are the “I AM”.

You are never too old, and it is never too late, to Get Your Second Act.

J u dy

Judy Prokopiak – Master Life Reinvention Coach The Everyday Goddess Revolution Co-Author

THE EVERYDAY GODDESS Revolution Each month spiritual transformation coach Leanne Macdonald shares with us her Life Alchemy wisdom & tips for living the life of an everyday Goddess When your feminine and masculine energy are out of balance, your human self will be giving you huge signs in the form of: Living life emotionally reactive. Lacking motivation.

Low self-esteem. Lacking boundaries. Super judgmental of others. Lost sense of adventure and zest for life. Struggle to adjust to change Living in habitual cycles. Struggling to express yourself, manifesting in anxiety.

Co-dependency. Being confrontational and defensive.

Embodying the role of the victim, how dare they do this to me, kind of vibe.

If you are relating to any of the above it doesn’t mean you have failed or you are a bad person in any way shape or form, lets be honest, we can all be one or more of the above on any given day, but if this is causing you to not enjoy life, feel fed up, feel stuck,

lost, or if you ever catch yourself saying ‘what’s the point?’ then it is time to bring in some balance back to your life.

You need to start to live your life Goddess-powered.

Bring that beautiful divine, creative, intuitive, feminine energy that resides within you to meet the confident and expansive energy of the masculine and working together.

Allow the feminine to help heal trauma within the masculine.

Allow the masculine to bring into creation the hopes and dreams of the feminine.

Take the pressure off the masculine of always having to know the answer, by tuning into the feminine and allowing that inner GPS system do its thing.

There is nothing to do, you just have to be, be you.

Explore this for yourself, one area at a time, look at the relationship you have with yourself first.

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How do you communicate with yourself? What assumptions have you made about who you are and what you are capable of in life?

Begin to explore each assumption, when did you decide this? Under what circumstances? What was happening in your life in those moments you made these assumptions? Were you living in a balanced state of being or were you living more in your masculine or feminine?

Tune into each assumption, meditate on each assumption and listen to what you hear.

ALL negative assumptions you make are made during an imbalance of energy with a lean towards the masculine, but they cannot be changed or transmuted until you invite the feminine to the party.

Journaling is alchemy when it comes to transmuting a masculine-based belief system, returning to balance inside.

Here are my favorite journaling prompts for bringing back balance within:

How do I feel about (situation / person / event)?

Why do I feel? What am I making this mean about myself?

If this situation/person or event didn’t mean anything about me, how else can the situation look?

If I accepted everything exactly as it is, without judgement, what belief / limitation do I need to let go of?

What is being shown to me right now?

What am I being guided towards right now?

Tons of love Goddess,

Leanne MacDonald is a UK based Spiritual & Mental Well-Being Coach. She is passionate about awakening the pure potential within everyone, so they can go on to experience a life filled with absolute joy and purpose. www.leannemacdonaldwellbeing.com

e n i v i D e h T FEMINIST Well hello, and welcome to my first ever column in the magazine!

I’m so grateful to Charlie for the opportunity to write here, and thrilled to be part of the Untamed Soul family.

I’m a Soul-Led Therapist, Soul Support Mentor and witch based in Northumberland, UK and am passionate about taking a balanced approach to our spirituality and soul work.

Why? Because I’ve seen what happens when we don’t – I’ve been let down by teachers that believed their own hype, seen friends who toppled into pits of depression after years of spiritual bypassing caught up with them, and I’ve experienced more than my fair share of spiritual pitfalls for myself.

Do you ever notice that when you go outside and spend time in nature you feel recharged? I do.

I find the magnetic force of our earth so healing.

What I’ve learned in over 20 years of actively working through my own soul’s journey is that the best way to avoid the perils of that work is to remember that as well as being eternally wise and incredibly powerful souls, we are also humans. Beautifully, imperfectly, fragile humans.

'YOU KNOW THE POWER OF CONNECTION TO YOUR SOUL' I know, connecting with that human part of you doesn’t sound anywhere near as exciting as all of the magical stuff you could be doing otherwise. And yet, truly it’s the foundation to all of that magic and then some.

Let me explain…

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I’m a big fan of trees and am never happier than when I’m walking in the woods with my dog Kali.

I love trees for many reasons, but one of the biggest is their sturdiness; the way a big old tree can withstand anything and everything the world throws at it.

Come heavy rain, blazing sun or the wildest of winds those glorious trees will be there, offering shade or shelter and standing tall no matter what.

The secret of the trees of course is their roots, reaching all the way down into the earth and spreading out as wide as they can – networking with others they know will support them and taking care of their most basic needs for nutrients and water from the Earth before using those same roots to give back.

That means tending the parts of us that reach down into the Earth; meeting our human needs, cultivating our support networks, and doing everything we need to keep ourselves standing strong and sturdy no matter what the world may throw at us.

That’s not always easy. This human life can be tough – why else are so many of us so keen to numb or bypass it?

THE SECRET OF TREES OF COURSE IS THEIR ROOTS.

But if we want to truly ground that wisdom, that beauty and that magic that can be found in our powerful spiritual journeying and the deep work of our souls; if we want to feel the benefit of those things every single day for the rest of time, there are few things more important than tending our own glorious roots.

C e r y n x.

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Ceryn Rowntree can be found at www.cerynrowntree.com

The Greatest Story

. . . d l o T r e Ev This month we fully lean into the shift in humanity that is unfolding before our very eyes with our newest columnist Matthew Gardner This next chapter of the human story has encoded within it a call back home. A return to our true human nature, an awakening to each other as profound and essential allies.

Here to spark our remembering.

In a society, where we have the means to be more connected to each other than ever before, we find ourselves (as a collective) living more and more separate lives.

We have the Internet, we have video chatting, we have dozens of digital social spaces, that are theoretically spaces for building and nurturing relationships. Yet increasingly, more human beings feel uncomfortable softening into a simple loving and present cuddle.

This is something I have noticed in my travels. I have met leaders from online coaching and thought leadership spaces, who are great thinkers and teachers, sharing quite profound

knowledge in beautiful ways, and yet when I meet them in real life, they struggle to hold eye contact and engage in a deeply present and honouring hug.

I always think to myself ‘If we cannot meet each other in deep presence, with the fullness of our humanness, then how the hell are politicians and world leaders going to?’

The idea of 'the lone wolf' making their way through life without the love, nurture, and support of the pack, and their purposeful role within that community, comes to mind. This idea manifests itself in our human experience as the individual walking through life in a mostly solitary manner, acquiring knowledge, and yet never truly having a place within the community to embody that knowledge, to bring it forward in collective service or to dissolve into a calm centre when around others.

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Enter the Age of Aquarius and a slow return to healthy interdependence.

The next few decades, and beyond, will see a reimagining of community, as localised and yet interconnected communities emerge all around the world.

In the flow of historical social development unfolding here and now, this is the in-person ‘Yin' to the digitalised social media ‘Yang’.

With the emergence of these localised communities will come a return to the paradigm of 'the village'; human beings living, working, dreaming, creating and playing together in larger localised groups.

The emergence of these unofficial ‘villages’ or ’networks’ are something to celebrate and lean into. They will be a localised catalyst for a deeper remembering of our humanity and a return to truly knowing each other and the community itself as holding key initiations on our personal paths of self-actualisation and embodied awakening.

How are you fully leaning towards finding your villages right now?

Cosmic Eternal Love

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G L M

Matthew Liam Gardner is a dedicated and ignited heart at the frontier of New Paradigm Leadership He is the founder of The Academy of Awakening, one of the worlds most dynamic Master Facilitators who spends his life traveling the world lighting fires in the hearts and bellies of awake and aware conscious Leaders and communities.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR A NEW AGE

News

Katie Brockhurst, the Social Media Angel and author of Social Media For A New Age, shares her thoughts on online life for us Untamed types - covering the latest news and predictions in spiritual social media and digital wellbeing.

Visibility Vulnerabilities & Showing up on social media...

Am I bragging or showing off?

Am I boring? Am I good enough?

When you show up and share from your heart, You are sharing your soul, your gifts and your art.

When you set your intentions and get clear on your why, Your content will reach the right timelines, The right hearts, the right eyes.

Sharing ourselves on social media especially in the name of ‘marketing’ ourselves, is a much more scary and complex thing than we often give it credit for. I hear from many of my clients that this is something they struggle with, It requires a lot of love and attention to move through as it calls on us to really love ourselves.

Hard.

Showing up, be it in the Town Square of the Facebook / Insta Timeline or a Living Room space on Zoom or ClubHouse means public speaking is something we are all being schooled on in some form or other through the nature of social media. And public speaking is one of the number one things that creates anxiety for a lot of people.

From a personal development perspective, working on your fears of being visible and being seen is an aspect of it that can be very rewarding to explore and move through, when approaching it in this way as part of your social media practice.

You know you have something to share with the world...Be it art, music, poetry, healing... But we are scared.

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Scared of what people will think, scared of the unknown.

Scared of failure. Someone left this comment for me on an Instagram about this;

“I’ve literally started a new public account tonight with a view to sharing in this way, but I’ve been debating it all week. I’m embarrassed for friends to see, I’m scared to be vulnerable, or to share too much with too many people etc. But something bigger than all of the above is making me want to do it despite my fears.

Still definitely very real fears though.”

Exploring your blocks to showing up and doing the inner work, to explore the triggers and insights that being on social media can bring, can be so beneficial in the long term. It is an opportunity to use social media as a self development tool. I have had clients who have been able to recognise limiting beliefs - such as imposter syndrome, feelings of not being good enough or blocks to abundance which they have worked on as a result and seen incredible changes in their lives.

They have done this by looking within, getting help and support around doing this work on themselves.

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You can do this by starting to recognise when you are making repeated excuses about not creating or posting content, or doing that Instagram live or Clubhouse call… Are there any voices you can hear repeating the same thing to you? Do you recognise that voice? Is it yours or someone else’s? How many saboteurs do you have? (We often have quite a few!) Begin to listen out for your saboteurs, get familiar with them - begin a conversation with them and see what they have to tell you. Once you recognise them and get familiar with them, youcan take action and they loose their power.

By loving yourself, learning about yourself, becoming conscious to yourself and seeing yourself for who you really are an awesome being of love, light and infinite possibility - and accepting yourself and your brilliance - this can actually and amazingly be an awesome side effect of this social media malarkey.

Your confidence is likely to increase the more you engage with the process and the comfier you get with it. This confidence then has the opportunity to spill across and have a positive effect across many elements of your life, including the added bonus of learning the art of not caring what other people think of you.

“The more we become ourselves, speak and share it outwardly the more we have to learn to love that fear within. That fear of being too much, of being too different, of being too seen or too free.”

- Sophie Gregroire @sophieg_ journeyauthenticself

Until next time!

Katie

www.socialmediaforanewage.com

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r o F e r a C f l e S YOUR SOUL

What comes to mind when breathing in the divine feminine and self-care? My moon cycle.

Honouring our bodies through the month is an essential form of selfcare. his is a beautiful time to hold space for yourself. We are so connected to the moon, to nature.

It is a deep part of us and something, that when we tune into it. can awaken our potential

' We are so connected to the moon, to nature.

It is a deep part of us.

For years I did not identify with this. I did not have the courage to rest.

I would hustle and keep being busy during my moon,

even though my body ached for me to rest.

The cramps would be worse; I would feel antisocial and angry. I forced the masculine out of me when what my soul wanted was that softness. The feminine flow.

Honouring your moon cycle takes courage. It is the epitome of femininity and it is brave. To be vulnerable enough to give yourself a break, to allow rest when the world seems to beckon for you.

You get to step back, to honour this time, retreat into the cocoon of your femininity.

You can rest in many ways.

Connecting to the divine feminine can be ritualistic or it can be in the mundane.

For you, it could be resting with a warm cup of tea by a fire. Cosied up reading your favourite book.

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Or perhaps, you embrace the ritual and connect with your blood. Ceremony is potent. How can you honour your feminine essence during your flow? Invite your feminine power to rise. Let her dance. She is here for you always, and during your moon, she is more untamed than ever.

Do not be afraid of setting boundaries. If you need to set up time in advance for people to watch your kids, do it. Be prepared.

There is no room for guilt here.

If lying in bed for 3 days, enveloped in the softness of your sheets is awakening the feminine in you, let her be free. Go there.

If you enjoy some dark chocolate, savour every bit. Let yourself taste every silken bite as it melts in your mouth. Feel the delight rise in you. This is your feminine Goddess.

The more you honour your cycle Speaking of goddesses. Connect the more potent your magic is. with an archetype during your cycle and ask her for guidance.

How are you honouring your Pull a goddess card and see who divine feminine during your has a message for you. This is a moon time? wonderful way to invite your feminine to rise. The wisdom of the cards will always guide you to what you need. Trust in that, trust in you. This is your intuition guiding you.

Self-care is the divine feminine. They go Join Mala across social hand in hand. Saying media for more self no is not shameful, care guidance & it is saying yes spport. to your soul.

How can you honour your feminine essence?

M a la x .

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mala@malakennedy.com www.malakennedy.com

That Friday Feeling

TOOLKIT

CATCH SOME WAVES IN

Join Helen Bartram from 'That Friday Feeling' Podcast as she shares her tips, tricks & tools to bring that Friday feeling everyday...

Imposter syndrome ...

Isn’t it funny how as a society we just accept things to be “norm” and until someone challenges them and our perspective on things. We just carry on without a second thought for the weight it carries or the impact it has on our lives.

Imposter syndrome is one of those things for me. I see it holding people back all the time and hear things like “I can’t do that, I suffer with imposter syndrome” far too often.

Labels are a funny thing. I get it sometimes they do help us to understand someone's experience however surely our understanding then comes from a pile of assumptions we personally have attached to a label rather than from listening to the individual's actual experience.

I also believe that by giving something a label we sometimes actually make it a “thing”. You know something bigger than what it actually is. That is not under any circumstances meant to diminish how you feel because I have also had the same feelings and experience that others would ‘imposter syndrome’.

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It can be overwhelming and uncomfortable to say the least.

18 The trouble lies though when you own a label that can potentially restrict your growth when in fact it is a normal healthy part of life.

Would you agree that imposter syndrome is simply a mix of self doubt, feelings of inadequacy and a lack of self belief? To label anyone an imposter and identify as a fraud of themself feels a little harsh to me, when it's simply what I deem to be a healthy response to a new / challenging situation.

Show me someone who hasn’t done something meaningful to them and not felt any of these things. Show me someone who has never doubted their own ability when doing something for the first time or stepping into a new challenge.

SHOW ME SOMEONE WHO HAS NEVER DOUBTED THEIR OWN ABILITY WHEN DOING SOMETHING FOR THE FIRST TIME OR STEPPING INTO A NEW CHALLENGE. Often we feel that way because of the pressure we put on ourselves to be perfect.

It’s ok to not always get things right, it's ok to not have all the answers all of the time, it's ok to ask for help and it’s ok for things to not go as you hoped / expected.

www.helenbartram.com

Feel Good today...

Here’s some actionable things for you to work on if you feel like you suffer with Imposter Syndrome:

1. Observe your feelings and thinking around the situation 2. Focus on accepting all feelings are normal 3. Work on quieting your inner critic and turning the volume up on your inner cheerleader 4. Let go of expectations of self and events 5. Take the action and do your best!!!

Stop focusing on feeling like an imposter and start focusing on believing in your awesomeness!

Have fun!

Helen.

THE PODCAST

CHRISTINE Crystal expert Christine Langdale shares with us her favourite crystals from mother earth

Beltane – the celebration of the coming of summer & after the winter we had, we couldn’t be looking forward to it more!!

Welcoming the light and warmth of the summer to come (hopefully!!). A festival to celebrate the feminine, new beginnings and fertility and growth.

Create a Beltane altar with your crystals, some fresh flowers, and anything else that you associate with the coming of summer – which is my case would probably include some tomato plant seedlings, the promise of all those lovely red fruits and the taste of fresh tomato sauce to come!!

Ruby in Fuchsite Ruby in Fuchsite- a perfect combo of red ruby crystals embedded in beautiful green fuchsite, to use on the heart chakra, calming and healing and shifting you energy onto a positive plane for the months ahead.

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Dendritic Agate Dendritic Agate – Deepen your connection to the earth with this stone, a slow energy it takes its time, but will be with you for the long haul should you need it. It will eventually bring abundance and plenty to your life and while on its journey encourages you to take pleasure in the moment – after all the journey is what it’s all about not the end result.

Petrified Wood Petrified wood – a stone that is very much of the earth, created from fossilized plant matter, this stone will ground and nurture you, supporting and centring you. From it’s stability you will be able to look forward into the glorious summer months and leave the past winter behind.

Aquamarine

Unakite Unakite - Another stone to encourage you to be in the moment and appreciate what’s in the here and now – it’s message :- “look at the new life and growth around you and appreciate it!!- have gratitude”

See you soon!

Chrsintine

Christine is a Reiki Master & Crystal KANZANTHERAPIES Healer living in East Yorkshire, UK

Ask

Mama Starr Sometimes you know you need to move forward but you can’t figure out which direction to choose. Mama Starr gently, but firmly guides you on your way.

Reader Question...

Hey Mama Starr, As an empath, how do you differentiate between what is your energy and what is someone else's energy?

DJ DJ, that is a really good question, especially for newbies!

Many of us are extremely sensitive to the emotions out in the world. These days, that can be especially problematic because emotions are high no matter where you go! It can make even going to the grocery store an ordeal!!

First, let me give you the simplest and most direct answer to your question; Go within and ask “Is this mine?”

You will be given a yes or no answer. It’s important to recognize what a “yes” or “no” feels like. This is one of the first skills that I teach my students. If you are claircognizant (clear knowing) your answer may come to you as a verbal “yes” or “no” in your brain; if you’re clair-audience (clear hearing), you’ll hear a yes or no; clair-sentients (clear feeling) will experience a physical sensation and so on. As part of your journey, it’s important to learn how you receive information, so be sure to practice!

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That said, there is another more important question that many empaths fail to ask:

What do you do with all the emotions???

An empath’s job is not to HOLD emotions, but to release them! The gift of empathy enables you to help people close to you on their healing journey. However, you also pick up on the emotions of strangers. In those cases, your job is to simply recognize and release the emotion.

This is done by noticing what you are feeling and then practising “grounding” by imagining that you are sending the feelings down to Gaia (the earth). Set the intention that any negative energies be returned as pure, loving energy for the planet. Just a quick prayer will do, and you can go on about your business.

Honestly, whether it is YOUR emotion or not, you should make a daily practice, to “offload” all energy that no longer serves you.

To do this, hold up one hand and set the intention that you are releasing all energy that isn’t yours.

You may feel a tingling, hear a whoosh, see the energy leaving, or you may experience nothing at all.

As you are releasing, also set the intention that when the energy has cleared, your hand will fall of its own volition. Once that is done, raise your other hand and intend that you are gathering all of the energy you’ve left in the world and again, intend that your hand will fall when the process is complete.

This daily “energetic hygiene” practice will keep your channels and your energy clear! Not only that, but with practice, you will soon be able to easily differentiate between emotions that you need to heal and emotions that you need to ground. When in doubt, ground the emotion. If there is healing work to be done, you’ll know soon enough!

Namaste!

S ta r r x.

For more on this, be sure to have a look at my video on the Ask Mama Starr YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIVVviBU36A

Life with

THE ANGELS Yvonne Bottarelli joins us each month and shares with us her monthly guided meditation & her joyfilled life with the angels.

It really doesn’t matter where you are in your life or if what you are going through is big or small, the Angelic realm is always there to assist you; and so too are the Archangels, Ascended Masters, Gods and Goddesses.

When you call upon the Goddess energy you not only feel this beautiful wave of love, support and compassion, but you yourself are embodying this vibration.

You are lifted and feel held in a warm embrace.

I had been living in Italy for eight year when one December, the Angels told me it was time to leave.

I knew the timing was right; my daughter was due to move up to senior school the following year.

And although my life was wonderful - I had so many friends, my work was exciting and I led Meditation groups and taught Reiki - I needed to return to my roots.

I decided to leave at the end of term, giving myself six months but didn’t know where to begin. I was also doing this alone and there was so much to do! I even had to prepare documents for my dog who I wasn’t leaving behind, something which made the whole trip home even longer, as she was too old to fly, but it was made with love.

Each morning I prayed and called upon the Angels and the Goddess energy to be with me, to fill me and guide me.

This was my greatest lesson in faith and trust, I had to believe it would all be OK and even looking back I’m amazed how easy it was, I never once felt overwhelmed.

When you are following the path that you are meant to be on.

Life opens up and everything rolls out before you. I connected, I listened and I followed every step of the way. It was as if I was on some magical ride, friends offering to buy my large furnishings and my car.

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One day as I was wondering how I would pack and ship all my stuff, I was reminded by the Angels of a romance I had had a few years earlier with a man who owned an international removal company. I reached out and arrived with boxes and bubble wrap, and stored my belongings for free before shipping them over at minimum charge.

Sometimes you have to laugh at the synchronicity of spirit!

I had no idea where in the UK I wanted to liven so flew home a few times with the plan of first finding work. One day while driving to a job interview on the coast, I drove through Taunton, which just felt like home. As I continued to drive, my heart said “you need to turn around.” I knew I had found the right place.

I contacted a lady who owned a therapy centre in Taunton.

She agreed to meet me, being the total Goddess that she is. While we chatted, to my delight she said that once I was settled, I could come and work at the therapy centre with my Angel connection. At this point even though I spoke to the Angels and Goddess, and passed on their messages, I didn’t have any qualification, so it set me on the next path of becoming an Angel therapist and teacher.

Later when we chatted she told me it was her Angels who had told her to offer me a position. She has become my rock and the greatest of friends.

On my return to the UK, while sleeping on a friend’s floor and staying with my Mum, the Angels told me to drive to Taunton every Thursday and pick up the local paper, which led me to a house for rent next to a great school.

Three months later we were all settled in and I was in wonder at all I had achieved. While sat in gratitude to the Angels and the Goddesses who I knew were still holding me, I felt something lift.

The Goddess wasn’t leaving me but was stepping aside. I cried for three days; it was time to feel the emotion and get grounded.

y a M

MEDITATION

Make it a daily practice to invite the Goddess energy into your life.

Close your eyes, breathe into your heart and call on the Goddess to fill you with her passion, strength and love. As you walk outdoors call upon the Goddess Mother of Earth, Gaia to ground you and to help you feel safe and nurtured.

Join me on my YouTube channel for a full meditation of invoking and inviting the Goddess energy into your life. Until next month may the Goddess greet you always.

Much love,

Yvonne. x

Yvonne is based in Taunton UK as a holistic and spiritual Healer. Yvonne combines her certified therapies with her empathic nature and spiritual wisdom to guide, empower, heal and support.

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FINDING YOUR

True North

This month Yoga & spiritual teacher Scott HutchisonMcDade shares with us the importance of self care.

You can find Scott at www.positivechangeyoga.com Do you know when to take a bow and practice self-care?

step back and bow our heads, rest our minds and bodies, and practice an abundance of self-care.

As a Yogi, I believe the most incredible gift Yoga and Meditation gives us is the insight into how we are genuinely feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually. It is probably the greatest gift you will ever give yourself.

I used to be so disconnected from my mind and body that I did not know my limitations and ignored every sign and signal my mind and body threw at me, often with catastrophic consequences.

I now stand tall and own how I feel, and often talk publicly about it to share insight and help reduce stigma.

As a yogi, it is often assumed we are beyond the grasp of anxiety and insomnia, but even with every tool in our arsenal, we sometimes need to

My relationship with the anxiety monster is much better than I ever would have thought it could be. I feel truly blessed that visits are rare and fleeting, and those dark clouds are a rarity, because I am proactive, manage the early warning signs and listen to the messages my mind and body are sending me.

I used to be so embarrassed by my anxiety, thinking it made me look weak and vulnerable, but now I now embrace it, and if it were not for my anxiety, I wouldn't be writing this. Own your truths and embrace every part of who you are, warts and all.

t t o c S

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HOLISTICALLY y h t l a e H & y p p a H ROOT CHAKRA This month we are focussing on the first of the chakras, the root chakra or Muladhara in Sanskrit. which is located right at the base of the spine.

This chakra houses energy focused on our sense of security and belonging. It is the first chakra developed, in utero up to 12 months, and as such is associated with our core needs.

Just like a tiny baby, it is focussed on our need for our basic needs to be met.

If our root chakra is balanced, we can expect to feel safe, secure and grounded with a good relationship to money and financial security. We TRUST that we are safe and supported.

When the chakra is out of balance, maybe through something that happened at the age that chakra was developing (such as an insecure attachment to a primary caregiver),

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or a trauma relating to the areas governed by the chakra, then we may start to see the energetic imbalances manifesting in our emotions, behaviour and even physical bodies.

An imbalance in the root chakra might look like some of these. If you can relate to them they may be clues that your root chakra could need some TLC.

Physical - Problems with hips, legs, knees, calves, ankles, and feet (physically, everything below the root chakra is associated with it).

Emotional - Feeling fearful & anxious, Money mindset issues.

Addictions - Food, Shopping and gambling, tending to over-compensate for any security that was lacking.

How can you support the root chakra?

Aromatherapy

The concept of chakras can feel a little abstract when dealing with the unseen, subtle body. But there are very easy, practical ways we can work with our physical body and mind to aid our more subtle energy body.

Once you know the tools it becomes easy to start considering our chakras in our self care.

Woody, earthy scents, linking to the earth element and grounding such as cedarwood, sandalwood and patchouli. Dilute down with a carrier oil and apply to the soles of your feet or pop a few drops in a diffuser.

Yoga

Affirmation for the root chakra Help foster positive beliefs by affirming the qualities of a balanced root chakra. My favourite affirmation for the root chakra is “I am safe, secure and supported”.

With the root chakra associated with the element of earth and feeling grounded and secure, it also governs the legs and feet, the poses that work with this first chakra really compliment that.

Seated poses that bring the root chakra close to the earth, or standing / balancing poses like the warrior poses or tree, that really root you down through the feet and activate through the legs will support the chakra.

Healing crystals

Positive affirmations

Notice how this statement makes you feel and don’t be afraid to get curious about anything that comes up for you, journaling is a great way of exploring this.

Love & Light

Michelle

Dense, grounding stones to aid our sense of security such as Hematite, Black Obsidian or Red Jasper. Place by the root chakra during meditation, or keep them close by for protection and security.

RECLINED Michelle Taylor is a yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, BUTTERFLY intuitive coach you can find her on the links below. www.michellemaslintaylor.com

@happyhealthytoday

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y m h g u o r h t p u g Lookin

SKYLIGHT

Holistic coach and mindfulness expert Katie Hopkins shares her experience and insights as she navigates through this journey we call life.

My very own Goddess...Oceane.

For those of you, who have been following my feature over the past six months, you will have noticed the theme I have had around pain.

Chronic pain has been part of my life – literally embedded on a cellular level for the past ten years.

I did not actually have a clue what normal felt like. I had good days, not so good days, and horrible pain flare days, which meant I could not walk properly or function at an optimal level.

I had enough! I attempted another therapy of Acupuncture, Cupping and Chinese Meridian Massage. It was torture and activating. I endured it for a few months at great cost to myself – monetary, physically, and mentally. However, after three months I realised it was not fixing the actual problem and I was no closer to my Nirvana of being pain-free. I stopped treatment and made a vow to myself that I was going to be pain-free within the next year.

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I sat down – me, myself and I, and had a conversation with the Universe. I blabbed it all out.

Everything that I felt and all that pain was taking from me. I surrendered to the Universe and asked for assistance. A short time later an advert appeared on my Facebook page for a new Chiropractor just around the corner from my house. I was drawn to read the advert and a sudden calm descended over me. I knew this was the answer to my cry for help. I got an appointment straight away as a slot miraculously opened for me.

I arrived full of hope and promise and when I met the new medical professional I was trusting to help me,

I got tingles down my body.

Her name was Oceane and she stood before me as a Goddess of Healing.

As an Aquarian, I feel at home by the beach or bodies of water. It is where I go when I want to whisper my desires into the scared container that is the ocean. Where I come home to myself.

This was another sign I was meant to be here.

After my initial meeting and assessment, she calmly told me she knew what was wrong and her aim was to get me pain-free!

Those words felt foreign to me as all other medical practitioners had written me off as unstable and provided a prescription for medication on the way out. I was never heard.

My treatment would take time, patience and self-compassion. She would need to reactivate each injury in order to get me back into alignment. It would be painful and triggering but worth it.

Three months on and I can say it has been worth it. After a month of intensive treatment, I took myself off all pain and anxiety medication and managed the flares holistically.

I am still undergoing treatment and look forward to my sessions with Oceane as her energy is so reassuring. There is something so powerful when someone sees all of you. Oceane sees me. She hears me. She listens to me. She reads my body and gently coxes it back to where it should be. There is no judgement. No drama. Our relationship is based purely on trust, a shared mutual outcome of relieving me of pain and she understands pain (having suffered and survived it herself) so the compassion and empathy she brings to her sessions are worth their weight in gold. “…You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.” Max Ehrmann - Desiderata I am eternally grateful for the Universal assistance I have received and keep on receiving.

x e i t a K Love

Katie Hopkins - I’m a free spirit (some may call crazy), who now calls Christchurch, New Zealand, home. I live with my soul-mate husband and three heart-children.

I have travelled the world in search of purpose, and I talk to the moon!

Self-education is a passion, so I am a Life, Positivity and Resilience Coach, a certified Specialised Yoga Teacher and a Mindfulness Facilitator. I rarely follow logic (much to the dismay of others) and I always trust that the universe has my back. My musings come from the Heart.

www.katielouwcoaching.com

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UNTOLD STORIES witr Penny Tresher Our expert writer & editor Penny Thresher shares her passion for her words with our community because your story needs to be heard.

Previously in this column I have shared tips about how to establish a writing habit, and also about what to write.

Let’s explore a little more about how you can make your writing better.

In my role as editor, I have come across some writing habits that, if conquered, can greatly improve the flow of your writing.

We write to share and communicate with our readers.

There are many tools you can use to help with spelling and grammar. But it is the flow of your writing that will hook your reader into your story and keep them reading to the end.

A good editor can help you with spelling grammar and flow, but you can learn to avoid some of the pitfalls and improve your writing.

This month lets deal with 3 issues that are linked and when addressed can significantly improve your writing.

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Too many words Probably the most common issue.

When writing passionately about something, we often feel the need to include every single tiny detail of anything remotely connected to our subject matter. In our desire to communicate fully we strive to ensure that our reader truly understands what we are trying to express, and our words pour onto the page.

As you grow more confident in your writing ability you will learn that sometimes less is more!

Tackling the other problems below can help with this issue too.

Setting a word count and sticking to it is a great way to train yourself to write succinctly.

Long Sentences As a general rule, your sentences should be from 20 to 30 words long. If your style is breezy, 15 words would be good. Sentences with 50 or more words should be avoided if possible.

Short sentences can add impact and clarity and simply make it much easier for readers to understand what you are trying to say. If your sentences are long and meandering, your reader might struggle to understand the point. They might have to re-read it several times, which is a waste of their time. They might misunderstand your sentence.

They might even give up and start reading something else!

Misused Adverbs “The road to hell is paved with adverbs” – Stephen King Some of the most commonly misused words in the writing I edit are “really” and “actually” and “very”. Often used when the author is trying to emphasise a feeling, or an emotion.

Adverbs are used to emphasise and quantify, but there are many adverbs in common use that add nothing to your writing. Getting to grips with adverb usage can greatly enhance your writing.

For instance: “She spoke really softly”. The adverb adds nothing to the sentence and can easily be removed. In fact, the sentence could be edited to read “She whispered”. There are lots of adverbs that add depth and emphasis to your writing.

Get to know them but use them sparingly!

Next month we will look at some other ways to increase the impact of your writing and improve the flow.

Happy writing!

Penny

Penny is a UK based coach, writer, editor and speaker.

With a fierce passion for words and a desire to encourage everyone to find their voice, she combines her coaching skills and writing ability to help people speak up and shine brightly in the world!

penny@cornerhousewords.co.uk www.cornerhousewords.co.uk

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UNBOXING YOUR

Brilliance

We join Jo Gifford as we unbox ourselves and discover the brilliance that is inside of us all...

Creating content and connection as a changemaker can feel challenging at times.

As humans who are shining the light in the world, a deep connection to self and an awareness of the energy around us can often mean that we're just not in a space that feels conducive to creation mode.

That's totally, totally natural, and as it should be. Forcing consistency feels really out of alignment, because it is.

The old paradigm of hustle, of showing up every day, giving energy and sharing for the sake of it is not where we are at as untamed soul beings, movers and shakers.

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The old paradigm of hustle, of showing up every day, giving energy and sharing for the sake of it is not where we are at as untamed soul beings, movers and shakers.

Human beings naturally work in a cyclical nature.

Creativity is cyclical.

Each day ebbs and flows; each moment ebbs and flows.

By tuning in and harnessing that cycle rather than working against it, we can create far more impact in the world with whatever we create.

I'm sure if, like me, you are fully aware of those days - or even weeks or months - where it feels like you just don't want to be speaking or sharing or writing.

And then suddenly it feels like you can't stop the words from flowing out; you're jotting down in notebooks, your notes app is full of ideas, and the downloads are happening faster than you can capture them.

All parts of the creative cycle are equally important.

All parts of the creative cycle are equally important.

That quiet time is often when some deep inner work is happening, shifts are making their way to the surface, and you are integrating a whole new level of being and understanding.

And so use those times of verbosity, of confidence, of outwardness.

Find a way of working that really works for you - whether it's dictating audio into an app, writing out longhand in a sacred space, or jumping onto video and seeing what comes out and how you react in real time.

Jo is a content marketer for change-makers. Author of Brilliance Unboxed the host of The Human Connection Experience, she is a wild swimming, morning raving, cacao fiend, usually found under a blanket with her cat.

Brilliance Unboxed is available now from Amazon & Barnes & Noble www.jogfford.co

When you harness your creative cycle and find a way of working that really works for you, your energy and alignment is so much more powerful.

And that goes a long way to increase the impact in the world that we know you're here to make.

Untamed Take-aways: - Go with the creative cycle and trust it’s all working for you as it should.

- Experiment with ways of working that feel right for you when you need to capture ideas or share from a place of inspiration.

- The new paradigm embraces aligned connection

Jo x

Nature's

KITCHEN

Our very own seasonal foraging expert and kitchen witch Jill Wheeler brings us her insight into growing your own...

These days food is easy to come by in western society.

Perfect looking vegetables and fruit; cleaned, packaged in plastic, and piled high on supermarket shelves. Imported from all over the world so that we can eat strawberries in December and pineapples and tomatoes all year round.

We have become so accustomed to this “abundance” that people are disappointed when there are no fresh raspberries on the shelves in the middle of winter. Our busy lifestyles, juggling work, childcare and running a home mean that convenience is of the utmost importance.

Our disconnection with food and its source, is such that people are no longer aware of what is seasonal, or when is the best time to eat certain foods.

Food is grown in artificial environments, sprayed with pesticides to keep the bugs at bay and then with goodness knows what to help the produce ripen on the journey to the supermarket. So that it can arrive in the “best” condition.

We have become so accustomed to this 'abundance' We have come to expect perfect carrots and blemishfree fresh food.

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Seeds have been manipulated to improve their appearance, often at the expense of taste. Fast paced consumerism has taken over and damaged our relationship with food. We should be eating seasonally and in harmony with nature to nourish our bodies. We need to savour the taste on our palate. It should be helping us grow and perform efficiently.

Food is an important part of our existence.

Here, in the UK, we have a short period of good weather for growing crops. It limits what we can provide to our highly populated nation. Winters are long and we do not want to exist on bread and root vegetables for months on end. But it seems to me that something is out of balance.

Over the last few years, I have visited Croatia in the summer.

They have a wonderful and simple approach to food which I greatly admire. On arrival at our holiday home, we were given bags of freshly grown tomatoes, peppers, red onions, potatoes, courgettes, and aubergines. Grown by the owner on his plot of land. Each day our hosts would take a trap out into the sea to catch fish.

Meals were simple. Grilled fish and salad with bread from the local bakery.

I remember our host bringing us delicious grilled aubergines in garlic and oil with bread and homemade wine to enjoy as we sat on the beach. It was heaven.

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Sharing his produce with us in exchange for some company and conversation. I fell in love with this "Quoye way of life.

The food we shared with our hosts had been made locally by family and friends who specialised in cured meats, olives, and oil production. All local, small businesses supporting each other.

Our host’s neighbour grew vegetables in his garden and dived for shellfish. He had little, but his generosity was beautiful. Sharing his produce with us in exchange for some company and conversation. I fell in love with this way of life.

What could we do to change our relationship with food? Assuming we want to change how we eat and what we eat? I think it is possible for us all to make small changes.

Many years ago, I took a leap of faith and took on an allotment plot. I grow all sorts of food for my family and have found different ways to preserve the food I grow. I fell in love with the old ways and am passionate about good food. It can be hard work at times but the reward of bringing home my wonky vegetables, picking strawberries ripened by the sun and watching the children devour peas from the pod gives me such satisfaction.

I remember eating the first salad leaves I grew and discovering how tasty, crisp, and fresh they were. They bore no resemblance to the tasteless bag of salad I regularly consumed. I rarely buy salad this way now, it always disappoints. Now, microgreens and red cabbage see me through the winter months if I want fresh salad. My freezer is a blessing, packed with meals, as I have preserved the season with frozen tomato sauce, peppers, chillies, squash, fine beans, and sweetcorn. I am rather partial to eating my root veggies though.

Stew and dumplings is a firm favourite in the cold months as I sit and dream of what I will grow this coming year.

Not everyone has the opportunity, time, patience, or motivation to work their own land. But even if you only have a tiny garden, a sunny balcony or window ledge you can grow your own food. All you need is a packet of seeds, some compost, and some containers.

This month is the perfect time for growing a few salad leaves, radish, a few peas. You can also buy small vegetable plants from local garden centres to grow on at home. You may not end up being self-sufficient any day soon, but once you taste something you have grown yourself, I promise you will begin to reconnect and think differently about food.

Enjoy!

x x y l l Ji

Jill Wheeler (Jilly) is a mum of two, vegan cook, who is passionate about cooking and foraging for food.

Jill runs a preserves business ‘Jillys Homemade Preserves’, using produce she grows on her own allotment as well as locally sourced or foraged. She loves to share her knowledge on natural ways to preserve the seasons bounty, and to keep our history of preserving alive.

jillysjam@hotmail.com | www.jillyspreserves.co.uk 50 @jillysjam

n o o M WISDOM with Emma Halley

Join 'The Crystal Moon Mentor' Emma Halley as she explores the phases of the moon for this month & how best to take to navigate them.

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Welcome back Moon lovers.

Here in my little corner of Untamed Soul, we weave our magic around the phases of the Moon and align ourselves with Mumma Moon’s powerful ebbs and flows. When we pivot ourselves just enough to allow harmony with the lunar energy, we can see so much transformation, and we find ourselves in a place of ease and grace. Take a look at what this month has in store energetically and use this knowledge to supercharge your own intentions and manifestations.

Welcome May! An utterly beautiful month, I think you will all agree. This month’s Full Moon is known as the Flower Moon. We are literally ‘blooming’ and we are going to witness our first Lunar Eclipse of the year.

Key Dates 11th - New Moon in Taurus 27th – Super Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Sagittarius

Not only that, but this moon is also a Supermoon, which means it is at its closest to Earth. So what does all this mean? Well, this month is going to be powerful.

We enter the month in the Last Quarter, on the 3rd, a tricky time for us all with self-doubt and second guessing often rearing its head, but it is also an opportunity for great growth if we can pay attention to any resistance that rises within us. It is time to look more closely at what lies beneath those thoughts and feelings. This Last Quarter Moon is in Aquarius, so do not be surprised if the subject of friends and relationships comes up to be examined.

On the 11th of the month we see our beautiful New Moon in Taurus, and it is time to evaluate our financial plans for the year.

Check in with your feelings about money. Does it make you feel uncomfortable to think about your finances? This is the perfect time to work on that, money is simply another form of energy. It is neither dirty nor unsafe; it is our perception of it that gives rise to those kinds of connotations.

This New Moon gives you the opportunity to set new intentions and beliefs about money and finances so you can move forward in abundance.

The First Quarter Moon lands on the 19th this May, and it is in Leo, so it is time to take actions towards our intentions,

but playful Leo asks us to have fun with it. Which is just the most perfect energy to lead into our fantastic Super Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on Sagittarius on the 26th.

Sagittarius calls for fun and adventure. This energy does not like to sit still or stagnate. While there is a message to check in with yourself, there is also a nudge towards a grander plan. This Moon is inviting you to think big.

And then when you are thinking big, think bigger.

We are here in this lifetime to find joy and abundance. This month’s Moon energy is just perfect for both. Have fun with it.

See you next month, Sending Love.

Emma x

www.crystalmoonmentor.com

01.06.21

n i m o C

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. . . h t n o M

Let's explore our Soul Purpose...

Including...

- Community ideas around 'Freedom'.

- Elderflower Fizz Recipe - Ascension Tunes to soothe your soul.

- Spark that Creativity with your Sacral Chakra.

- Unlocking the doremant part of our soul to uncover the purpose of it all.

and so much more....

WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL & ARE SENDING YOU OCEANS OF COSMIC LOVE FROM OUR HEARTS TO YOURS