The intense energies of the square between Pluto in Capricorn (old established ways) and Uranus in Aries (new young ways) begin to ease in mid April as we continue to release old patterns, beliefs and whatever is no longer supporting our journey. This cycle began in 2012 and, as it nears its conclusion, we are all being urged to manifest the changes we want both personally and globally.
The new moon in Aries on April 19 represents the new beginnings that follow the letting go. As the first sign of the zodiac, intuitive Aries asks us to act on our ideas, be courageous and open to embrace new opportunities. The Sabian symbol for this new moon urges us to listen to our own inner voice even if things are not going well. Marianne Williamson writes:”Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn.”
From April 1, the pace slows as Mars moves into earthy and practical Taurus until May 12 urging us to look after, and build on, the seeds we plant under the Aries new moon. Mercury joins Mars on April 22 making it easier to say no to what is not in alignment with our core values and to act on what is.
The transformational planet Pluto turns retrograde on 16 April reminding us there is still more releasing to do as we revisit those areas we wanted to transform in 2014. It may be your job, home, relationship or another aspect of your life. Old buried patterns may surface requiring elimination and healing. With Uranus still closely in alignment, listening to and acting on your intuition, may be the way forward.
The full moon on May 4 highlights the polarity of two opposite signs by exposing both their differences and their similarities. We can feel “pulled in two directions” as we try to balance our wants (Sun) in Taurus with our needs (Moon) in Scorpio.
Taurus seeks comfort and stability and represents our values, resources and self-esteem. Scorpio wants challenge and transformation pushing us to confront both our desires and our fears. The polarity is between the complacent Bull who never budges and the Scorpion who can sting both itself and those around it. The challenge is to integrate the two sides and find the balance.
Molly Talbot is an insightful reader whose extensive experience enhances the depth and quality of her work. A gifted teacher and speaker in Astrology and Tarot, she believes learning should be fun.
A Professional member of both the Association of Professional Astrologers and the Tarotguild of Australia, Molly can be contacted for readings, talks and workshops in Sydney on 0432 619 249 or website www.mollytalbot.com.au
The secret of setting your goal and then reaching it!
The dreamers and the believers have done some of the world’s greatest things. All because they believed in having their dreams come true. All of those amazing leaps and bounds, inventions and forward movements could have not been accomplished otherwise. It’s like the old story about climbing to the top of the mountain in search of that indefinable something. It makes no difference from which side the approach is made, those who steadfastly climb, reach the top. And so it is with the matter of believing. It isn’t so much what the real or imagined object of our belief may be, it’s the belief and following through that makes things possible.
What is the hardest task in the world? It is, to think.
Have you thought that maybe this is so, when you consider that most of us are victims of mass thinking and feed upon suggestions from others? We all know the law of cause and effect is absolute, yet how many of us ever pause to consider it’s workings? The entire course of a person’s life has many times been changed by a single thought which, coming to them in a flash, became a mighty power that altered the whole current of developing events. History is filled with the stories of strong-minded, resolutely willed individuals, who, steadfastly holding to their inner convictions, have been able to inspire their fellow man, and in the face of tremendous and determined opposition have literally created out of nothing great businesses, huge empires, and new worlds. They had no monopoly of thought power. You and every man and woman have it. All you have to do is use it.
The second hardest thing to do is to take positive action, the first step if you like, while holding that very important thought or focus. Once you take action, you will then become the person you envisage in your imagination, for the magic of believing will bring into your life the new elements, which your most dominant thoughts create within and attract from without.
Positive creative thought leads to action and ultimate realization, but the real power, much more than action itself, is the thought. Remember always: “whatever man can conceive mentally, he can bring into materialization.” Health, wealth and happiness must follow if the proper mental pictures are created and constantly maintained, for the law of cause and effect is immutable.
Know thyself and know your power until it becomes part of your daily life. Just believe that there is genuine magic in believing – and magic there will be, for belief will supply the power which will enable you to succeed in everything you undertake. Back your belief with a resolute will and you become unconquerable – a master among men or women – yourself.
Narelle Scurr – Australian Psychic of the Year (2014)
Working as a professional in the Spiritual Industry for many years as an experienced and accurate Psychic, Medium and Tarot Reader, Narelle’s philosophy and intention is always to work with a code of ethics, honesty and integrity, especially as she is consulted by individuals on subjects of an extremely personal nature.
It is foremost in her mind that what is said will potentially impact people’s lives on many levels. This knowledge/information can be of a highly sensitive nature and messages must be delivered in the correct way as to not mislead, or to be misinterpreted.
Having the divine gift of being able to communicate information from the psychic/spirit world to the material world is an opportunity to help everyday people to have a better understanding of the life/death process and to have the assurance of knowing that my readings, no matter what the subject is, a loved one passing over or guidance for a personal or business project will give you direction, guidance or peace of mind in most situations.
If you want more details, her is her website www.indigotarot.net and email indigotarot@live.com.au
Meet Ganga Karen Ashworth, who’s passionate about helping you discover the healing power of your voice through an interview conducted by Virginia Muzik.
How many of us take our voice for granted? We use it every day to communicate – our emotions and energy levels, our needs and desires. Yet many of us give little thought to this powerful, portable instrument that resides in our throat, that’s fueled by our breath and that says so much about us each time we make a sound.
Ganga Karen Ashworth doesn’t take her voice for granted – or anyone else’s for that matter.
The Transformational Voice Empowerment Coach is passionate about guiding and supporting people to find their own true voice and experience the profound healing it can offer physically, emotionally and spiritually.
With more than 20 years’ teaching experience, the singer, songwriter, speaker and author deeply understands the effect of sound, voice and vibration on our physical and energetic bodies.
When she answers my phone call, Ganga’s voice sounds all at once warm, confident, compassionate, serene and completely in her own power. But Ganga says most people aren’t aware of the impact of their voice.
“Most people don’t really consider how they use their voice or even the words they use and the incredible vibrational impact it has on themselves and on others,” she explains. “I also think with all the media attention on TV shows like The X Factor and The Voice, there are people who can sing and who can use their voice – and do. Even speakers, who are allowed to do that, they’re a kind of elite, then there’s the rest of us who can’t do it like that, and shouldn’t. I want to cross that divide – because there are different uses for the voice and if our voice is available to us it’s an incredible healing instrument and incredibly empowering in our creativity and self-expression, so why would you cut that off? It’s literally like cutting your throat”
“Your voice can generate joy and happiness for yourself, and change the way you feel – if you’re not feeling joyful and happy – which is a large percentage of our population. There’s a lot of anxiety and depression… and a lot of stressors and people experiencing symptoms of stress.”
So what’s a quick way to calm yourself when you’re stressed?
“My first advice is to sigh. Let your breath out,” Ganga says. “Notice what it does to your shoulders and to your body. Notice where the stress is in your body, where are you feeling it? And then give it a sound and release it.”
If your voice gets stuck during this exercise, Ganga says that’s a very normal response. “Most of us have a blockage of some sort in the throat chakra – energetically, or through things we’ve left unsaid, things we wish we could have spoken our truth about, things we’ve just thought ‘oh I better not’ and put a lid on it.”
Speak your truth
By putting a lid on it, eventually that lid’s going to blow. Many of us withhold speaking our truth for fear it could hurt others – especially something said in the heat of the moment.
“When it comes blurted out, it’s often because it’s been in the pressure cooker with the lid on for so long, it has to let off steam or it blows the lid off,” Ganga says. “But if we’re able to release some of the steam in a healthful way when it’s not directed at someone, the ability for the words to be sent with love, heard by that person and received with love is much more clear.”
Not like other voice or singing coaches
Ganga’s approach to bringing people in touch with their voice focuses on mindful whole-person awareness more than vocal technique, which she says tends to apply a band-aid over what’s really going on.
“I encourage clients to listen to their body and acknowledge what the reasons are for any blockages. There’s usually a picture, a memory, a sensation, a time when that arrow of criticism went in. And often, the block is something that’s protecting us or doing us a favour,” she says. “So, rather than trying to obliterate this thing that’s in our way – which is the mind’s tendency – we actually go into the reasons it’s there in the first place and clear it at the source, not just teach ways to use the voice (but certainly that’s part of it). I do work with people on the use of their voice but it’s much more in an embodied sense. My reason for that is when the focus is in the mind and on voice technique and getting it right, that puts a lot of pressure and fear of failure upon the voice”.
“Any tension in the area where the mechanism of the voice is will impede the body vibrating freely, limit its ability to make the sounds, freedom and expression of the voice. My approach is ‘relax and don’t think about it’.”
Transforming voices – and lives
Ganga works with individuals and groups, from facilitating singing circles to empowering the voices of people with cancer through Petrea King’s Quest for Life Foundation. She sees profound transformation in her clients.
“It’s so divine. Confidence is a major thing I see. It can be extreme: confidence to leave a job and strike out doing what they’re passionate about. It applies to relationships: people who are in relationships that, when they have an empowered voice, can either heal the relationship or realise the best thing is to leave it. The throat chakra is the change centre of the body – you clear that and big things open up. I’ve seen people in my groups use their voice to heal themselves and others. I’ve seen people meet across the singing circle and get married. It opens up and transforms their lives.”
While group singing brings an obvious uplifting energy, not everyone feels comfortable letting their voice out around others, and Ganga’s one-on-one sessions provide a safe alternative, allowing deeper exploration of any issues surrounding a vocal blockage. Sometimes it’s just letting go of others’ expectations about how we use our voices, as Ganga herself has experienced:
“For me, a lot of the un-learning around singing is this expectation that it’s for others, but I actually love giving the sound to myself and singing just because I love it. Not because I have a performance or a reason I have to practise, but just because it’s for me, it sustains me. I’ve realised how essential it is for my wellbeing… it is my vitamin supplement. When I sound and sing, it gets me through the day.”
Sing your way home
Ganga has published a book, Singing the Silver Circle, a fantasy novel that tells of one woman’s journey of self-discovery and weaves into the story some of the techniques and approaches Ganga uses in her work to open and free the voice, offering the reader their own opportunity for transformation”
“The lead character, Aria, with her incredibly scientific mind, is at first resistant to the power of her voice,” Ganga explains. “She gets drawn into another world, where all your emotions are carried on, visible and audible in your voice. And the only way for her to ‘return home’ or get back to what she knows is… to sing. But she doesn’t believe she can”
“Bottom line: singing the self is knowing thyself. In essence, even when you feel totally out of your depth around life’s challenges… your voice is your way home.”
![Ganga PhotoSmall[1]](http://gratitudeonline.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Ganga-PhotoSmall1.jpg)
Ganga runs regular singing workshops:
SHACappella (Southern Highlands A Cappella)
Singing music from around the world with harmony, fun and laughter. Even if you think you can’t sing, you’re welcome, from 7.30-9pm Tuesday evenings at the Mittagong Playhouse.
Sing for Your Soul
Soul-full expression of sound and song meeting monthly on a Friday night 7-8.30pm at the Illawarra Women’s Health Centre, Belfast Street, Warilla NSW.
Coming up in August:
The Silver Circle Journey 22-23 August
Mt Keira Scout Camp Conference Centre
Unblocking and expressing your authentic voice is a journey to knowing your self.
A unique journey where you will discover:
• A newfound confidence in yourself and your voice
• Real clarity about your life
• Your Soul Song – your own personal song that expresses and connects you with your soul.
For more information, visit http://singingtheself.com/
THE wellness festival Embrace Life will be held at Parramatta RSL Club next Sunday to encourage businesses, fashion designers and musicians. The day runs from 10.30am to 5.30pm and features interactive and experiential workshops, live music and stage…read more…
Winter is a time of fertile darkness when nature calls us to curl up, stay warm and direct our focus inwards. It’s a wonderful time for building a self-care routine, which restores our energy and nourishes us deeply.
So here’s my top 7 ways to Nurture and Nourish this winter!
1. Stay in and curl up with a book. When it’s just too chilly to get out, why not cuddle up with a blanket, a good book and a cup of herbal tea? Even if it’s a Friday night and you are suffering from FOMO there’s no shame on cancelling your plans and honouring your body’s needs for some quiet time. Oh and for all you high-achievers out there, remember, it’s not self-indulgent to spend some time reading for pleasure—it’s radical self-care, it feeds the soul and it will help you perform better in the long run.
2.Take a warm bath then go to bed EARLY. Nothing says radical self nurturing like a hot bath with your favourite, bath salts, essential oils or scrubs and an early night! My favourite bathtime boost is simply adding a couple tablespoons of organic coconut oil to the water (to hydrate dry winter skin) along with a few drops of eucalyptus (to help clear the sinuses) and lavender (to promote peacefulness). This is the perfect way to relax the muscles and soothe the mind read for a good long 8 hours sleep.
3. Take herbal tea everywhere. The cool weather can make you crave warm beverages and while I love coffee as much as the next person, I find that more than one cup a day is too over stimulating and dehydrating. My antidote to this is to take a nice thermal mug and herbal tea bags with me everywhere. I can top up with hot water on the go and make sure I stay hydrated with herbs, which support my immune system (my favourites are nettle, licorice root and lemon verbena). Having my favourite teas with me feels like a treat and will stop me running for a second cup of coffee.
4. Practice Metta (loving kindness) mediation. This practice is a staple in Buddhism as it is founded on compassion. It helps us cultivate our inner resources for compassion which can quell and negative feelings and nurture overall wellbeing
Take a comfortable seated position. Start by noticing your body, make any adjustments you need to make so you are comfortable (if you need to lie down- do so).
1. Imagine someone you love sitting in front of you; see them happy and free. Take about a minute to send loving kindness from your heart to theirs.
2. Next select a person, with whom you have a neutral relationship; see them sitting in front of you, see them happy and free. Take about a minute to send loving kindness from your heart to theirs.
3. Now choose someone with whom you have a challenging relationship, someone who you find difficult to love; see them sitting in front of you, see them happy and free. Take about a minute to send loving kindness from your heart to their.
To listen to an audio Metta Loving Kindness meditation click here.
5. Eat seasonal, real food. Nothing will nourish your body better this winter than, real local, seasonal foods. So ditch the processed stuff and anything with ingredients list you cant pronounce and nourish yourself instead with warming winter foods… think slow cooked stews, like osso bucco, hearty soups like chickpea noodle soup (my go-to recipe here), and shepherds pie. Get lots of veggies in there to boost your nutrients and make a double batch so you can heat up the left over’s for lunch the next day.
6. Take a winter yoga class.
Yoga is a seasonal practice and many practitioners offer workshops or class that specifically focuses on the body’s needs in winter. A winter practice is warming and boosts the immune system by stimulating the lymph glands and flow of lymphatic fluid to help the body fight winter bugs.
7. Get along to the Embrace Life Festival
Held in many locations in NSW, here is a link and where we will be showcasing a wide variety of local natural therapy businesses, wellness practitioners, intuitive readers, music and stage performers as well as organic and natural products.
If there’s one thing that gets me all warm and fuzzy it’s community, sense of place and belonging. We are lucky to live in such a beautiful and safe part of the world and even luckier to have lots of ways to connect with like minded people in our local community.
So if health and wellness is your thing, get along to this beautiful boutique festival!
Kate Clugston is yoga teacher and mum based in Waverton, she runs Shambhala House of Yoga out of her living room where she teaches a practical and creative style of yoga that incorporates the ethical and philosophical teachings of this ancient practice.
Often in life and in business I find we are continually reminded to focus on where we are going. Keeping our eyes on the prize and out of the present. Today I feel like challenging this way of DOing, rather than BEing, by pointing out something ….
What if the prize we are REALLY seeking in our hearts and our true purpose is actually already in front of us and by being focused away from this we miss it?
Could we actually be missing the joy, the experiences and the miracles right in front of us by focusing on where we want to go … and not where we are right now.
I am all for visions, missions and spreading your message in the world, I just find that sometimes the line between doing for doing sake and moving forward can get a little blurred.
I have had alot on over the last couple of weeks and this morning felt inspired to go down to the beach to meditate. As I sat there I looked out at the calm quiet ocean, the waves crashing against the shore and I thought to myself “how could I or anyone actually want anything more than this.” Now don’t get me wrong I am totally aware of how blessed I am to live right near the beach, however most of us have these little bits of mother nature right around the corner and we often miss them completely. I was thinking just the other day how I could count the number of times I went to the Botanical Gardens on one hand when I was working in the city for over 4 years and the same is probably true for Hyde Park in London.
Sometimes life, or thinking about life, really does get in the way of living.
Whenever I am in nature my heart opens, I feel joy and I know that around me are all the people I love, work that excites me and all that I could ever wish for. So what happens to this when we get busy????
You see our crazy busy mind tries to take us out of these precious EXTRAordinary ordinary moments by keeping our eyes on the prize. This takes us out of the present and what ends up happening is that we miss out on the pleasures and gratitude’s of life, right now.
So I am going to challenge you today to imagine and acknowledge that the prize is already within you, the prize is your life in this very moment … What could this one statement open your eyes and heart to seeing is already EXTRAordinary in your life right now???
Kyla looks forward to extending on this journey together at the upcoming Embrace Life, Live Life festival in Cammeray on Sunday, 24th May during her workshop on at 12 noon,
You can also find out more from her website and Facebook.
Much love and every day gifts, Kyla xx
Our subconscious mind can be a tricky little thing. It can run all these hidden programs that we are not aware of. Some of them are good, like keeping our heart pumping blood and ensuring that our lungs are continually breathing oxygen. And others are not so good. Other programs can create what I call limiting beliefs.
That little devil on your shoulder constantly whispering to you that you are not good enough, that no one will ever love you etc.
If you listen to these limiting beliefs long enough, then you begin to start putting psychological blocks in place that can end up sabotaging the life that you want.
So how can we identify these limiting beliefs, if they are in our subconscious programming? Sometimes we say them out loud without even realising it i.e. “Nobody ever listens to me”. If we have that belief, then it is indeed very likely that no one will listen to you, because that is what you are projecting out into the universe. You are telling the universe that you are not worth listening too.
Sometimes we have to do a little digging to find out if we have any limiting beliefs running as subconscious programs in our minds. To that end, I would like you to do a series of exercises to see if you have any limiting beliefs currently affecting your lives.
Exercise 1: Write down a list of the things that you would do if you had 5 million dollars?
Looking at your list, is there anything on it that you can do now? If yes, which ones are they? If the answer is no, why not? What is stopping you from taking action today?
The next thing we are going to have a look at is what makes you happy?
Exercise 2: Write out a list of all the things that make you happy.
How many things on your list are you doing right now? If you are not regularly doing them, why not? What is stopping you from doing the things that you love? You might want to jot those down as well.
Limiting beliefs can also stop us from having rewarding careers or love lives.
Let’s look at your career first. Here are some questions for you to ponder.
- Are you in the job that you like?
- Or would you like to try something different but are worried about whether you will succeed or not?
- Do you venture forward your ideas for projects, plans, presentations etc?
- Do you speak up in meetings?
- Do you regularly ask for pay rises or go for promotions? If not, what is stopping you?
Exercise 3: Take some time to write down any blocks that you think you might have in terms of your career. Can you find any limiting beliefs in there?
Next let’s have a look at relationships, both platonic and romantic. Events from our lives can shape the way that we look at relationships.
If we were bullied at school or didn’t have many friends, this can have an impact on our ability to make and keep friends in our present.
- Did you have many friends as a child? If you didn’t, how did this make you feel?
- Were you bullied or ostracised as a child/teenager? If you were, what impacts has this had on your life?
- Have you ever had a best friend? If no, why do you think that is?
- Do you find it easy to create new friendships?
- Can you easily maintain your friendships?
When it comes to romantic relationships, there are a number of reasons, things might not be clicking as you want them to.
- Maybe your parents got separated while you were growing up? This can have an impact on any child. If it was a bitter break up, even more so.
- Have you suffered from a bad break up yourself?
- Have you ever had a partner cheat on you? And if so, how has that impacted your ability to open yourself up to love again?
- If you are currently in a relationship, do you feel like it’s an equal partnership? Or is one party always giving and the other party always taking? Why do you think that may be?
Exercise 4: Have a think about both your platonic and romantic relationships. Are any of the questions posed above relevant to your life right now? Write down everything that comes to mind
Now that you have compiled all of your lists, are there any limiting beliefs that you can see that might be having an impact on how you want to live your life? If there are, how important is it to you, to be able to clear these limiting beliefs?
If you have found some Limiting Beliefs, what are the next steps?
Sometimes just realising that they are there can be enough. Sometimes bringing them up from your subconscious mind up to your conscious mind, allows you to acknowledge them and then make changes based on this new information.
However, there are other times, where you may need a little help letting go of these limiting beliefs. This is where Kinesiology can benefit you. Once the limiting beliefs are identified, Kinesiology can help you to let go of them and help you work towards the life that you want.
Liesl Frank – Based in Sydney’s Inner West is a registered Holistic Kinesiologist and Facial Radiance Practitioner. Liesl is dedicated and passionate about enabling people to realise their dreams. You can find out more details, www.lieslfrank.com.au
We had a wonderful time at our Illawarra Embrace Life festival held on Sunday 22nd February, 2015. Our Embrace Life community is all about consciousness, creativity and collaboration.
We deliver our boutique festivals to celebrate local through wellness, art and music; providing a platform for the expression of the soul and to facilitate a meeting place where collectively we can explore, discover and connect. Embrace Life stands for being present, practicing gratitude and every day invites you to enjoy a life full of joy, love and happiness.
Our vision is to contribute to a better planet, where people can live according to their purpose, are able to be their authentic self, take responsibility for their mindfulness, physical well-being and how they turn up in the world, creating and living a life full of true prosperity.
This Sunday is the Illawarra’s time to come together for the region’s first Embrace Life Festival.
Having been run successfully throughout NSW, the first local festival will be held at The Fraternity Club, Fairy Meadow.
The February 22 event will feature regional businesses promoting wellness, as well as Illawarra artists, musicians and tarot readers. Embrace Life CEO and founder Deborah Shepherd said the success of the Embrace Life Festival came down to the ongoing connection it left between businesses and the wider community.
Mrs Shepherd said she was looking forward to opening up the 2015 program in the Illawarra as it would tap into a diverse and talented group of wellness businesses, fashion designers and musicians, and be a great display of what they can offer their community.
‘‘There is a beautiful community energy in the Illawarra as well as an openness to the creative arts and natural health. What we are aiming to do, is to bring people together, allow them to connect with each other and take the struggle out of marketing,’’ she said.
‘‘Through our local ambassadors, Mignon Lee-Warden and Jacqueline Peperkamp, we are confident that we can tap into the energy of the Illawarra.’’ Read More
Monday 2nd February, 2015
Embrace Life is coming to the Illawarra region, we are all about creating a collaborative network of like-minded businesses within the local community, while providing an opportunity to experience what is available and the benefits of a proactive approach to your health and wellbeing.
