Full Moon in Sagittarius and Mercury Retrograde

Have you been feeling the affects of the Mercury Retrograde? We are about half way through now, with Mercury going direct on the 11th, but we may feel the affects of it for the most part of June. I know a lot of you, me included, don't really look forward to Mercury Retrograde. Communications and travel tend to be affected. That includes electronics and other communication devices.

Last year my hubby and I booked a trip to Cancun. I mistakenly didn't check the chart before booking the trip and the day of our trip was the first day of a Mercury Retrograde. We had some setbacks in our travels and some annoyances with communications with hotel personnel. We also had some issues with internet access. However, all in all, we had a wonderful trip and I came back with some amazing memories and probably the best vacation ever.

That being said, I still believe that for the most part, we create our reality. Yes sometimes the moon and the planets and the stars affect the things that come across our path. Yes, Mercury Retrograde brought some challenges our way, however hubby love and I overcame the challenges and had the best vacation of our lives!

Sometimes I think the Universe or Spirit sends us things like Mercury Retrograde so that we have the opportunity to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of life. Perhaps our electronics act up so that we will look up from our computers and our phones and our tablets and look at the life that is right in front of us. I like to leave my phone at the house when I go out for a walk or a run or to work out in the yard. I want to be completely present in whatever I am experiencing. Yes sometimes I like to have my phone around to capture a picture of what I am experiencing but how many times do we miss out on so much of life that is right in front of us because we are too busy checking our phones?

The full moon on Tuesday is calling on us to celebrate our lives. Think deeply about life and our purpose here at this time and this place. We have come to this time and this place for a purpose. The highly spiritual number 11 is playing a huge role in the stars and planets at this time. Look at the things that are going on in your life with the thoughts of the big picture. What is the higher purpose of those things that are going on in your life at this time. What signs and symbols are showing up in your dreams and in your everyday life?

If you choose to honor the full moon with a ritual, be sure to use the element of fire in your ritual. Sagittarius is a fire sign. You can honor the full moon by lighting a candle or dancing around a fire pit in your backyard. Meditate on those things that you are drawing into your life and thank Spirit for the power of the moon in your intentions.

Remember to set your stones and crystals outside. They love the power of the moon and you will find their energy restored as they bask in the glow of the moon!

Most of all, don't dread any stage of the moon or the planets. Our intentions and expectations play a big role in what we end up experiencing. If we expect to meet up with all the crazy people when it is a full moon, guess what will happen! If we expect to have communication mishaps and misunderstandings during a Mercury Retrograde, the Universe will not disappoint.

Let us honor the planets and the stars and the moon no matter what stage they are in. Yes, we are affected by the planets and the moon, but more importantly, our beliefs and our expectations affect our experiences day by day.

Expect to greet each morning with love and joy, and meet each new experience with the expectation of growth and evolution. We are here to enjoy our lives and to grow from our day by day experiences.

NEW MOON AND MERCURY RETROGRADE! OH MY!

I do not claim to be an astrologist, but I do keep up with the phases of the moon and certain events in the skies that seem to have an effect on my life and the life of those around me.

So this morning on the east coast, a little after midnight, we experienced a new moon in Taurus.

Taurus is an earth sign, and has to do with self worth, personal values, and things that are related to our life in the earth realm.

Depending on whose blogs you read, new moons can be about manifesting new things or letting go of old stuff.

Here is my understanding.

The dark moon and the new moon are a bit different, although they are sometimes used interchangeably.

The dark moon is when there is NO moon, It is dark.

The new moon is right after that. When the darkness of the moon begins to pass and the next phase begins its trek across our sky and our experience.

Symbolically you may correctly ascertain that the best time for releasing things out of your life is when the moon is waning and going into the dark stage and the best time for manifesting would be when the moon begins to become visible again!

This particular new moon is accompanied by a Mercury Retrograde which lasts approximately three weeks. Mercury is all about communication, Traditionally Mercury Retrogrades affects anything having to with our communications with others. Since in modern times we often communicate via the internet, phones, and other electronic devices, be sure that these items may not always function the way they should during Mercury Retrogrades.

However, Mercury Retrogrades are not necessarily a bad thing,  We get to revisit our communications with others, We get to bring closure to outstanding issues in our lives. We get to take some time out and look at our recent past and see if there are some things we have been avoiding. With the new moon in Taurus, this is a perfect time for revisiting our relationships with others, our relationship with our money, our values, and things that are important to us. If there is an imbalance, now is the perfect time to set things right.

This past week my body indicated to me that there was an imbalance. I found it necessary to experience an emergency appendectomy. Up until that day, I will admit that I had allowed my life to become a bit imbalanced. I was charging forward like Taurus the bull, accepting every invite, every opportunity that presented itself. Working full time again at the Post Office, doing weddings and readings and classes on weekends and sometimes after a full day at the Post Office, I was headed toward a screeching halt.

This week is my week to recharge. To decide which opportunities to take, and which ones to release. What a perfect week to do this!

I am planning a double whammy ritual this evening. The actual dark moon has passed, and the new moon is now upon us. However, I have a two fold agenda. I am making two lists. One list contains the things I am ready to release, and the other list contains the things I am ready to invite or manifest into my life.

May I suggest you do something similar in your time with Spirit as well.

I like to incorporate the particular element that is related to the moon when doing my rituals. In this case Taurus is an earth sign, so I will bring the earth into my ritual. I will take my two pieces of paper containing my intentions. The one that  contains the things I am releasing, I will stand outside (weather permitting) and say something like this:

Higher Beings of Love and Light, Universe, Higher Self and My Own Soul, I thank you for the experiences of life that have brought me to this moment, I thank all of the things that I am now releasing for the lessons you have taught me and the value you have had in my life up until this point. I am now ready to release you to the earth and out of my life.

I will then dig a hole in the earth, asking the Earth for permission first of course and asking where in the Earth to dig the hole. I will tear up the paper into tiny pieces and bury the pieces into the earth, thanking the Earth for accepting the energy of those things to the betterment of my soul.

Now to the second part of my ritual. I will take my second list of things I want to manifest into my life. I will say a similar incantation, or prayer, something like this:

Higher Beings of Love and Light, Universe, Higher Self and My Own Soul: I now humbly ask your help in manifesting these things into my life. As I team up with you I thank you for your partnership with me in bringing into my life my intentions. 

Now is the fun part! Being spring and time to plant new things in your yard or whatever space you have available, find a pot of dirt and a plant that you would like to grow. You can tear up your piece of paper into little pieces and place it in the bottom of the pot. Fill the pot with dirt and the plant and water it. Thank the plant and the dirt for its partnership with you as you manifest your intentions!

If you do not possess a green thumb or the ability to grow a plant, for whatever reason,you can do your ritual in whatever way speaks to you. Place your paper under a rock. Rocks are very powerful earth elements. Go to the mountains somewhere and plant your intentions. Use the element of earth. Even if you burn the paper and then spread the ashes into the earth somewhere that is still using the element of earth in your ritual. Have fun! Use your favorite spiritual tools. Remember to make your ritual speak to your soul.

The earth, the stars and the planets, whether you believe that they have real power over your life or not, are there to remind you of the things of the Spirit. Nothing really has any meaning unless it has meaning to YOU. Rituals are for your benefit. They bring your thoughts and words and actions together for a specific purpose.

Have fun and relax! Remember that life is on your side! These tools that I suggest are for your benefit and are meant to bring joy into your life in a greater way! Whatever means you find to bring joy into your life is good!

If you would like some personal attention, I am always available for phone, Skype or email consultations. If you live near me, I am available at specific dates and times listed on my WEBSITE.

Blessings to you on this special day!

Mercury Retrograde... What Goes Around Comes Around

We are right in the middle of a Mercury Retrograde. For those of you who don't know what this is, it is when Mercury's appearance in the sky appears to go backward due to it's positioning in relation to the earth and our view of the sky.

( visit this page to learn more about Mercury.. where I attribute this photo..http://www.robinsonlibrary.com/philosophy/religions/classical/mercury.htm

This particular Mercury Retrograde symbolizes our relationships to one another. Mercury represents communications and travel, so that is why it is said that our electronics or anything to do with communication is affected.. computers, phones, as well as our communications with each other.

This morning I was connecting with Spirit while sorting mail at the Post Office, which I often do, since the work I do is somewhat mindless, and Spirit told me that it was important for people to think about their deep set beliefs and judgements, for if we have judged someone for the way they are choosing to live out their lives, or decisions they have made or lifestyle choices, look out, for retribution was about to be served! This is  not a punishment warning! The Higher Powers do not dish out punishments and rewards, as it is widely believed. We are our own judge and jury. Our Higher Self knows that we need to learn certain lessons, so we attract experiences and people into our lives which facilitate that learning. Like attracts like, but also, our attitudes and beliefs about ourselves and others attract similar experiences into our own lives.

This is not an idle belief. Science proves this in the principle of sowing and reaping, as it is described in the Bible and in nature. If we sow green bean seeds, we reap green beans. We do not reap grapes, or corn. Our thoughts create our reality. So if we think about something enough to create a judgement or a deep set belief, we are going to create the circumstances to experience the very thing we have been thinking about!

Here is a common deep set belief. "There is never enough." Do you ever feel like you never have enough time to complete your daily tasks, or enough money to pay your bills, or enough space in your home to hold all your "stuff?" This stems from a deep set belief, probably unconscious, that there is never enough! You will end up creating the experience of not having enough. With Mercury Retrograde giving it's own "umph" to that belief, we are going to come up with experiences of not having enough so that we can recognize that belief and change it!

I had a client once who had judged his father for having multiple affairs. He grew up to be an adult who had affairs as well. This is what I mean by sowing and reaping. He sowed seeds of judgement toward his father as a child, and probably forgot all about it. When he grew up, he ended up doing exactly what he had judged his father for. It is also possible that we inherit tendencies to do certain things from our family. We may not even know the person who has passed on a tendency such as I previously described, but if we judged them for having character flaws, then the particular character flaws that resonate with our own energy will end up growing up and producing a harvest in our own lives!

Here is a clincher. Instead of reaping a harvest of being the perpetrator, we could experience being the victim of said character flaw! Another family member may have judged the father for the same offense, but ended up reaping the experience of having been the victim of an affair.

Mercury Retrograde encourages us to examine ourselves and our beliefs and release any judgements or attitudes that might come back to bite us in the ass! Some of these attitudes may have occurred many years, or even lifetimes ago! How can we know what attitudes to release if we don't remember or recognize those tendencies in our lives?

Notice what comes up for you in the next couple of weeks! Are you experiencing running into people who have a particular character flaw that you abhor? Hmmm... there may be an attitude that needs to be released!!I encourage you to look within yourself and see if that tendency may lie within your own heart as well, or at least some version of it.

Remember that we are all souls navigating through this journey called life. There was no instruction manual given to us at birth! We are all doing the best we can with the information that we have! Let us let go of attitudes towards others and their choices in life! Let us all realize that we are all eventually going to get to where we need to be. Some souls just take longer to learn their lessons, but we will all learn!

Here is a little "prayer" or "affirmation" if you don't like the word prayer, that you can say to release judgements and attitudes toward others.

"I now release to the Universe, my Source, and the Divine all attitudes toward others, especially the attitude that..... (you can fill in the blank here)..." I recognize and appreciate the Divine looking back at me in the eyes of others, and especially... (here you can insert a person who is giving you trouble or pushing your buttons).


If you don't know consciously what attitudes to release, you can say a general statement that you release the tendency to judge others, and release any judgements you may have formulated that you have forgotten, asking that they be revealed to you so you can release them properly! Look out! You may experience an uncomfortable situation if you say this prayer!

My prayer for you is that you experience in this lifetime all you have chosen to experience, but especially that you experience joy. If you need help determining what judgements you may need to release, or would like to receive a channeled message from your Guides, Angels, or your Uncle Ted, please feel free to contact me and set up a private session! I would love to be of service to you in this way!

You can contact me through my website, www.whispersofjoy.net.

Blessings to you as you navigate your path!

Thoughts on the Full Moon and Lunar Eclipse

For months now I have been feeling like October was going to be a powerful month. I am not an astrologist, I just hear from Spirit. I like to follow the cycles of the moon, and I do read what astrologists and other "listeners of Spirit" have to say, but I must say, I am a bit excited because other "listeners" seem to be saying the same thing I have been hearing... October energy is powerful this year.

This month we have a double whammy.. a full moon and a lunar eclipse on the same day. Not a coincidence. I don't believe anything is a coincidence anyway, but add to that the fact that it is on an 8 day, and we are set for a powerful week!

Anyone who knows me knows that I love 8's. Anything having to do with an 8 and I am loving it.

Years ago I actually decided that I would pay attention to 8 days.

This year I am pretty excited because the full moon and the lunar eclipse are on an 8 day.

I have had a few people ask me what they can do to make the best of this powerful week, so I thought I would give you some suggestions!

--- Decide what things you would like to manifest. Write them on a piece of paper. Put them in the center of your room, or lay them down outside, three days prior to October 8 (in other words, you are going to do this ritual three times, the last time being on the day of the full moon, so you would do this Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, since the actual time of the full moon is just before dawn on the 8th.) You can put around your piece of paper items that are sacred to you: feathers, candles, statues of you favorite Diety, etc. Now put on some happy music! Dance around the piece of paper in a circle clockwise three times for two of the three days. Proclaim your intentions out loud!!  On the day of the full moon/lunar eclipse, which will be Wednesday morning, so I would do this Tuesday evening, you are going to put on your happy music and dance in a circle nine times.. which is three times three! Proclaim your intentions and this time thank your Dieties, the Universe, the Angels, Spirit for the answer to your proclamations!!

Here are some suggestions...

Do you need a new job? Your paper might read..." I now manifest my perfect job!"

Do you need a romantic relationship?... "I now manifest positive loving relationships!"

Maybe you don't need anything physical, like a job or a relationship. Maybe you need peace. Or maybe you need to understand your purpose. Or maybe you need to know the next step in your plan of action.

The simpler your intention the better.. it doesn't have to be wordy. Sometimes too much is just too much.

Spirit knows exactly what you need and will bring it to you at the perfect time!

The moon will be in Aries at this time so you can add some kind of fire ritual to add some zing to the ritual. It could be a candle, or a bonfire, but you might want to burn your paper in the fire after you are done.. you might send out an intention that as you burn your paper, the fire is taking your requests up into the heavens with speed and purpose!

Be sure to be grateful for the answers to your requests!!

A grateful heart is the fuel to the fire! Thank your Higher Powers for listening to your requests and thank the answers for coming to you speedily!!

Expect some major changes this month! Relationships and communications seem to be highlighted this month, especially with Mercury going retrograde. If there is anything you have unresolved in your life, or something you may have pushed under the rug till later, look for it to come back to be resolved this month. People in your past may show up. Electronics may not work properly. Just send the situations and people and especially yourself some extra love this month.

Look for big changes to occur this month! Expect surprises and know that they will end up well, despite what you might think at the time.

Remember this.. everything happens just the way it is supposed to.

"All that occurs is happening for my highest good."

And so it is.

Mercury Retrograde is Coming!

I must say that Mercury Retrograde is not my favorite thing to go through. My computer acts up, anything electronic seems to be affected. Sometimes the past comes a calling for resolution.

Apparently Mercury Retrograde came calling early for me. In the wee hours of the morning, I awoke with a dread that my will was not up to date. I didn't want to wake hubby love to go searching through the safe, but I will admit that it was a near impossible task to get back to sleep.

Oh my, you say, is this a premonition that something bad is going to happen? I blame Mercury Retrograde.

Yes I am planning a trip in the very near future, and I will be on an airplane for a few hours. Am I now afraid that the plane will crash, since I had this middle of the night experience? No, not really.

I had become aware that Mercury Retrograde was right around the corner, and I think that pesky Mercury was hinting around to me that there were some important tasks that needed to be completed. Mercury is all about communication, and when it goes retrograde, it calls us to resolve unresolved issues, visit the past and, if need be, have some closure.

When I drew up the will that I have now revised, there were some difficult things happening in my life emotionally. There were some people who I was not in a good place with. Now, ten years later, those issues had long been resolved, but still, there was still the paper evidence that had never been updated.

It is always a good idea to have your affairs in order, whether you get a middle of the night wake up call or not. These are the kind of things that may happen during a Mercury Retrograde. Things from the past may come back to your attention, calling to you to address them once and for all. Since this particular Mercury Retrograde begins in Cancer, a water sign, the issues may be emotionally charged.

They say to avoid signing contracts in a Mercury Retrograde if at all possible, but my feeling is that as long as everyone is on the same page, just make sure all your i's are dotted and your t's are crossed. Pay attention to detail. Be up front with all your communications.

It might be wise to send lots of love to your electronic devices.

Make sure all of your communications are laced with love. If you do run into a miscommunication, take a breath, let go of any anger or fear, and send the situation and the people involved lots of thoughts and prayers of love before you jump in and try to remedy or address the situation. Remember that love is the balm that heals all, and peace comes right up behind love. When you are at peace, then it is harder for the energy of miscommunication, anger, or fear to get in.

If you do run into any arguments or misunderstandings in the next three weeks while Mercury is retrograde, try this. Imagine the person with whom you are at odds standing in front of you. Imagine your heart and all the love you can imagine within your heart. Now imagine a stream of love going from your heart to theirs. Now, in this stream of love, communicate with this person your side of the issue. Pour out your heart to them. Imagine that this person is listening to you. Now imagine them responding. ( you can leave this part out if you can't imagine a positive outcome.)

Now comes the hard part. Let it go. Surrender any intentions of a particular outcome. That is right. Detachment is the key. Allow Spirit to do its work. You are detaching yourself from what you think is the right outcome. Remember that everything always works out okay in the end. You might even say that to yourself .. several times a day if necessary....

Everything always turns out okay in the end.

And if it doesn't, it is not the end.

I don't think Mercury Retrogrades are out there to make our lives miserable. I think that sometimes we need a little push to revisit issues that we have swept under the rug or forgotten about. If we are always on top of every issue in our lives and we have not left any stones unturned in our lives then there is no need to revisit the past. But how many of us can say that?

Use the next few weeks to really focus on resolving unfinished business. Thank the Mercury Retrograde for bringing things to our attention. Be gentle with yourself and others. Love your electronic devices. Send everyone lots of love.

Mercury goes direct July 2nd so you have plenty of time to resolve those issues that come up for attention. Remember if you keep putting it off, those issues will keep coming back to haunt you.

Blessings to you as you navigate your way on your path. If you are in need of some personal sessions, you can contact me through my website, www.WhisperofJoy.net. I would love to help you move forward in a positive direction.

Do something nice for someone today. And remember to enjoy your journey.

The Year of the Chariot

Back in January, I posted a blog about the energy shift I had been sensing. I mentioned that in the tarot, universally we are experiencing the year of the chariot, which is symbolic of the energy of great movement, despite obstacles. It is a year to forge ahead, to embrace those parts of your inner psyche which would try to hold you back, and with love move forward in your life despite any fears of what that movement might generate in your life.

I want to continue this theme a bit today.

In numerology, the month of February is a month to bring things to completion. Get ready for new things next month. Adding the numbers of this year, 2+0+1+4 =7, which corresponds to the tarot card of the chariot. If you add the month of February to this, or 7+2, you will get the answer 9. Nine is a number of completion. Add to that that we are currently in a Mercury Retrograde, which is lasting most of the month of February, which affects communications, but also beckons us to look back at those communications we have had in the past and make amends when there are unfinished issues, I believe the Universe, or Spirit, or the Divine, or God, whatever your favorite name for our Higher Power, seems to be telling us that it is high time we settled some old  unfinished business, completed our unfinished projects, and got ready for new things to come in March.

Today is also the waning quarter moon. A waning moon is when the moon is going from full to dark, and symbolically, this represents that what has been in the light is now moving out of our lives. In other words, it is a really good time to let go of the past, especially those things which are no longer serving  you or creating joy in your life. From that closet full of clothes or shoes you no longer wear to the refrigerator full of yesterday's or last week's dinner, it is a really good time to clean out closets, balance your checkbook, organize your files, release anything that you no longer love. Even if it is guilt or shame, release the patterns that have created those emotions within you! I believe it is no coincidence that the new moon, which represents starting anew, and creating a new beginning, is occurring on the first day of March.

That being said, we still have about a week to complete our old projects, throw out the old things in our lives and get ready to start new things!

Here is my suggestion. Get into a quiet place, the place where you are able to connect with Spirit. Ask your Higher Powers what is no longer serving you, what you may need to release so that you can move forward in your life. Even if your closet is clean, your refrigerator spotless, and your checkbook is balanced, I am sure that we all have areas in our lives that contain remnants of past emotions, past fears, or past regrets that would serve us to release. When you are in your quiet place, write down what comes to your mind and make adjustments. Did you shortchange a grocery store clerk? Did you get short with a loved one? Did you kick the dog? Make amends! Get rid of any leftover guilt or fear from past mistakes and get ready for a new beginning in March!

In order for new things to manifest in our lives, or for us to move forward on our highest path, we have to be in a place where there are no obstacles holding us back. Sometimes our paths get blocked by debris of all kinds, and it is up to us to clear away that debris!

Just for today, I encourage you to locate and begin to remove that emotional baggage, that fear, or even that tendency to be disorganized and get ready for new things to come! If you wait, then you may not be ready for all of the wonderful things coming your way!

If you are unsure what is next for you on your path, or if you need some personal guidance from Spirit on that relationship, that goal, or the best way to move forward on your path, I encourage you to contact me and set up a personal session. I have a multitude of tools available to connect with Spirit and receive the Highest Guidance available for you at this time. If you would like to learn to connect with Spirit in a greater way yourself, I am also available to show you some tools to improve your own connection with Spirit and receive guidance for yourself. Wherever you are on your path at this time, feel free to contact me to set up a session. I am always at your service!

www.whispersofjoy.net