Untamed Soul Magazine - October Issue 0002

ask Mama Starr - musings of a soul junkie life alchemy - numerology - spiritual news

ALSO THIS MONTH

UNTAMED soul Issue 2 - October 2020

reconnect to your wildness & ignite your spiritual fire.

Signs of an

AWAKENING and how to manage it

CRYSTALS for AWAKENING

“How my awakening led me to discover who I am”

life with THE ANGELS

HOLISTICALLY happy & healthy

+ yoga

Nature’s Kitchen

pumpkin soup

A

! g n i n e k a w

ZEAL POINT CHAKRA the mouth of god

welcome

Awakening comes to us all. Quite often more than once in a lifetime we find ourselves with a new vision or fresh eyes.

Each individual awakening builds a collective energy that I believe can change the world for the better.

This month has been a labour of love but one we are so proud to share with you all.

We hope you enjoy it and remember you are not here to be tamed!

Charlie x

CONTENTS 2

4-5 THINGS WE LOVE THIS MONTH 6 EVENTS 84 NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE

Real & Raw 7 - ELEVEN QUESTIONS Interview with Ana Louise Bonasera.

Insights of an inspirational leader.

10 - REAL LIFE! HOW MY AWAKENING LED ME TO DISCOVER WHO I AM Roberta Smart shares with her awakening story.

Mindful & Magic 28 - SELF CARE FOR THE SOUL Mala Kennedy shares how to prioritise your self care.

30 - READER QUESTIONS! ASK MAMA STARR Mama Starr answers your questions using her oracle cards.

38 - CRYSTALS FOR THE MONTH Christine shows you how to work with crystals for awakening.

Community & Connection

14 - ALL ABOUT AWAKENING Lindsay Banks shares her 9 top tips to help you through.

20 - REAL LIFE! WHAT WE LEARNED FROM OUR AWAKENING Five inspiring spiritual leaders share their experiences.

25 - THE ZEAL POINT CHAKRA Learn about this magical chakra.

42 - USING CARDS IN A MODERN DAY WORLD Caroline shares oracle cards tips 44 - HOLISTICALLY HAPPY & HEALTHY Michelle shares practical advice and Yoga for holistic health.

48 - LIFE ALCHEMY Leanne shares awakening advice 51 - LIFE WITH THE ANGELS With angel expert Yvonne.

54 - UP THROUGH MY SKYLIGHT Insights by Katie Hopkins.

58 - NUMEROLOGY REPORT Monthly guidance brought to you

by Denise Martinez~Rossini.

71 - UNTOLD STORIES Penny shares how to get your story out in the world.

62 - SOUL-ALIGNED BUSINESS Jen shares business tips for your soul business venture.

73 - NATURE’S KITCHEN Jill’s recipe for Spicy Pumpkin & Lentil Soup

66 - SOUL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Interview with Sarah Lloyd of IndigoSoulPR

78-MUSINGS OF A SOUL JUNKIE Rob’s adventures in Peru.

3

1

2

! g n i v lo e ’r e w s g n i h T for OCTOBER

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

3

4

4

5

7 8

6

1 Light Seers Tarot.

2 Mummy Meagz, Vegan Rocky Road. 3 Pure Chimp, Natural Face Cream.

4 Grow, Gormet Muchrooms. 5 The Handmade Apothecary.

6 A Cuppa Happy, Joss Stone. 7 California White Sage Incense, Sai Baba Satya. 8 The Almanac, Lia Leendertz. 9 Deliciously Ella, Nutty Granola.

9

5

OCTOBER Events To feed your soul...

CHRISTMAS ONLINE SHOPPING EVENT

Saturday, 17 October 2020 from 16:00-17:00 GMT Hosted by Jilly’s Homemade Preserves (online via facebook live) Early bird Christmas Special event to purchase gift sets and to find out more about the range of Christmas items and special offers available exclusively to those that subscribe to this event.

www.facebook.com/ events/651463835791638 FIND YOUR OWN STATE OF INNER HARMONY

Advertise your event!

Visit www.untamedsoul.uk

Attend a Free Online Workshop with His Holiness The 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa and receive a meditation practice that shifts you from feeling overwhelmed by the world’s problems to discovering the clear sky of compassionate awareness.

https://theshiftnetwork.com/ Find-Your-Own-State-of-InnerHarmony INTRODUCTION TO BREATH WORKSHOP

Friday, 9 October 2020 from 19:30-20:30 UTC+01

Saturday, 3 October 2020 from 10:00-11:00 PDT

Hosted by The Happy Mind Tribe

Hosted by The Shift Network

Connect with your body, reduce stress and gain focus by harnessing the power of your breath!

Occupy the peaceful calm that comes from a higher consciousness so you can be a source of light and joy in the world.

6

www.facebook.com/ events/3149801271912960

11

Questions Ana Louise Bonasera Each month we pick an inspirational leader to answer our thought provoking questions. This month we asked Ana Louise Bonasera our 11 questions...

What Lights you up?

Being around people, whether it’s family, friends or complete strangers that I connect with over a common interest. Nature, being outdoors in the forest, by the seaside or in a field filled with flowers gazing at the clouds.

Tell us the Best advice you have ever been given? and who shared this wisdom with you?

I cannot remember who told it to me or whether it was something I came up with myself but when my twins were born my eldest was only 14 months and I lived alone with them

all, it was tough however I always told myself that nothing lasts forever, the bad days or the good days and to enjoy the moment.

What are you focusing your intentions on at the moment?

Empowering women to change their mindset and negative self talk to be positive influencers to their children and all people around them.

Share with us something you have forgiven yourself for? When my twins were 6 weeks old my desperation to get my ‘pre7

baby body’ back took over my mind and I chose to stop breastfeeding to do a what I call dust diet, basically powder that comes in a silver sachet that you call food - ridiculously low calorie and super dangerous. When I first wrote my book Stretched and thought back about this memory I was ashamed and I deleted the chapter out of the book, but I chose to put it in, I know I was not in the right statement of mind and my obsession with needing to lose weight affected my mental health. I decided to be vulnerable and put it out there to the world, in the hope that it would help someone else and show that I forgave myself.

What are you grateful for in your life most recently?

Always grateful for my family but especially my soon to be husband, father to our 2-year-old and an amazing stepfather to my three older boys. He goes above and beyond for us and is so supportive in my vi8sion for my business.

8

Tell us your three simple truths...

Always be thankful for everything even the normal, mundane everyday life.

Always celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small.

Always listen to your loved ones, especially when your children are rambling on about something that you don’t understand if you can listen to that it means they will turn to you when something is troubling them.

What is your definition of greatness? Being able to be open and honest about your good days and bad days, struggling but being able to find some peace and lots of happiness and laughter.

Is there anything missing in your life right now?

A cleaner, a therapist and it was childcare but now the kids are back to school I can strike that off my list.

Besides where you live, where on earth do you consider your spiritual home?

I genuinely thought she was crazy and laughed at the thought of eating whatever I wanted, imagining I’d be the size of a house from the amount of chocolate, pasta and cheese I’d eat.

Center Parcs, my happy place, we go once a year with my family and I feel so much more peaceful. My twins have autism and in public places, I often feel anxious but at Center Parcs, I feel that my boys are safe and they love being there.

However, it set off a question in my mind that led me to where I am today...”Do I really have to spend the rest of my life watching what I eat?” the answer I found is definitely not.

After some soul searching I picked the book up again, finished it and the year following I went to her Self Love Summit and got to give her a hug and thank her.

What book did you read that changed your life & how?

Share with us what are you excited about right now?

Mel Wells The Goddess Revolution.

I am excited to be working on a new family collection of Statement Tees, to empower parents and children to be kind always. I cannot wait to see all my boys in matching tees!

As I read Mel talk about how you didn’t need to restrict your food to be healthy and happy with your body, I stopped and shut the book.

Ana Louise Bonasera is a mother of four boys and the author of “Stretched: A mother’s journey to love her ‘flaws’ & how you can too” In the book and online she shares her struggles with her postpartum body image, how dieting and the pressures of society affected her mental health.

Ana is on a mission to empower

women to honour their ‘flaws’ and rule their clothes with confidence through her statement merchandise.

Instagram @selflovedetox | Instagram @anabonasera Facebook page @albonasera | Facebook group www.facebook.com/groups/ selflovedetox | www.selflovedetox.com 9

“How my awakening led me to discover who I am” Roberta Smart shares how her path to awakening led her to unlock her soul purpose and discover who she really is.

light they grew stronger and learned who they truly were, which inevitably is so much more than they had ever understood before.

WOW! Must be awesome!

Personally, my awakening came in small subtle steps, like those of the fabled tortoise plodding slowly to the finish line ahead of the manic, yet dosing hare.

I wonder if you can relate?

People often talk of their Spiritual Awakening as a Long Dark Night of The Soul, when they hit rock bottom, wanted to give up on life, but then discovered something ‘more’ within that darkness which shone so brightly they were inspired to keep going, and in the radiance of that 10

My awakening features moments of clarity within eons of darkness; Long periods of self doubt, self loathing and hopelessness, interspersed with jarring moments of awareness and a knowing so deep it simply could not be questioned.

Many of my ‘awakening moments’ revealed themselves retrospectively

thus it took time and maturity, experience and self exploration to truly understand the meaning of things which had happened, as they say, hindsight is a wonderful thing but it’s useless at telling you where you are going.

And this is as it should be.

My childhood was marred by depression and a sense of being a changeling – for surely I did not belong to this sad family of bitter and self obsesses adults. I knew from early on I was a creature of magic, of the fairy realm, of a world beyond and I would look into the mirror wholly believing that I was in the wrong world, that my world laid on the other side of the mirror and all I had to do was find my way back.

I felt strongly that my dreams were real and this was just a dream, it all made so little sense to me.

AT 12 years old, at the height of my depression, loneliness and hopelessness, I had a thought form drop into my head which said clearly and firmly: ‘You will do something amazing in your 50’s’ What would it be? I pondered; would I be on stage, write a book, be famous or create something fabulous?

Already I had my options narrowed down; there was no way I was ever going to shine at a 9-5 no matter how hard I tried. 30 jobs in ten years kinda proved my point there, I think!

11

Points of Awakening...

At 21 I recall travelling in my sleep back to visit my younger self, standing over her bed as she lay poorly, reassuring her that things would get better and keep going. As I awoke I then remembered being that young child, feeling the presence of what I thought at the time was an ‘angel’ and feeling so comforted by the presence of such love that it did indeed sustain me through a great period of darkness.

At 21 I understood about astral travel, time travel and the incredible capacity we all have to live in any time and space, unconfined by our ‘belief’ in time as a linear construction.

My greatest joys however came more recently, after years of Reading the 12

Tarot, working with energy healing, offering emotional block removal therapy and more, I discovered, through the work of a now good friend, that there were Earth Angels on this planet; that so many souls on earth right now are actually descended from the outer realms, be it the elemental realm, Atlantis, angelic realm or indeed the Star Seeds from off planet, we have been born and born again on earth and right now,

in this timeline, we are awakening quicker than ever.

Suddenly all my life made sense: My imagination, My inner beliefs, My passion for the natural world, My greater understanding of spiritual matters and how they affect us, long before I studied such things, all made sense.

My innate ability to write creatively, to communicate complex ideas and to help others interpret their emotions, their dreams, and the patterns they were living out time and time again all led me to deeply understand who I am and why I am here.

I discovered I am in fact an Earth Angel and struggle with something I have coined Angelic Compulsive Disorder. Which simply put is the strong urge of the Soul to help and assist humans on earth, often at a detriment to my own physical and mental well being.

Suddenly my family of origin

made sense: they were my training wheels! It was with them that I learned to read energy, to shape shift and blend in, to accommodate their innate needs and to mask my own discomfort in order to make them feel better.

Was it healthy? Hell no! But it led me to develop my skills as an Empath, leading me to offer counselling and healing services and fulfil my Soul Purpose: the true meaning of any awakening.

If I can offer any guidance to those on the path, seeking their purpose, pursuing their own awakening then it would be this: embrace your struggles and learn to love your challenges, in the knowing that this is what you came here to experience and in time this will be your very own Super Power, the thing you will help others with in the future and your very own badge of honour in this crazy world we call home.

Roberta Smart is a Writer, Speaker and Intuitive Guide at:

robertaleesmart.com

http://robertaleesmart.wordpress.com www.facebook.com/roberta.l.smart www.instagram.com/hidden_pathways keep updated with all the happenings at Hidden Pathways here http://eepurl.com/bC2Bbz 13

all about your

AWAKENING 9 tips to help you through...

Knowing where to begin your spiritual journey can feel overwhelming. With so many books/YouTube videos/ podcasts, who do you turn to for advice and guidance?

Often our friends and family don’t understand what we are talking about so we can often feel alone.

We may feel like a square peg in a round hole when it comes to society.

Can you imagine breaking out of that and learning to embrace the journey?

Well, you can!

Having spent the last 10 years reading, listening and experiencing a variety of spiritual healing modalities and tools, there are some which keep cropping up and these are the ones I am going to share with you today.

I know they work because I have used them myself along my spiritual journey.

14

If you are ready to embrace your awakening instead of shying away from it then let’s dive on in.

“You are not alone on this journey. There are others out there going through awakenings”.

Tip Number 1 Remember the Musketeers? All for one and one for all?

You are not alone on this journey.

There are others out there going through awakenings. They may be at different stages but they are out there.

I created my group on Facebook;

‘Consciousness Arising’, as I had nobody to speak to about angels and spirit guides at the start of my path. I created my tribe Come and join or create your own with people that you may know, going through the same stuff.

There is also your spiritual army out there cheering you on, spirit guides, angels, higher beings etc.

15

Tip Number 2 Ask.

There are loads of meditation books out there that you can read and different types of meditation Guided, silent, music, etc.

If you are feeling stuck, or feel like you need guidance in any particular area, reach out. You can ask a physical person in the here and now; “where am I headed?” “What do I need to do next?”

Feel what works for you. Some people’s voices grate on me, and sometimes I like to sit in stillness. Do what feels right for you. Begin slowly with 5 mins a day and work up to spending more time in meditation.

But remember...

When we meditate it brings calm, clarity and stillness to our lives.

You can also ask the Universe or Source. They will help, but as we have free will, they can only help when we ask!

Tip Number 4 Take your time.

Tip Number 3 Meditate, meditate and meditate some more.

16

Your spiritual journey is not a race to see who can reach enlightenment first.

Every day brings a new opportunity to grow and a new experience to

learn from. It doesn’t always show up in the way we expect either, but that’s another thing. Drop any expectations you may have as they will only limit you, and embrace each day.

Tip Number 5 Practise mindfulness.

How are you feeling now? Today?

In this moment?

What can you see around you?

What can you feel? What can you hear?

There is no need to wallow in the past. Write down some thoughts about where you are now and what is going on around you. Start practising every day living in the moment.

Tip Number 6

Write down 5 things every night that you are grateful for before you go to sleep.

Tip Number 7 Keep a look out for signs and synchronicities.

Gratitude.

Some of you may already be seeing numbers, 12:22, 11:11, 3:33.

What can you be grateful for today?

Pay attention as these are signs from

Has someone paid you a compliment?

Did you get a parking space near the entrance to a store? Was the sun shining?

“Spirituality doesn’t have a set of rules that MUST be followed” 17 17

the Universe trying to send you a message. You might keep hearing certain songs on your car radio, one of mine is by Swedish House Mafia, “Heaven’s got a plan for you”.

Someone might keep mentioning the same name to you, or the same healing modality, or the same book.

Pay attention to what you are hearing or seeing as there will be a message for you in it.

Tip Number 8 Do not berate yourself or beat yourself up for doing or saying something that you don’t feel is spiritual.

18

We are all on our own path and learning as we go.

Your tastes may change as you evolve and ascend. You may find that you don’t want to eat meat anymore. You may decide to go Vegan. You might smoke. You might drink alcohol.

Spirituality doesn’t have a set of rules that MUST be followed in order to BE spiritual. When I began my journey I was still eating steak.

It didn’t make me any less spiritual.

It was my journey and process. I mostly eat a plant based diet now but that is a recent change for me.

Also swearing is good for clearing your throat chakra, just saying...:)

Tip Number 9 When we begin our spiritual journey it can feel exciting as we are entering into the unknown, a new adventure!

There will be moments and periods where you feel on intense highs, however just a word of caution, in order to feel those highs you will also have to feel the lows. These lows may feel like tears, heaviness, similar

symptoms to depression,where you don’t want to get out of bed, you might not feel like talking to anyone.

This is where the above tips come in REALLY handy.

You are releasing ‘stuff’ as you do healing work on yourself and the way it comes out can be through tears. When you are having moments like this cry, be kind to yourself and accept it is part of a process

Lindsay Banks works as a channeller for Source, sending messages of love and inspiration to those on their spiritual path.

Do you feel as if you are going through a spiritual awakening?

Or maybe you are curious about what a spiritual awakening is and what the journey looks like? The Universe has been sending Lindsay various topics to explore since finishing her last book, A Gentle Hug for the Soul. Follow Lindsay’s journey from going through her Dark Night of the Soul, through meeting her twin flame, through to channelling the Pleidians. Throughout her journey she has accepted what comes with ease and grace. Included in the book are tips and tools to help you do the same.

www.lindsaybanks.uk www.facebook.com/groups/ Consciousnessarising www.youtube.com/Lindsaybanks www.instagram.com/ Lindsaybanks111 19

“What we learned from our awakening” We asked five inspiring spiritual leaders all about their awakening, here are their inspiring answers...

Leanne Taylor Wellbeing and Mental Health

What did your awakening teach you?

My awakening taught me what my purpose was and the importance of my intuition. You should always trust your instincts

When did you have your first or last awakening?

First Awakening a good long while ago can’t pinpoint an exact date if I am honest.

How would you describe it?

Like a rush of energy and weights lifting, you begin to see things for exactly what they are. Life becomes a lot clearer.

20

Photo Credit: Natasha Holland Photography

If you could share one piece of guidance with someone going through an awakening what would it be?

My advice would be to trust yourself and lean in fully no matter of your unsure at first.

Claire Zorlutuna Freelance Business Consultant www.instagram.com/claire_zorlutuna

When did you have your first or last awakening?

When I realised that I was no longer going to let anyone dictate when I could take time off work for my kids and that I was underpaid and undervalued. A lot of things changed during my awakening.

How would you describe it?

It was a mixture of immense anxiety and nervousness. Also, a sense of freedom and relief that I was no longer bound by anyone else’s terms.

What did your awakening teach you?

It has taught me to follow

my gut instinct, my thoughts may manifest as something else but it’s my gut will always tell me if something is not quite right.

Because of this, I am now more in tune with situations or people who make me feel unconnected. I have the power to live the life I deserve.

If you could share one piece of guidance with someone going through an awakening what would it be?

As simple as it sounds you must trust the process and have faith.

Photo Credit: Natasha Holland Photography

21

Charlie Edwards Co-Founder of Untamed Soul often be a hard pill to swallow for those around us, but it all happens for a reason.

What did your awakening teach you?

When did you have your first or last awakening?

Mine taught me that we are limitless, we really can get through the hardest of times and eventually we will see that it always happens for the highest good.

My first awakening was in 2009 and the last was this year. Let’s just say that was a dark night of the soul type awakening. All for the best I might add.

If you could share one piece of guidance with someone going through an awakening what would it be?

How would you describe it?

My experience is probably a lot like others, it usually involves a crumbling of a pattern, belief or cycle that no longer serves me. Which can

22

Ask yourself why this is happening, look for the lessons and trust that you really are on the right path no matter how bumpy it may seem. Is that three pieces of advice? Well I always have been a rebel.

Penny Thresher Life Coach, Mentor, Writer at Corner House Coaching

When did you have your first or last awakening?

March 2017

How would you describe it?

Exhilarating and peaceful at the same time. I found something I had been looking for all my life, and it made sense of everything. It changed my life completely. In about 30 seconds!

What did your awakening teach you?

That we are always OK, we just need

to tap into our innate well-being.

The universe has our back and we can always trust our inner wisdom to guide us.

If you could share one piece of guidance with someone going through an awakening what would it be?

Trust your intuition, relax and enjoy the ride!

Photo Credit: Natasha Holland Photography

23

Sarah Maia Hellyer Co-Founder of Untamed Soul tionally). It made me face my inner demons and tore down the beliefs I held about myself and about life.

From the outside it probably looked like a breakdown but on the inside I was releasing the emotional wounding that had kept me stuck.

When did you have your first or last awakening?

What did your awakening teach you?

I’ve always been aware of spirit so my awakening has been a very gradual thing with some big booms along the way! My first spiritual awakening was probably around 2004, and I would say my big, ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ awakening was in 2013 after a series of traumatic events and the death of my step-dad who I was really close to.

My awakening taught me that there’s more to life than we can understand right now. It also taught me that anything is possible.

How would you describe it?

My ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ awakening was painful (physically and emo24

If you could share one piece of guidance with someone going through an awakening what would it be?

Just go with it! Let go of any judgement or resistance that your 3d ego wants to place in the way, and tap into your intuition instead.

the mouth of god

ZEAL POINT CHAKRA Often referred to as the Alta Major Chakra, The Zeal Point chakra is located at the back of the head, just above where the skull joins the neck.

This fifth dimensional chakra differs from the more ‘well known’ chakras in that it has a reversed polarity. The energy flows from the back of the head to the front.

I remember first learning about this

chakra a few years ago, after receiving healing for constant migraines. I was told by the healer that the issue was with my “Psychic Gate’. Not really knowing anything about this, I began to research and also asked my spirit team for further clarification. I have since come to understand that this chakra really is the ‘gate’, or rather the gateway to spirit. Once activated, it activates all the other points in the head area forming the Merkaba, thus triggering the gateway to open. This is why this chakra point is sometimes 25

called ‘The Mouth of God’.

In ancient esoteric communities, activating the Zeal Point was something attainable only by advanced practitioners, and after years of spiritual practice. Once mastery of self (or ego) was achieved the participant would be ready to work with this chakra and open the gateway to their higher self and connect to the the higher dimensions.

Laying dormant for some time, this chakra is becoming increasingly activated now with the ascension and awakening of humanity.

This chakra aids in our ascension into fifth dimensional consciousness, it is the pathway to our fuller wisdom

26

and the keeper of everything that we have experienced throughout our incarnations. The accumulation on an individual level of ‘all that is’.

The Zeal Point is also connected to our Intuition, our instinctive (reptilian) senses and higher forms of communication. Working with this chakra can enhance telepathic communication and help us navigate our fifth dimensional experiences.

Activating this chakra point also helps us to clear the mental space that takes up a lot of room in our head, clearing the patterns and clutter and allowing us to make room to step into the higher consciousness.

This chakra also connects to

the higher, creative energy. As we become ‘At one’ with source, we are able to manifest at will, because we are in flow with the universal life force. This really is the universal law of magnetic attraction on a deeper level.

Imagine a glass of water wanting to manifest a wave. It’s ability is inhibited, but once that glass of water is poured into the ocean, it can manifest a wave with ease because it is part of the wave - it is ‘At one with’. This is where we are heading as a collective with the ascension process and working with this chakra can help us open the door.

Love & Light, Sarah Maia Hellyer

activating the ZEAL POINT There are some meditations to help with Zeal Point activation using the Merkaba as a focus point.

the female pyramid with the point at the feet and extending up towards the shoulders.

Relax back into medition, focusing on your breath and settling your mind.

As your pyramids come into focus they start to merge together to form the Merkaba.

Notice the space around your physical body, and using visualisation, focus on the shape of the male triangle (as a pryamid) with the point starting above your head extending out to the shoulders. Then

Now imagine the triangles spinning around a centre point. The male triangle from left to right and the female from right to left.

Take some time in this space before slowing expanding and dispersing the pyramids into your aura.

27

Self Care For

YOUR SOUL

Life coach and self love expert Mala Kennedy shares the importance of prioitising your self care during the current awakening.

The world is awakening right now. Rising. Social justice is at the forefront and we are being called to pay attention. The Black Lives Matter movement is finally in the foreground.

We are educating ourselves, and standing up for equality and justice. The pressure of social isolation from covid19 is lifting. It’s the gentle tiptoeing back into normal life, and yet the normal we knew before is long gone. Things are different now. Our world is forever changed. With this change comes disruption to our nervous system. Our way of being is affected at such a deep level that we need to practice self-care.

28

If there was ever a time for self-care it is now. So let me ask you this, as you take a stand

for others, are you taking a stand for yourself?

Prioritising selfcare is crucial, as they say, we must fill our cup first so we can fill the cups of others. It may be a cliche but it holds deep wisdom.

It is the inner knowing of our soul and it is begging for us to listen.

So now, I am inviting you to pause.

To reflect on this cup of yours. Is it full? Or is it empty, this is not the time for the optimistic “I see it as half full, not half empty”. It’s either full, or there is work for you to do.

Be honest with yourself. Self-care is not a fool’s game, it is a ritual for the changemakers, and if you are reading this, it is a ritual for you.

So sit in the pause, take inventory of where there are signs of depletion.

How can you take a breath between

your soul’s rising?

How can you nurture yourself right now? Do you need a day in nature?

Do you need to journal it out? Or do you need to turn off your phone for the rest of the day and be present?

What feels true for you?

This is not the time to add more to your plate, self-care shouldn’t be a chore. It’s a time to release yourself from the burdens of busy. It’s an opportunity to slow down and stoke the fire in your belly. Let your breath expand and allow it to nourish you, feel its embrace as you walk with courage. Let self-care be your ammunition. Allow it to carry you to the frontlines and home again, and remember right now, less is more.

Mala Kennedy helps women shift from self-doubt to self-love so they can feel confident. She is a life coach, EFT practitioner, writer, podcaster, and mama.

mala@malakennedy.com www.malakennedy.com www.facebook.com/groups/ womenrisingtogethernow www.instagram.com/malaloves Podcast: Elevate your Life and Soul Read Mala’s bio on our website at: www.untamedsoul.uk

29

askMama 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...

CB...

“Feeling called in an unexpected direction in terms of career path, was looking at leading back to something I’d worked hard for a long time in, and instead fell into something if been avoiding for years but found it an interesting 30

new experience approaching it from a new perspective that I had on it 5-10 years ago. Any clarity and messaged surrounding it would be much appreciated”.

Ohhhh my darlin’ CS…this is the thing right now. We are being called upon to re-examine our thoughts and beliefs and perhaps even travel down the road a bit to see what’s there. The interesting thing is that such journeys ALWAYS lead us back home to what is truly in our heart and we become stronger for having made the detour! I’m being told to tell you that this may not be THE THING but this path is leading you to the next level of your evolution.

I’m also feeling like there is some sort of alchemy in play as though these two paths will somehow merge into something completely unique and totally you!

called to me and I’ve been guided to use the suggested 3 card draw from the guidebook.

Let’s have a look at what the Enchanted Map deck from Colette Baron-Reid has to say:

With that in mind, lets’ have a look at the cards. One of my favorite decks

1st

The past influence #14 - Ride The Wave - Inverted

“Right Now Success is Easy and Effortless” I’m almost feeling a “yeah right!” kind of feeling from your guides on this, like perhaps easy

and effortless aren’t the words you would use, thus the card is inverted.

I’m seeing that you took a path that seemed like a no brainer; that turned out to be one that just didn’t light up your soul the way you thought it would. Still, it was that very path 31

that led you here, so let’s give thanks for that! When this card is inverted, the message to you is that while you thought the wave you were riding was a ton of fun and the right one to follow, you ended up slamming into the shore! That’s ok though because it’s all meant to build your strength so that you can catch that very NEXT perfect wave.

I’m shaking my head as I write

this. I feel a sense of amazement at how you’ve prevailed and the strength that you’ve gained from your experiences. Know that every hardship, every success…

EVERYTHING is preparing you for the next step. The Angels are jumping up and down right now and giving me a thumbs up. So… yay you!

The Present Point of Vantage #5 Goblins “Fear is an illusion. Choose love today. Forgive yourself and others.”

Boy that is interesting isn’t it?

Goblins! I find it interesting because this card is about what is happening with your new perspective on the thing you’d been avoiding for the past 5-10 years.

This card really speaks to your selfworth and self-esteem. Our Goblins are tricksters and represent our shadow self, they show up with YOUR voice telling you that you can’t do something or aren’t worthy.

They are the true expression of the shadow self that beats up on you all the time. (as I’m writing this I feel them laughing 32

2nd

in the back ground, the little devils).

You weren’t strong enough before to acknowledge your gift in this area, so it’s showing up again to ask you; ”are you ready now?”. I remember feeling the same way about my coaching practice. I kept trying to NOT do it because it was too hard, but it kept coming back until I finally realized that I couldn’t NOT do it…because I HAD TO DO IT!! My journey since that realization is much like the one you are on.

Yes, it’s something

you must do but the question then becomes “how do you make it uniquely you”? This isn’t a situation in which you can mimic the processes that others have discovered.

It simply must be 100% totally and completely you! How you

decide to do that will come to you intuitively. Don’t push it, know that the journey is the thing and you WILL find your way!

It is coming me to tell you that there are still a few Goblins that you must contend with…and that explains the next card!

The Probable Future Destination #53 Listening

“An open heart will hear the message” Oh my gosh! The Angels are right up in here saying “you can’t think your way through this, you MUST feel your way!”

Apparently they want you to pay attention to signs…for some reason I’m seeing a humming bird! Do you see humming birds often? Do you collect them?? If not, you should for they bring much joy and magic!

Ok…the card message This isn’t really about a specific destination but it’s about how to get there: Pay attention.

I want you to begin

3rd

FEELING your way along.

You have a magnificent brain, but remember to use it to gather information that you send down to your heart to make any decisions.

Seriously, I can’t stress this enough; the Angels are emphatic that you 1) ask for their advice and 2) feel the answer in your body. If it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it. They are flashing this in huge neon letters.

Don’t go with what you think is right, go with what you FEEL is right. (I mean seriously, I don’t know how many more times they want me to say this…they are up in my face about it.)

They want you to understand that you always KNOW; you are claircognizant so sometimes you 33

don’t know how you know. They are asking you to be patient with that and be willing to accept that you will know things without knowing why.

The thing is, you have a scientific brain so you WANT to know how you know things! The Angels are saying “you know because we tell you and you just need to trust us on this”

Every day, I want you to practice getting still, opening your heart, asking a question and feeling the answer. If you get an idea or an impulse during these moments, no matter how crazy it seems, be willing to follow it. Trust and know that you are being led in the right direction.

Reader Question...

MC...

My life has been on a downward spiral for the last 2 years. Will things begin to improve any time in the near future?

Ohhh my darling MC! This morning, I began asking for messages for you before I’d even pulled any cards and the message I received from Spirit is this: “We’re so so sorry for all that you have been through and we want you to know that you are not alone. We are here guiding and protecting you, but you must know this, you must feel this in order for our guidance and protection to do any good.

Know, dear one that you are loved, know that you are worthy and we are here for you always. Also know that we are proud of you for your

34

perseverance, and yes, things will get better” Wow…Spirit is still talking! I am being told to share with you that what you are going through is a dark night of the soul. It is a period in which you are being called upon to take out every single belief you have, look at it and decide whether it is true or not. Believe me…there are plenty of false beliefs in

there for you to discard!

It is absolutely true that our thoughts lead to our experience and so if you have been focusing on the last two years and naming it a “downward spiral”, you will continue your downward trend.

This is not to say that you are to blame for any of it, this is simply to point out that you get to choose your thoughts! And yes, stuff has gone wonky lately…heck the whole year has been wonky on a globally massive scale! This is meant to teach us that we must focus on that which we desire.

down the things you have learned.

Write down the tiny moments of joy. If you can’t find joy, look for things that didn’t suck! If that’s all you can do, just do that. Write them down and then ask to be shown the lessons. It will come to you if you just ask, record the very first thing that pops into your head! It could be anything…a smell, an image, a memory. You’ll know what it means as soon as you think of it.

NOW the Angels are ready for me to pull your cards…and they are telling me to pull 2 from my Sacred Traveler Deck by Denise Linn

Don’t fall into trap of thinking this is easy! It’s not! It takes discipline to control those thoughts and it takes some measure of skill but these are skills you can learn. What I would like you to do first is to really have a look at the last two years and write A very…VERY interesting thing happened just now when I pulled your cards! I said two…I pulled two and then got the message that there were to be 3 cards! So I put the cards back in the deck, shuffled once and 3 different cards popped out in a stack together! I received the message that THESE were the right cards.

I asked…”well, why?” and was told that your energy is indecisive, that you have a hard time discerning which way to go and this is part of the issue that you are dealing with.

So…as I advised CS in the reading above, listen to your heart. Know that you know. Trust. And now… here are your cards....

35

1st

What you need to know Taking Shelter

“The Answers are Within” The first word in the description for this card is “Retreat”.

This card really speaks to self-care.

It is time to take care of YOU first.

It’s a time for you to be a bit selfish and just retreat to sort of “lick your wounds”, rest and rejuvenate.

You are worthy of this! I always say “until you can love yourself the way you want others to love you, you will not attract the love that you desire.”

All of that love exists in you, my darling! I want you to start acting from that place!

Retreat, allow yourself to be cared for by yourself, and see if you can go one day without trying to help others. Just help you, give yourself the care and concern that you so willingly give to the people around you. It is time to rest.

You’ve been through a lot. And here’s the key…here is the thing I really want you to focus on: Rest… then relax afterwards.

If you feel like you’re ready to get back out there, I want you to stop yourself and go take some more time for you! You are worth the time it takes to heal.

What you need to do Vast Vistas “Expand Your Horizons” Wow! This card is saying that there are magnificent things coming your way! AND here’s the key; you won’t see them, catch them or even understand them if you are looking at the past! It is time to shift your focus forward and dream big!

36

2nd

Girl, seriously, that dark night of the soul is coming to an end for you. Focus on the light, focus on possibilities. Dream.

Dream BIG. (I want to say more, but the Angels say “nuff said” ) Fine…let’s move on to the next card!

The Challenge Surrendering to the Journey “Release Control” Oh man… this one….if only it were just that easy!

I was given this image of my old version of surrendering control!

I would get myself into some kind of….entanglement and in desperation, I would scream at the heaven’s “Ok God! Enough! You take this one, I just can’t manage it” And then as sure as heck…a week or so later, I would look at the way things were going and give up that surrender silliness and try to manipulate or control things again.

My Angels would just shake their heads and let me give it a try once more.

My absolute…absolute favorite quote comes to mind “The Spiritual Journey is one of falling down, getting up, dusting yourself off, looking sheepishly at God and taking another step” – Sri Aurobindo It’s really true. Our fear drives us

3rd

to try to control things, but true growth comes when we realize that we have absolutely no control over the things that happen to us.

The Universe is just random enough to make sure of that… However, you have 100% control over how you will feel about what happens to you. Will you play the victim card?

Will you mutter…”well…stuff happens” and take another step?

Will you choose another path? It’s up to you. You get to decide and this, beloved, is your challenge.

If there is an overall theme here, it is to shift your attitude from one of sorrow to the knowledge that EVERTHING is unfolding for your good. It may not look like it, I know, but believe me when I tell you, when you see the lessons, you’ll see the good.

Star Piercy is a Spiritual Life and Business Coach and Women’s Transformation and Empowerment Mentor. Serving women strong women who are ready to turn their strength into power. starr@yonderstarr.com www.yonderstarr.com

www.facebook.com/YonderStarr Group: manifestingformortals 37

Crystals with...

CHRISTINE

Our Crystal expert and Reiki healer Christine Langdale shows us this month, how to work with crystals to aid our awakening.

So when did you realise you were having a spiritual awakening?

Was it a gradual realisation, or did something come and smack you right between the (3rd) eye?

For me, it was a bit of both, I’ve always been interested in holistic therapies. I’ve been an amateur

38

aromatherapist for nearly 30 years, but I also had a bit of a wowser moment, when something just grabbed my attention and sent me down a spiritual path, too!!

I’ve also always had a love of the outdoors too, just been in nature, or by the sea. If I feel the need to re-ground myself a trip to the beach and a barefoot walk on the sand with a paddle in the shallows usually does the job!! Or a walk in the local woods and just spending time reconnecting.

I’ve selected another 7 crystals that will help you on your spiritual journey, many of them resonate with more than one chakra, so don’t feel that you must use the placements I have suggested here. Let your intuition be your guide and just do what feels right.

LABRADORITE crown chakra CELESTITE brow chakra

A lovely iridescent stone that shows all manner of colours as you hold it up & tilt it in the light. A good quality labradorite will almost hold it’s own little mystical world within it when you take time to really look at it. It will protect your aura as well as strengthen your intuition, it is also one of those stones that will offer you support as you travel your spiritual path.

The most beautiful pale blue colour is so peaceful, and a highly spiritual stone too, it’s high vibration will connect you to the angelic realms and help you move towards enlightenment. This is one of the stones that sits on my bedside table, ensuring a peaceful nights sleep.

39

KYANITE throat chakra

Kyanite will help you connect to your spirit guides, amplifying high vibrational energy, whilst at the same time enabling your chi (energy) to run cleanly through your body as it aligns the chakras.

A good one to use when giving or receiving healing energy.

AMBER solar plexus chakra

RAINBOW FLOURITE heart chakra A psychic protection stone, it will help keep those negative energies at bay as well as cleansing and balancing your aura. Increasing your intuitive abilities, it is also grounding, helping your newfound spiritual-self integrate with your physical body. If you find other people exhausting, this is a good one to carry round with you.

Another protective stone, absorbs and purifies negative energies, it has been used as a protective amulet since ancient times, even found in the tomb of Tutankhamun, it will also balance your high vibration energies to allow for integration with your physical self.

40

Trust your intuition, use the crystals that speak to you‌

CARNELIAN sacral chakra Carnelian allows you to connect to your inner knowing, allowing you to trust yourself, your ‘gut instinct’. This stone will act as your anchor during deep meditation and will provide inspiration for that moment that says ‘this is my true path’.

SNOWFLAKE OBSIDIAN root chakra This crystal will also help your meditation practice, it’s calming nature helping you to find your inner peace, bringing balance by dissolving past tensions and allowing the mind to clear in order that you can move forward on your path.

Christine is a Reiki Master & Crystal Healer living East Yorkshire, UK This self-confessed crystal addict lives with the other loves of her life: her 3 horses, cat & dog, and the husband gets a look in too sometimes!!

Find her at: www.facebook.com/KANZANTHERAPIES

41

USING CARDS a modern day world

In

Are you Tuning Into Your Higher Self ?

I love oracle cards, I use them everyday to help me to determine what I need to be aware of and the direction that I am being guided to take. It just comes naturally to me, I set my intention and then pick a card.

It’s as easy as having my breakfast!

So why do I use them and why do I teach others to do so? I feel that now, more than ever, we have a deep desire to connect with our instincts

42

and inner knowing.

The world outside seems so crazy and unpredictable, we don’t know who or what to believe anymore, so connecting with our higher guidance seems to be the most honest way to understand and make sense of things. We all have psychic vision and a ‘sixth sense’, we have just forgotten how to use it and tune in. Oracle cards help us to do that by drawing out our feelings, connecting us to imagery that speaks to us, words that call to us, symbols that give meaning…. all it takes is practice and time.

With so many beautiful decks on the market, there is something for everyone.

Whether you connect with angels, nature, colour, ascended masters, fairies or even musical heroes (yes, you can buy a musical oracle deck, so much fun!), there are a myriad of choices out there.

You don’t need to align with a particular deity in order to use the cards. Find a deck that speaks to you, that you are attracted to, for whatever reason. For example, I feel really connected to nature, the earth and the natural cycles of the seasons, so one of my favourite decks is ‘Angels and Ancestors’ by Kyle Gray. This deck is full of stunning artwork depicting mysticism, animals, shamanism, the cycles of life, indigenous people and wise ancestors.

I love using them because the imagery completely resonates with me, their energy is in line with my beliefs, plus I love the work that Kyle does. They feel so right on every level!

Caroline is an energy healer and psychic intuitive who works with clients to help them feel connected to their inner guidance, find their purpose and reclaim their energy.

Here are my three top tips to help you find and connect with a deck that really works for you: 1. Research 1.

Research the cards that you are drawn to buying. Check out the imagery online or even better in person to see if they really resonate. Falling in love with your card deck is really important if you want to build up a good working relationship with them. You want to feel excited and joyful when you connect with your cards.

2. Once 2.

Once you have your deck, shuffle them, look at each card, take time to feel their energy.

Have a play and get to know them.

3. When 3.

When you start using them as a guidance tool, set your intentions to receive messages for your greatest good. Take some quiet time before you begin, meditate if that feels right. Allow the space to make the connection and tune in.

For more information on how Caroline can support you with online oracle card tuition classes, please check out her FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/ oraclecardswithcaroline

43

HOLISTICALLY py & healthy hap

Yoga Teacher, Reiki Healer and Intuitive Coach, Michelle Taylor shares with us holistic routes to greater happiness and health.

Have you ever felt a deep sense of unease but you don’t know why, that something is out of place and you suddenly crave meaning and purpose?

That little niggle that you’re not quite where you should be but you’re not sure how to get there?

We all have divine guidance available to us but that moment where we start to question who and where we are can often be the start of an awakening to our spirituality and connection to the universe, a greater power.

At our very core, the most powerful tool that we have in our physical and mental health is already ours, our intuition leading us towards a life of meaning, purpose and even guiding us on how to nurture our physical body.

44

This month our practice is designed to support you to tune in to inner and spiritual guidance.

This powerful practice includes our senses, working with aromatherapy and crystal healing alongside a physical yoga practice to stimulate our physical and energetic body.

STEP ONE

STEP TWO

Set the mood with essential oils.

Take your focus inward, with crystal support.

Frankincense is the go-to oil for connecting to our spiritual side. Pop a few drops of frankincense in an oil diffuser to enhance your practice or dilute with a carrier oil before applying a drop directly on the skin at the third eye centre, just between the eyebrows.

Sit comfortably, close your eyes and breathe in and out through your nose, simply noticing your breath to begin with, then starting to breathe deeper all the way down to your tummy to create a deep and even inhale and exhale.

45

For connection and intuition, amethyst can aid your meditation by holding in cupped, open hands and then visualising a glowing ball of light, the same purple of the amethyst at the crown of your head (your crown chakra). With each inhale imagine you are drawing the breathe down from the crown of your head as the violet light grows brighter and stronger.

Take 5-10 deep breaths this way before moving in to your yoga poses.

STEP THREE 3 yoga poses to ground and guide.

Finding your path, understanding who you are and breaking free of societal expectation to be guided through faith and intuition is amazing, but also can be rough. These yin poses balance connecting to intui46

tion and guidance with calming and grounding.

Hold each pose for 2-5 minutes, repeating the affirmation in your head to yourself and notice anything that comes up for you, any physical or emotional reactions to the affirmations.

Tip on working with affirmations in yoga...

If you can, give yourself a little time after using affirmations in this yin practice to journal.

Simply note which affirmations felt natural, what felt uncomfortable, any physical or emotional reactions. Just note and explore your experience.

• Why do you think you felt that way?

• What do you need to work on to be able to believe the affirmation to be true for you?

• What is holding you back?

TOE SQUAT WITH HANDS AT THIRD EYE Affirmation: I trust my intuition

EXTENDED CHILD’S POSE Affirmation: All I need is already within me

WATERFALL (LEGS UP THE WALL POSE) Affirmation: My mind is quiet and calm.

Michelle Taylor is a yoga teacher, reiki practitioner, intuitive coach and coauthor of Amazon bestseller, The Divine Power of The Feminine Collective.

Having overcome depression, negative body image and low self esteem with the power of yoga and personal development, she is dedicated to empowering women worldwide to manage their physical and mental

wellness with a personalised holistic toolkit.

www.michellemaslintaylor.com @happyhealthytoday 47

ALCHEMY e f i L with Leanne MacDonald

Leanne talks about her own experience with awakening and shares her advice on how to work through yours.

Let the triggers deepen your awakening.

The most transformational part of my own awakening was seeing through my beliefs.

As the veil began to lift, I started to see life in a completely new way. Ideas I had held about myself, about others

and about life seemed to take on a new meaning. They no longer felt all-consuming and the boundaries of my life began to fall away.

As my awakening evolved, I understood my human experience on a deeper level, how we create our experiences, who we are at our core.

There is a transitional period of feeling absolutely free and unbound one moment than feeling caught up in emotions and feelings of the past the next.

When you realise your truth and who you are these rude ‘emotional’ episodes can be quite confusing. You feel free, deeply unravelled, fully connected – so why are your past emotions and memories still so painful and challenging?

48

You awaken to the truth of who you are, but your ‘human’

“As my awakening evolved, I understood my human experience on a deeper level� experience still carries on.

That human experience is based upon past life memories and perceptions, moments in time that evoke a strong emotional trigger within you.

The most beautiful part of your awakening is meeting these triggers and allowing yourself to heal from the trauma they have brought to your life then release them from your consciousness.

Our consciousness elevates to a new place when we awaken, but our ego is still in fine working order.

The truth of who we are is very

different from the tools that we have come with to enjoy a human experience, your ego being one of those tools.

Like a very loyal servant, your ego will track and store all emotional patterns from your past and these patterns become the blueprint of your view of life.

Even when we awaken we are still driven by old past beliefs and patterns so it is so important to explore this and bring to the light all of the beliefs and limitations you have imposed upon yourself so you can let them go.

Photo Credit: Natasha Holland Photography

49

DAILY SOUL INQUIRY: As you awaken to your truth, I recommend that your journal becomes your best friend and you consciously bring to the light any old patterns that are no longer aligned with your new path in life.

At the end of each day find a quiet place where you can reflect upon the emotions that showed up for you throughout the day and start to see the patterns you can begin to acknowledge and release.

ask yourself...

• What has triggered me today?

• What did I believe to be true about myself in that moment of feeling triggered?

• What does my soul want me to let go here?

• What lesson can I learn about what has triggered me today?

• What belief patterns can I bring into the light and release from my consciousness today?

The more aware of your unconscious conditioning the freer you become to enjoy your awakening and newfound experience of life.

e n n a e L , e v lo f Tons o

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.

In celebration of all our limitless energy & alignment, I have launched a new clothing range....

www.leannemacdonaldwellbeing.com

50

Life with THE ANGELS Our angel expert Yvonne shares how to work with your angels to bring peace.

Did you know you have a guardian Angel right beside you right now?

That you were born with your very own Angel. That you have many Angels around you just waiting for you to invite them in. The more you invite the Angels in the more enriched your life becomes. It’s a comfort to know that they are there in moments of sorrow, They are there in moments of joy.

They can offer

guidance, healing blessings and so much more.

My everyday life is filled with the Angels. From the smallest help of keeping any disturbance away while I take a bath, to helping me find a bargain when I’m shopping. If 51

She was upset as the bully now wanted to be her friend. Nice work Angels, little overdone perhaps.

I have held Angel Meditation groups for over eleven years. It’s a delight to share their insights into situations people find they are in.

Always offering tools or things we can do to create a more blessed life.

And so this is what we have here.

someone calls me in need, I surround them with Angels as we speak. You can send them to others when you can’t be there yourself.

My daughter came home from school one day upset because she was being bullied, she forbade me to speak to the teachers or the parents. Which I abided by. Next day I sat in quiet and asked the Angels to protect her and watch over the child who was doing the bullying.

My daughter came walking out of school that afternoon, and said: “You did something didn’t you”. I laughed, Well yes I asked the Angels!

52

The Angels ask that I create a place where we can connect and make a wish list with them... You can even create an actual place within your home, somewhere you put nice things or Angel pictures or figures, maybe a candle. A place to sit and write to your angels is a beautiful way to connect.

Let’s begin this month with wishing for peace.

So I invite you to write out a wish list for peace. I wish for peace...fill in whatever you desire and this could be for yourself, for others, your community. In your job, home life, within a relationship.

Make sure you can relax for a little while without being disturbed. now

The more you invite the Angels in, the more enriched your life becomes.

sit and focus on your breathing taking long slow deep breaths. You may close your eyes.

Allowing your self to bask in this feeling too, as if you have a big smile on the inside.

With each breath, imagine you’re letting go of stress and tension.

Breathing in a golden light of peace, into your heart.

When you have finished remember to thank the Angels. Take a moment to bring your self fully back into the room, looking around your surroundings and feel a wash a peace come over you.

As you continue to breathe deeply imagine that golden light spreading throughout your entire body. you are safe you are secure you have your Guardian Angel by your side.

As you relax into this golden light that now fills the room, you say I invite in the Angels of peace.

Imagine them standing before you, feel their loving presence warm around you.

Ask the Angels to carry your wishes, taking your time, you may say each wish out loud or in your heart. And as you do, imagine a golden light flowing to where you have chosen for it to be sent.

Until next month I wish you peace love and joy, may the angels walk by your side.

With Love,

Yvonne

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.

yvonne@healing-you.co.uk 53

y m h g u o r h t p u g n i Look

SKYLIGHT

Holistic coach and mindfulness expert Katie Hopkins shares her experience and insights.

Meditate or Medicate?

My Story‌ There is a misconception that meditation needs to be quiet and still. This really isn’t the case. It is cultivating an awareness of your body, your environment and ultimately your breath.

I take great pleasure in my quiet, morning meditations.

Time dedicated to me, upon waking, to set my intentions for the day and ground myself in my breath.

54

I do, however, enjoy adding mindful movement or mindful tasks into my day such as: washing the dishes; tidying the kitchen; hanging up washing or folding the laundry; savouring a homemade meal from cooking it from scratch to eating

it slowly, knowing it is nourishing my body; stepping on my yoga mat to stretch and twin my breath with mindful movement; my daily walks around the block to clear my head, allow thoughts to flow in and out without attaching to them; creative ideas drift in and out landing where necessary. Your breath is the key.

The new day is a gift.

Now here is the thing, I meditate but I also medicate.

“Now here is the thing, I meditate but I also medicate”

Now that I’ve said it, I feel a lot better.

Amazingly enough, there is still so much stigma around taking medication. I was diagnosed with chronic pain in 2018 after nearly ten years (injury from fall in Canterbury Earthquakes 2010-2011) of pain, doctors, physiotherapists, acupuncture, dry needling, massage etc. Chronic pain is a long-term illness (a person living with pain for three months or longer) and 1 in 10

New Zealanders or 2 fifths of the UK population suffer from it.

One thing chronic pain does, is slowly wear you down. Living with pain is no picnic. It creeps in and steals the joy from your day and the sleep at night. Add in the other external pressures of everyday living and anxiety can show up.

Now, I’m resilient. I have flexed 55

my resilience muscles on many occasions but this time I needed some help.

So, I reached out to a friend and mentioned I wasn’t coping, and she suggested I see my GP. My doctor is a lovely lady who held space for me while I cried out my distress in her

56

office, handed me tissues and then set about matching a medication to what I needed. Simply something to take the edge off is what I asked for. However, it needed to help me sleep, help the pain edge and a bonus would be to keep the lurking anxiety at bay. I was prescribed a little blue

That pill keeps me stable when my meditation, my medicinal cacao tonic and all my other spiritual tools simply don’t cut it.

away!) that I wasn’t coping, and I needed his support and the support of the medicine. So, I filled the script and started taking them.

It took a few weeks of bumpy days and still sleepless nights but once it kicked in my quality of life returned. Sing Hallelujah! pill which could do all three of those things to take at night and hoped it would work.

It took me two weeks to fill the prescription as I was waging an internal war with myself over taking medication. It took a tearful breakdown to admit to my partner (now husband, so he wasn’t scared

That pill keeps me stable when my meditation, my medicinal cacao tonic and all my other spiritual tools simply don’t cut it. It isn’t for always, but for now, I take it before bed and know that I am looking after myself – any means possible. In order for me to rest, recover and show up for my family every day with love and compassion in my heart.

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.

khdhopkins@gmail.com www.katielouwcoaching.com 57

Universal Guidance

NUMEROLOGY forecast

October this year is vibrates universally as a 5 known as The Free One. This is a month for fully embracing your free spirit within.

It’s a month for thinking outside of the box and following your intuition as it leads you to new adventures.

This year it’s also a time to embrace the truly magical energy of the number 5.

We all know October as being a month of the thinning of the veil and embracing our spirit energy.

Take some time to get out into nature and let the wind blow away any energy cobwebs from you.

58

Hone your manifesting skills and try a 555 manifesting treat to call in abundance.

Kick your shoes off and do some bare earth walking and connect with energy of the Earth Star Chakra.

This month is for taking leaps of faith and chasing your dreams. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and take instinctive risks.

October is a fabulous month for being brave and making the changes you may have been putting off both in your mind set and in your actions.

16 th. It is a moon that carries a high vibrational energy of wisdom encouraged with love.

Be the trailblazer that you have the capabilities to become. It’s definitely not a month for half-hearted efforts.

It encourages you to be both seen and heard. Don’t be afraid to shine and let others see your true worth.

Put on your sparkly shoes and soak up the amazing magic the Universe is providing for you this month.

It’s also a moon that nudges you towards letting your hair down and having some fun!

Octobers New Moon lands on the

October also sees two full moons that we are also blessed with this month.

“Be the trailblazer that you have the capabilities to become. It’s definitely not a month for half-hearted efforts” 47 59

and new opportunities with this full moon too!

31 ST OCTOBER This is an incredible full moon! Not only does it fall on Halloween but is known as a Blue Moon too. It is the first 100% full Blue Moon to fall on Halloween since 1944 and will not occur again until 2039, 2058 and 2077.

1 ST OCTOBER. This full moon brings in the emphasis on focusing on manifesting and opens up an abundant money flow.

You may want to start your 555 manifesting ritual with this full moon to bring optimum energy to what you wish to call in. The angelic energy aligns itself beautifully for self-love 60

It brings with it a message to truly connect with your spirit energy and your truth.

Its universal energy emphasises fully releasing old energies and beliefs that no longer relate to your story. But it also shows signs of completion and encourages us to take a step forward to new beginnings, new knowledge and also for some of you new gifts.

Here are your dates for vibrational alignment for October.

I’m Denise Martinez~Rossini Success & Leadership 5th, 14th & 23rd Fun & Creativity 7th, 16th & 25th Grounding & Organisation 8th, 17th & 26 th Freedom & Change 9th, 18th & 27th Love & Relationships 1st, 10th, 19th & 28th Spiritual & Self~Development 2nd, 11th, 20th & 29th Manifesting & Abundance 3rd, 12th, 21st & 30th Compassion & Kindness 4th, 13th, 22nd & 31st Inspiration & Enlightenment 6th, 15th & 24th

I’m an intuitive numerologist and Spiritual Empowerment Mentor.

I adore working with Numerology and have read thousands of charts for people worldwide.

I love to teach Numerology and share the language of the Universe with those seeking its secrets and knowledge.

I am thrilled to be bringing you a monthly forecast with insights into what the Universe has in store for you.

I will also give you the high vibrations of the month and dates for aligned vibration focus too for the rest of the month.

I hope you learn to love Numerology as much as I do.

61

d e n g i l A l u o S r u o Y

BUSINESS What you need to know...

Soul business expert Jen Cochrane shares her advice on getting your business ready for Black Friday.

I know, I know...I hate it too when people start talking about the holidays months in advance but planning ahead- especially when it comes to the time of year that, historically, is when the highest spending takes place- is critical to the success of your business. Don’t be the small business owner who is developing their Black Friday sale in a post-turkey tryptamine daze on Thanksgiving day this year!

So what are the steps you should take to ensure that your Black Friday is as successful as possible?

Plan Your Inventory Early. It may be a bit tricky to nail the correct inventory numbers this year, due to COVID-related shopping concerns, job losses, hours reductions, political 62

unrest, etc. But discretionary spending is starting to creep back towards pre-COVID levels, and so you should be prepared for at least a small influx of business this Black Friday. Start thinking about your supply levels now, because it may take longer than average to get fully stocked up.

Be prepared to compete with big-box giants online.

Many people are going to be hesitant to shop in-person this year, so having an e-commerce shop or a way to book your services online is an absolute must! Take the time now to revisit your online presence. Does your website look trustworthy?

Are your return policies and shipping times clear? Do you have beautiful product images (hopefully multiple images per product!)? If you really

want to lure people into your physical location, you can show a few products that are available exclusively in-store, but the vast majority of your product offerings should be available to purchase online.

I have a feeling that gift cards are going to be bigger than ever this year, especially since fewer people will be traveling to visit their families.

63

It is much easier to pop a gift card in the mail (and even easier to send someone a gift card via email) than it is to don a mask and brave the hoards of shoppers in stores. If you don’t already have gift cards/certificates available, you should definitely add them to your product mix!

You might also consider a free shipping option to compete more directly with bigger companies.

You can incentivize larger orders by offering “free shipping with a $x order.”

Consider offering shipping-friendly / virtual options. Many businesses in the past were built on in-person

64

offerings, or involved selling products that were difficult to ship.

Consider if there are ways that you can modify or expand your offerings to include virtual versions of your in-store experiences, or if you can broaden your range to include smaller items that are easier (and cheaper!) to ship.

Self-care, cozy, lagom/hygge, work-from-home, and home fitness items are so hot right now. We’ve been stuck at home for months, and that trend isn’t likely to change. And even after things start opening back up, many employees will still

find themselves working from home at least part of the time. People may also remain hesitant to go to gyms and other busy public spaces for the next few years. Gifts geared towards making the home a more comfortable, more productive, healthier place to be will be highly desired.

your shop a bit, putting the most desirable things in the back, and put other expensive or high-profitmargin items surrounding it.

Rearrange your brick and mortar shop with buying, not browsing, in mind.1 If people come into your shop at all, they are likely planning to be more mission-oriented, grabbing the thing(s) they came in for, and then quickly leaving. Browsing and “shopping” times will be reduced, giving you less of a chance to catch someone’s’ eye with all the other amazing things in your shop. You might have to want to rearrange

A little planning will go a long way towards making 2020 as successful as possible. This year may have thrown you and your business for a bit of a loop, but you can still use this holiday season as the springboard into a better 2021.

Make sure people feel comfortable with your in-store / in-person safety practices. Make sure you have a solid COVID strategy and post it prominently on your website and on the door to your shop.

https://www.search-star.co.uk/blog/2020/ q4-2020-consumer-behaviour-trends

Jen Cochrane - is a business coach, graphic designer, and course cocreation expert focused on helping people start and grow meaningful, fulfilling businesses that make the world a better place.

Find even more business-related articles, free classes, and information about how Jen can help you with your business over at...

www.jencochrane.com

65

BIZ Spotlight Sarah Lloyd Each month we pick a spiritual/alternative business owner to go under our spotlight. This month we interviewed Sarah Lloyd of IndigoSoulPR...

Let the questions begin!

1. Tell us about your mission?

My mission is one of storytelling.

I guide heart centered business owners to step up and share their stories on their terms.

I am also committed to sharing a message of love and truth, and believe my larger purpose is to help to educate those believing the fear the agenda currently present in the mainstream media, to offer them a choice.

66

2. When and how did you know this was what you were meant to do?

I have always worked in communications, it was only really in the past 3 years when I set up my own company and stepped away from the trappings of corporate life I was able to see there is an alternative way of life.

When I wrote my book, Connecting the Dots last year, it was the therapy I never expected and charts much of my journey where I was able to see points in time when intuition had played a part.

Taking the foot off the peddle, and working with creative flow and energy all play a big part in allowing the magic to come through for clients and my own business. It is a very different way of working to my previous life.

3. Can you share with us what are you focusing on at the moment?

I’ve enjoyed having my girls at home for summer and now they are back at school for the moment, I am enjoying the space to breathe and think!

Currently I am focusing on reaching and teaching more business owners and virtual assistants, how to share their stories on their terms within my membership group. I am enjoying creating radio shows for Wellbeing

Radio; and there is another book bubbling away within me.

4. Tell us about your greatest business lesson so far My biggest lesson so far is managing boundaries and self care. As the master of my own it can be a double edged sword. Worrying that I am not doing enough in my business or for my client - generally this is comes up when I haven’t managed my self care properly.

I am a self confessed people pleaser and good girl - brought up to believe to be successful you must work hard and long hours. This is something I have to check in with daily, as I have in past become a slave to the job, often to the detriment to my own needs.

67

is whatever you have deemed it to be.

Abundance can come to you in all forms - time, love, relationships, money, space. I was stuck in a 9-5, money makes the world go round mentality, and now I see how very unbalanced I was.

Success for me is when everything is balanced.

I have try to ensure I have good boundaries around my working hours, ensure I am fully present with my children after school and also take time out for myself.

Being an HSP I now know I need time away in nature so when the weathers good I can be found hanging out in my hammock recharging the batteries.

5. Looking back what has your business taught you?

That what ever is destined for you will not pass you by. And that success

That what ever is destined for you will not pass you by.

68

6. Share with us one thing that you wish everyone in the world knew?

Love and kindness really does make the world go round.

7. What is your definition of success?

My definition of success is balance.

I was told once that the secret to success is balancing your time. 1/3 on family, 1/3 on the business and 1/3 on me. If I have managed to balance those three things I feel successful.

8. Is there anything you find yourself always saying to your clients/customers?

Release attachment to the outcome.

Do not get fixated on results, be-

cause this is when we move into ego and sabotage the energy flow. When clients have a wonderful media opportunity for example, the best thing is to stay in flow and not push, or you are in danger of pushing it away. I have seen it happen many times, we set ourselves up for disappointment that way - its best to enjoy the ride and let it drop in naturally.

9. What do you wish you had known before you started your business?

That life could be lived on my terms.

I think everything happens for a reason, and I possibly wouldn’t have been brave enough to make the move to what I do now.

I am so glad I did step out of the rat race and still continue to do what I love, which is help people share their stories, inspiring and changing lives as they go.

10. Tell us why you love doing what you do?

When I hold an alchemy session with a client, it becomes more than just a PR strategy session, it is transformational. I love being shown the true potential of a business or an entrepreneur, and helping them see that possibility.

69

I also love it helping client secure opportunities in the press to share their stories, it means they are reaching more people with their mission and service - it always feels good when it has come from a place of love.

11. How can we find you?

I am on WellBeing Radio on Mondays - available on Spotify or Spreaker; my website is www.indigosoulpr.com/ memberhip and my book Connecting the Dots is available on amazon.

Sarah Lloyd is a PR Alchemist and intuitive coach – author of the book Connecting the Dots - about being more conscious in our publicity and marketing, and using the media for purpose over profit; and radio presenter on Wellbeing Radio.

Sarah has been in the PR business over 23 years’, promoting tech businesses at a global level – past clients included Emarsys, LG Electronics, Autodesk and Polycom.

She also is a reiki master and weaves her spiritual practices into her day job. She now offers 121 services and guidance to small business owners and authors, who are looking to use PR as a means to promote their business in a way that feels good to them.

She has worked with entreprenuers, female coaches, A Fairy, a Reverend, a

d me!

Finwww.indigosoulpr.com

www.instagram.com/sarah_ indigosoulpr 70

Swami as well as building awareness around festivals and wellness events.

Never a dull moment, she is also a mum of two and understands the importance of balance – in work, family and in life - after being diagnosed with PND at the peak of career. In order to get well again, she shifted gears, integrated a more intuitive approach to her service offering, and through the support of other business owners in the same situation was able to carve out a business that is successful but also enables her to be present in her own and family’s life.

Sarah@indigosoulpr.com Sarah_indigosoulpr@outlook. com

UNTOLD STORIES and how to tell them...

One of the most cathartic things I have ever done is to share my stories publicly. There is something powerful about setting words on paper and sharing them with the world. Invariably someone will contact you to share that they have experienced something similar, or simply to thank you for sharing.

Blogging and journaling are very popular right now. I am sure that if you have not started writing yourself, you have read something written by somebody else who felt the need to get their story out there.

Similarly, more people are writing books than ever before. Publishing is no longer the dark art that it used to be. You can self-publish inexpensively and easily.

The desire to share our spiritual beliefs and experiences with others is also a potent and persuasive force, encouraging us to put pen to paper,

or fingers to keyboard.

So what is stopping you?

I am here to help! Every month in the magazine I will share some hints and tips to help you discover the power of the written word. Whether you want to start your blog, share your poetry, or finally get that novel written.

Words are powerful things. The Oxford Dictionary’s definition of “word” says: “A single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing, used with others (or sometimes alone) to form a sentence and typically shown with a space on either side when written or printed.”

But they are much more than that.

A single word can convey so much.

Combine it with several others in a sentence, or a paragraph and you can transport the reader anywhere 71

Blogging – can be either of the

above but public. Often themed, blogs can be personal or linked to your business. The term blog came from “web log” as in a log published on the web!

All these methods can support you if your ultimate dream is to publish a book.

you want them to go!

Where to start? Here are some simple ideas to get going.

Diary – often a chronological record of what happened during your day, alongwith associated feelings and emotions. Usually private but can be used as a resource for future writing.

Journaling – also usually private

and personal, but more random.

You can journal every day or when inspired.

It can be used to focus on an aspect of your life, such as gratitude, or to help manifest your goals and dreams. I keep a writing journal where I record snippets that occur to me or words and phrases that might be useful when I sit down to write.

Quite simply, just write. Get the words out. Do not worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar.

Write anything that comes to mind.

Have fun with it and see where it takes you.

“I have begun to trust the magic.

The mysterious alchemy of spirit and love that ignites passion and lights the blue touch paper of creativity. Words flow and I see beauty all around me” - Penny Thresher from The Divine Power of The Feminine Collective

This is a quote from my chapter of a book that I recently collaborated on with 25 other women who shared their stories. Never underestimate the magic of words.

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!

72

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

s ’ e r u t a N KITCHEN

Our very own seasonal foraging expert and kitchen witch Jill Wheeler brings us her special recipe for Spicy Pumpkin & Lentil Soup October to me is crunching fallen leaves underfoot, cool days and a welcoming fire. The warming colours of red, brown and burnt orange and the smell of burning wood and damp earth.

The air of October has a magical quality, especially as the month comes to an end and we celebrate Halloween, Samhain or All Saints

Eve depending on your persuasion.

Perhaps this is not surprising when we consider this is midway between the fall equinox and the winter solstice, a time when celebrants of Samhain believe that the veil between the physical and the spirit world is at its thinnest, allowing us to interact with the other world.

When believers set an extra place 73

sacrificial animals, the celebrations with excessive feasts and alcohol, dressing up as unworldly creatures and spooky lanterns.

So many traditions that have evolved with time and discovery to the Halloween we know now. To me, carving a turnip was something we still did as a child, however, thank goodness for the Irish immigrants discovering pumpkins in America and the eventual availability of pumpkins in the UK. They are so much easier to carve! for their feast to welcome their dead ancestors in remembrance of their loved ones.

The month end is steeped in folklore, myths and stories of old.

The gathering of the harvest, the

74

Which brings me nicely to my topic of the month, pumpkins. Grown in North America for five thousand years, the name is thought to have come from the word large melon, that the Greeks called Pepon, that the French called pompon, the

English called pumpion and the Americans eventually changed to pumpkin! Most people just think of pumpkins as something to carve for Halloween, discarding the flesh and the seeds to the bin and a few days later the squidgy carved skin. Oh, what a waste.

Although most shop bought pumpkins are labelled ‘for decorative purposes only’, they are edible. They may not be as tasty as many other types of pumpkin, possibly a bit on the bland side, but still make perfectly tasty soup and the seeds can be cleaned, seasoned and roasted and taste delicious.

Pumpkins have so many nutritional benefits. Extremely high in Vitamin A, also high in Vitamin C, Potassium, Copper and Manganese. They also contain Vit B2, Vitamin E and iron and small amounts of zinc, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, and several B vitamins.

They are low calorie, high in fibre and very high in beta-carotene, so rich in antioxidants. Pumpkins are a true superfood.

I grow many different varieties of pumpkin and squash, trying different ones each year. I love the different colours and textures. From deep red and orange, to green and

October to me is crunching fallen leaves underfoot, cool days and a welcoming fire. cream, from smooth surfaced to wrinkly and knobbly ones. They are all such fun to grow. Even with a small space you could grow at least one pumpkin if you feed and water it well. Alternatively, you will be able to find different squashes at farm shops and greengrocers.

Try one, try out some recipes. Curry, soup, risotto and my favourite – pumpkin pie. Start with my soup recipe. A lovely, nutritious soup, perfect for a cold autumnal day.

Feast and reflect. Enjoy!

75

p u o S l ti n e L & in k p m u Spicy P You will need..

Place the chopped pumpkin and sliced garlic on a baking tray and drizzle with rapeseed oil (or similar).

Cook in an oven around 180 degrees c for about 20 to 30 mins until the pumpkin is crisping and browning.

Remove from oven.

In a pan add a little rapeseed oil then add the ginger and onion. Stir for a few moments then add the spices (chilli, nutmeg, curry powder and paprika), soy sauce and balsamic.

Add the pumpkin and garlic and stir.

Add the vegetable stock with the marmite melted in. Simmer for around 20 mins. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Transfer contents of the pan to a blender and blend until smooth.

Return to the pan and coconut milk to the desired consistency you like for a soup. Taste and add salt and

• 1 large pumpkin (seeds removed, peeled and chopped into chunks) • 1 onion chopped • 3 garlic cloves (sliced thinly) • Thumb sized piece of ginger thinly chopped • Can coconut milk • 1 ltr of good vegetable stock • Tbsp Mild curry powder • Tbsp Marmite • Tbsp Soy sauce • Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar • 1 tsp grated or ground nutmeg • 1tsp paprika • 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional) • Salt and pepper to taste • Rapeseed oil • 1 can red or green lentils pepper to season.

When ready to serve warm the lentils and stir into the soup. If you intend to keep soup for later then separate this portion and add the lentils when re-heating.

Serve with crusty bread and add roasted pumpkin seeds or roasted chickpeas to the soup on serving if you wish. You can also freeze portions if there is too much to enjoy another time.

76

Enjoy!

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 https://www.facebook.com/jillysjam https://wwww.instagram.com/jillysjam

The history of the Jack O’Lantern According to an Irish myth, Jack invited the devil to drink with him and tricked the devil into turning into a coin. He kept this coin with a cross in his pocket to stop the devil from returning to his original form.

He did a deal with the devil after tricking him once more, to not claim his soul.

out pumpkin and roamed the earth ever since. This ghostly figured was termed Jack of the Lantern.

He was a sinful character and was not allowed into heaven. The devil, keeping his word, sentenced him to a lifetime of purgatory, sending him off with burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal in a carved

The Jack O’Lantern was brought by immigrants to America, where the native fruit of America, the pumpkin, was found to be the perfect carving fruit for this tradition.

In Ireland and Scotland, people made their own version of Jack of the Lantern to ward off Jack and other evil spirits from their homes by placing in windows and near doors.

77

Musings of a

SOUL JUNKIE

My first journey with Ayahuasca. The beginning of my recovery from depression and anxiety.

“Why oh why didn’t I take the blue pill”? Buckle up!

In the few months leading up to my initial trip to Peru, I felt a little more stable. Many would say, and I am of the mindset, that Mother Ayahuasca was already working with me having committed to sit with her, but also I had hope. I knew this was my path and I was merely following all of the signs, as we do.

However getting to Iquitos became an ordeal that had me spiralling back into anxiety and paranoia. It all started whilst boarding the plane at

78

Newcastle. I was notified that I would have to collect my hold luggage and re check-it-in at Lima airport, “Easy” she said. “Shit” I thought.

I’ve become aware since that Lima is the place of many a travelling fiasco but even without that knowledge I sat on the first and second flight for 16 hours, worrying and beautifully manifesting what was to come.

Things being confiscated as blinded by worry I somehow managed to just grab my bag and go through security having asked three hundred, non English speaking airport attendants what was going on with baggage. So anything sharp or over 100ml was now missing and I now had issues getting my bags onto the last flight. It resolved itself of course, and it doesn’t sound like much,

in fact I’m sitting here laughing at the sheer terror it brought me at the time but 18 months ago I was in a fragile state of mind. This incident shook me up and so I didn’t leave the hotel for two days prior to getting picked up for the retreat, I was too scared to venture out.

I remember sitting amongst everyone else attending The Hummingbird Healing Centre, for our drive into the Amazon. We were bouncing along the dirt track like a bus full of bobbing apples. I was fighting back tears for sure, this was everything to me, everything was on the line here, my life. I was also relieved and grateful I’d made it, yet curious as to

“I had spent my whole life in fear of something, being seen, laughed at, abandoned, unworthy, the future, judged, trying to control all of it” what lay ahead.

Having settled into my room, we had lunch at Noon, I explored a little, not too much, swung in a hammock in my room, organised my gear and listened to the music of the jungle.

Ceremony one was now imminent.

Into the Miloka, which is a round wooden structure where ceremony is held. Surrounding the outer edges, our mattresses lay, accompanied by a blanket, pillow, toilet roll and of course, a sick bucket. At the front a 79

as unpleasant as some, but yes, it doesn’t taste great. Once everyone had their turn, the candles were blown out and then, you sat. You sit in the darkest dark, I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, tension builds bearing in mind it was the first time for all 12 of us in there.

Once the Shaman (Ayahuascaro) feels its time, he begins his Icaros. Repetitive, enchanting singing that brings in the spirit of the medicine, accompanied by his maracas. Not five minutes after that point I saw an actual zip in my vision pull down, and out popped a demon. WHAT! I shook my head to shake it off, in full denial as I leaned back against the wall of the miloka.

“Okay maybe it won’t come back” I thought to myself, and it didn’t, what came was far beyond that little warm up act. small table upon which the shaman lay his tools, maracas, flute and various other things such as a few crystals, an ornamental eagle and of course, the wooden chalice from which they serve Ayahuasca.

Electricity is cut on ceremony nights and so in the jungle, it’s very dark, especially with the cloud cover this night and no moon to speak of.

Candles light the way as one by one we go up to the front, and drink the medicine. I don’t find Ayahuasca

80

A huge wave of panic consumed me and I remembered the, ‘flash your torch if you need help’ drill. No sooner did I flash my torch I became utterly paranoid about speaking with anyone and upon Jims arrival, I simply denied it was me.

Across the whole of my field of vision was now a wall of what I can only describe as psychedelic hell.

Hundreds of fragments, like shattered glass, only within each fragment was something dark, something twisted, something wanting to get to me. Devils and demons, there were freaky clowns, all laughing and jeering at me, at what I was, who I was, what I had done. It would collapse to one side and then rotate as if on a carousel, then erupt again all over me. There was screaming and shouting, it was deafening, and all of the time my panic increased until I lost all sense of reality. I didn’t know where I was, I didn’t know I was at a retreat, I didn’t know I was in Peru, I didn’t know if I was even alive. I had some incredibly distant memory of things being not right, or something like that, and all I thought was that I had signed up to this as an alternative, not for a lifetime, but for eternity, I didn’t think I was coming

back. It gained in speed and volume and was by far the most intense thing I ever experienced.

I then heard what sounded like an alien voice in my ear, I would say startled me, but really it didn’t make any difference, let’s be honest. It repeated a few times and on the very end of it I recognised and thought “that was English”, like a quick time translation

81

at the end of the sentence.

“I would try to remain It was Jim, kind of. He was trying to calm me down, calm and just focussed apparently I would later learn I was hyperventilating. on opening my heart” I remember sweat pouring off of me as I was hearing “Relax, this is what you night, eventually, for a few hours. came for ….. breathe ….

A life changing experience”. My language was colourful in reply and And so that was night one, of I’ve no idea if I verbalised or thought thirty nights I had booked, which would amount to 15 ceremonies. that.

There were times during that first However, I did manage to relax evening, once I’d regained at least eventually and the end of my evening some understanding of my current was beautiful, with the odd bit of fear whereabouts, I thought I might be that it might all come back. I saw the on the next flight home. But I stayed, most beautiful elephant dripping in the reasons for having booked four no idea what, but it looked ‘out of weeks becoming clearer. I had the this world’. I slept in the miloka that luxury of time with the medicine, and so I pulled back on my dose in order to manage my fears and began to let go slowly. Jim was my guardian during that month, he recognised where I was and the levels of anxiety within. He looked at my long list of intentions and said, just go in with the intention “open your heart”. So that was my approach for the first few weeks, I drank the medicine, fear would rise, I would try to remain calm and just focussed on opening my heart, and the fear would dissolve.

Fear, open, relax, repeat. I had spent my whole 82

life in fear of something, being seen, laughed at, abandoned, unworthy, the future, judged, trying to control all of it. On this day I not only learned but integrated my biggest lesson.

What conquers fear, is love.

It’s something I have to keep remembering from time to time as I emerge as a much more confident person in life, I’m not without the odd slip back into darkness but I’m delighted at how I manage it on my own with the aid of my own shamanic guides. I no longer need to reach outside of myself. Sure there have been times in my past when people thought I was confident,

but I became very good at masking everything. This time, it’s me, pure authentic me. I feel free, aligned, I feel happy.

There were many more shifts during that month, next time I’ll share a few more but I finish by saying that Ayahuasca may have scared me to death, but it undoubtedly saved my life. From that point on I reconnected with my soul, I remembered who I was and I recognised what I was here to do.

To be continued …

Lots of Love,

Roberto

Rob Leon is a Reiki and sound healer, Shamanic practitioner, photographer and founder of the clothing brand “Soul Junkie”.

After a short army career and many years spent finding my talent, I finally discovered photography, and I was rather successful for many years. Then, battling depression and dissatisfaction for some time, for whatever reason, I threw away my whole life and started from scratch.

The beginning of my awakening yes, the beginning of a breakdown also.

I tried many things but finally discovered Ayahuasca and

flew to Peru as a last ditch effort to save my life. It’s at this point ‘Soul Junkie’ was born, a story you can follow in my group on Facebook. It’s all there in real time, on video.

www.souljunkie.co.uk connect@souljunkieclothing.com FB Group - Souljunkie Tribe FB Page - Souljunkie Clothing IG - souljunkie_clothing

83

Coming next month...

Ancestral

HEALING At Untamed Soul we are dedicated to helping stop child sex trafficking worldwide...

That’s why we’re supporting Operation Underground Railroad and donating 10% of our profits More to come...watch this space!