WITCH TIPS

Written By Jessica Lanyadoo

Self-care is not a detour from where you’re going. It's the way forward. Tending to your inner world is the foundation that you need in order to sustain your efforts. 

It’s time to prioritize hope, my loves. In the words of John Lewis, “We may not have chosen the time, but the time has chosen us.” 

Fight your inner demons; fight your fears that tell you not to even bother trying. Fight to be a person that you respect and feel good about. Stand up for those who need your help, for the vulnerable and the struggling. Action is the antidote to anxiety. You don't have to do all the things – you can't, you still have to live your life - but you do need to do some of the things. Add your light to the shadows; illuminate your problems so that you can bring healing to them.

 The subconscious mind is a tricky thing; it holds on to things that you don’t want or don’t know how to process. It is the part of you that remembers what your conscious mind just can’t. This week you’re likely to feel anxious over things that are deeper than what you see happening on the surface. It may be tempting to turn away, but it’s not wise or kind. This is not the time to forget who you are or what you’ve set out to do. The unknown is scary, but it’s also ripe with potential. This isn’t the time to check out; it’s time to honor your heart. Hope is easy enough to access when life is going your way, but when you’re struggling is when you need it most.

 On the 5th the vibrant Sun will form a harmonious trine to expansive Jupiter and the planet of communication, Mercury, will oppose the irritable planet of fighting, Mars. The combination of these two transits indicates that you take care not to egg on your most aggressive or arrogant impulses. It’s possible to convince yourself that something is true, but that doesn’t make it so. Don’t jump to conclusions or pick fights with people who don’t see things the same way as you do. This can mark a time of rapid growth. You may have to deal with major bullying from yourself or others, or you may just feel pressed by your circumstances.

On the 8th we have a Sun trine to empathetic Neptune. This transit can increase your sensitivities, your sense of empathy, and your compassion for others. It can also make you feel entitled, as it can incline you to only value your own perspective or pain. Make a point to do something for someone else on this day – Neptune is the planet that thrives when you pay it forward.

Finally, on the 9th Mercury will form a challenging square to Jupiter. This can be a time when you learn something new, or you may spread gossip because you’d rather talk than listen. Much like the Mercury/Mars transit earlier in the week, this one can trigger fighting words and snap judgments. The best thing you can do around this date is to really listen. Pay attention to what people are doing as much as they’re saying – it’s all information that you deserve to have because at the end of the day, the truth is true whether you want to face it or not.

 Growth requires instability. This summer brings us Eclipses and Retrogrades, and with all that comes major shifts for you, me, and everyone in this big, beautiful world we share. Change can be scary, especially when there are no assurances that things are going to be better, but there’s no need to panic. Eclipses are an opportunity to transform and heal. Retrogrades are a chance to look within and reassess what you’re doing and why. This astrology is urging you to grow, not in leaps and bounds, but in deep and moving ways. Life is meant to be lived. You are meant to try, especially when it’s hard. It’s good to question things; whether we’re talking about the people you love, the law of the land, your own assumptions, your habits, whatever. Seek new perspectives moving forward; new takes on old problems may be just what you need, my love.

 

ARIES

March 21-April 19

You have a gift to share with the world that is unique to you, and it’s time for you to challenge yourself to bring it, Aries. Set the intention of showing up for the people in your life or your larger community this week because you’re likely to find that the more you give, the more you’ll have to give. Acts of kindness, no matter how random or small, will remind you of who you are but also of who you can be. Strive to embody your potential, my love.

 

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

Don’t act out of fear, Taurus. There’s a time for reflection and a time for action, and sometimes it’s hard to know the difference. Carefully consider your plans before moving forward with them this week. If you push too hard, you may put events into motion that you’re not ready to handle. Inactivity is not the answer but neither is rushing in. Instead, move forward with intention, and you'll be able to propel yourself to exactly where you need to be.  

 

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

You’re not meant to be anyone but yourself, Twin Star. Life is full of necessary compromise, and not all situations are for all parts of you. That said, when you try to be someone that you’re not, you only succeed in misleading others and harming yourself. It’s important that you know yourself well enough to know your own limits. Strive to honor the truth of who you are in situations in which you’d usually phone it in, my love.

 

CANCER

June 22-July 22

The role that anxiety plays in your thinking is worth considering, Moonchild. Instead of trying to figure out why you’re worrying, strive to soothe yourself this week. There’s enough stress to go around, and you don’t need answers as much as you need care. Do the basics: remember to breathe, to drink enough water, to eat, and to move your body. Help yourself and if you need to, ask for support too. Self-care is not a detour from where you’re going, my love.

 

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

You can’t always know your place in the world, but that shouldn’t make you lose track of your value. This week your uncertainties threaten to rattle your foundations. The worst thing you could do is try to convince yourself or anyone else of your worth. Have faith in yourself without needing to defend or justify merit. Honor your worthiness by picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and choosing to live your best life, moment by moment.

 

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

It’s not enough to think positive; you have to be willing to feel into it, too. This week will bring you to the end of a cycle of development. This may be a subtle thing, or it may feel like a massive shift. In either case, you’re likely to feel uncertain of what comes next or where exactly you’re meant to go from here. Be patient, dear one. Try to pair kindness and creativity with discernment and common sense, and then let life play out from there, Virgo.

 

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Stress is an inevitable part of life, and there’s a reason for it. Feeling frustration or overwhelm is when it’s easiest to disassociate or look the other way, but that's when you need you the most. This week you’re not likely to have your people available to lean on, which can make matters feel worse than they are. Find your inner light and resiliency, and share it with others. To paraphrase Amber Ibarrache, when you can’t take it anymore is when it’s time to be giving. Don't recede, my love. 

 

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Fear is invasive. It tells you that it’s trying to keep you safe, and it can make sense of anything it wants you to believe. But if any induced impulses are to be approached with caution, it’s those that come from fear. This week is likely to kick up some major worries, and it’s in your best interest not to take them at face value. As they say, action is the antidote to what ails you. Take steps, no matter how small, to move your life forward or to maintain what you’ve got, Scorpio.

 

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

If you can pace yourself through your desires, you’ll be able to create sustainable changes instead of exciting distractions. This week is all about change, and the more intentional you are about what you’re doing and what you hope to get out of it, the better your outlook will be. True strength means knowing when to push your goals forward, knowing when to hold back, and knowing when to ask for help or walk away. You don’t have to be perfect, but it’s time to show all the way up, ‘Tarius.

 

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

When things don’t go as you’d like them to, it’s easy to get the sads and to stop trying, but that doesn’t advance your life at all, Cappy. The key is to honor your feels without giving up. This week, your best move is to let your problems instruct you to look at what isn’t working and what you most want. It’s time for you to get to work, but before you can do that, you need to get decisive. Identify your greatest desires by the very things that are upsetting you the most.

 

 

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

When you struggle against your present conditions, you only succeed in making things harder on yourself, Aquarius. This week is likely to test your ability to accept where things are at, but accept you must. If you don’t start where you’re at, it’s really hard to take the right first steps. As I often say, acceptance is not consent, it’s awareness. Empower yourself to make the changes that need to happen, even if you’re only at the planning stage for now.

 

 

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

You don’t have to take on the stresses of the people around you in order to show them kindness and loyalty, even if they really want you to carry the baggage. This week is the time to use the tools you have for having healthy boundaries and staying grounded. Take on only as much as you can handle in a healthy way. It’s far better to do your best at less than it is to half-ass it at full capacity. Empathy is a very Piscean gift, but it requires that you manage your self-care religiously, my love.