WITCHTIPS AND HOROSCOPES 11/14-20/2018

Witch Tips

Written by Jessica Lanyadoo

This week marks a meaningful changing of the guards. On the 15th Mars enters into the sign of Pisces in a dynamic move, bolstered by a sextile from Uranus. This makes it an excellent time to consider your boundaries. When it's done with authenticity, how you express yourself is a vulnerable act. This transit of Mars is a reminder to embody that vulnerability – not as a weakness but an asset that allows you to have greater empathy for yourself and others. This can mark a time of spiritual progress, creative advancement, and a bit of slowing down in material gains. Be interested in what shifts for you now, as Pisces can provoke confusion and distraction if you’re not careful. On the 16th Venus stops it’s retrograde motion, and Mercury takes up the torch (for more on Venus Retrograde listen to episodes 14 and 20 of Ghost of a Podcast).

This Mercury Retrograde transit will only last until December 6th, but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in brain fog. When it comes to retrogrades, the rule is review, reassess, and realign. Look at your attitudes, beliefs, and even your relationships. Venus and Mercury are both related to relationships. Venus governs the sensual, romantic, and creative elements of them, while Mercury is all about texting, talking, and the platonic side of connection. It’s wise to take stock of that platonic part of your world through this transit, but not to the exclusion of your other plans. We’re likely to see lots of miscommunications and similar annoyances, so do your due diligence and double check your work, reiterate what you understand, and make room for inevitable misunderstandings. Stay rooted in what you can do based on what you know now.

Finally, on the 19th Mars will form an irritating square to expansive Jupiter. These two planets are likely to kick up some drama (and even fighting) if you're not careful, as both of their energies can induce entitlement. Beware of your self-absorption, and strive to afford others the same liberties that you feel you deserve. If people are especially annoying to you around this transit, it’s wise to take the high road. Keep an expansive view of your situation so that you don’t end up fighting someone down from their own perspective. 

Your way is not the only way, dear one. Your truth is not the only truth. With the shift of Jupiter into Sagittarius, and now Mars in Pisces, we run the risk of confusing our heartfelt beliefs with gospel. This is an excellent time for growth, but don’t let it be at another’s expense. Instead of losing energy on disagreements, advance your agenda by supporting the people, causes, and projects that you believe in. Use your power to promote what you love, and leave what you hate to itself, my love.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

When you’re frustrated, it's time to either get still or get cracking. Make sure that your action is paired with wisdom this week, Aries. If you react impulsively to your strongest feels, you may not take the time to properly understand what they’re trying to tell you. Yes, this is a good time for change, but not just any change. Do the work to remember what you want, and pair that self-knowledge with action. Make improvements, not distractions, my love.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

Not knowing what comes next is unnerving, but it’s not evidence of things getting worse. Instead of indulging your fears with catastrophizing thoughts, try to keep yourself in the here and now. You can put one foot in front of the other, so just do that. Tend to the small things, and you’ll get to where you need to be in the big picture by-and-by. That change is in the air is irrefutable, but that’s all that’s certain. How you respond to it is a matter of free will, Taurus.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

Anxiety is not instruction, and it’s not intuition – it's just fear. Find new ways to position yourself to old worries. You are growing, and that means it’s time to outgrow some habits that have long been ineffective. This week, the things that aren’t working in your routines, attitudes, or lifestyle are going to feel uncomfortable to you. Tend to your feels with patience, and seek simple solutions to even the most complicated of problems, Twin Star.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

You can’t know what’s going on for others, and as important as that information is, it shouldn’t be the benchmark of how you determine your own wellness. This week will test your ability to manage your self-care independently of your relationships. Strive to honor your feels without constantly checking in with others for validation. Your experience is yours alone. Take stock of where you’re at, and take responsibility for how you respond to your life, Moonchild.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

Instead of obsessing over all the details and working yourself into frenzy, it’s time for a little acceptance. If you can start where you’re at – no matter how or why you got here – you can start to unpack, reorganize, and manage it, Leo. This week is an excellent time to establish your boundaries, but if you attempt to do this before you determine what they are, you’ll just enact the psychological equivalent of shoving all your dirty clothes under the bed. Create meaningful changes, my love.

 

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

It’s on you to exercise your freedoms, Virgo. Stop waiting for someone to give you permission to be where you’re at and to do what you feel called to do. It’s time for you to act from a place of empowerment and self-reference. It’s wise to pair your own drives with the needs of the people around you so that you don’t kick up opposition to your plans. Just don’t confuse acting in concert with others with allowing them to write and direct the music for you.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Your fears are justified, but that doesn’t make them useful. This week will deliver opportunities to be brave, dear Libra. Find ways you can show up, goals that motivate you, and things you can be grateful for. There's no way of knowing what comes next, but you can manage your feels in the here and now with grace and intention. In doing so, you're preparing for tomorrow by getting right with yourself today.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Letting go is hard work; it requires you to lean into uncertainty, stay present with your feels, and resist the urge to move to the next playing field. Instead of pushing beyond what you’re ready for, take a moment to tend to yourself, Scorpio. This week will bring up a lot of intense feels, and the best thing to do is be here for it. You don’t need to be anyone but yourself, and you don’t need to do anything but your best, my love.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

If you allow anxiety to drive you, you’re likely to get into power struggles that are not about what they seem to be. Instead of seeking power, seek the truth. Instead of seeking answers, seek the nuance. You are capable of achieving real clarity this week, but it won’t come by pushing your agenda. Listen to what’s being said and what isn’t being said, ‘Tarius. Pay attention to what people’s actions communicate, and take stock of what your own behavior implies this week.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

You don’t have to resonate with the stress around you, Capricorn. You don’t have to take on the pain of others in order to show them your support. Use your powers of discernment wisely this week. You can too easily abandon yourself in efforts to get along. That won’t do you much good, and it ultimately won't help you invest in other people. You shouldn’t make yourself smaller in order to get love and support. Be here for the complexity that is an inevitable part of your relationships.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

It’s time for some serious reflection, Aquarius. What you care about, how you move forward, and why you do whatever comes next are all very revealing about you. If you find that your actions aren’t reflective of your true values, it’s time for a serious change. You don’t need to be able to see the future in order to prepare for it, my friend. Get present, get honest, and get organized. You're on your way up, and you need only make self-appropriate choices from here.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

Letting go can be downright terrifying. It’s hard to know what you can rely on when you aren’t confident in yourself. This week Mars moves into your sign, making this the perfect time to work on your relationship to your own self-worth. Your ego should be strong enough to refer back to and use in uncertain situations, but it shouldn't be so big that it has you thinking your experience is more important or relevant than anyone else’s. Seek balance within yourself, sweet Pisces.

XO

WITCHTIPS & HOROSCOPES 07-13.2018

 Written by Jessica Lanyadoo 

On the 7th there is a powerful New Moon in Scorpio that delivers deep healing potential. This New Moon brings with it a powerful intensity that can shine new light on old problems or simply bring something to the surface that you’ve been avoiding. Don’t shy away from intensity; it’s exactly what you need to feel in order to heal. New Moons happen when the Moon and Sun meet in the sky at the exact same degree, and they happen once per year in each sign. When it comes to the Moon, the only way out is in, so stay with whatever comes up for you this week instead of trying to explain it away or ignore it. Scorpio is a deeply emotional sign. Expect to be confronted with feels that you’ve had shame around or on topics that are somewhat taboo. It’s good to look at your shadow, even if it feels bad. Your shadow is a part of you, and only by accepting and owning it can you transform it. That’s exactly what this lunar shift is here to help you do.

Be willing to use your feelings as information. Here are some questions to explore, as honestly as you can. Now is the time to heal your wounds.

New Moon Homework:

- What have I been avoiding?

- What people, situations, or attitudes am I holding on to that I know aren’t working?

- What am I willing to release in efforts to be more whole?

- Where have I held others or myself to excessively harsh standards?

- Can I give myself permission to make mistakes? Furthermore, can I commit to a living amends?

As Jupiter, the planet of luck and benevolence leaves Scorpio on the 7th and enters Sagittarius, we have the potential to let go of some of the pain that the past year has unearthed. Beginnings and endings are irrevocably linked up with each other. The healing that Jupiter provokes tends to be quick, but it may not be thorough.

Jupiter is in its native placement in Sagittarius, and it’s here for the first time in twelve years. This shift is a powerful one. It opens the door to strangers, it opens minds, and it yields an increased potential for understanding others, especially those who have cross-cultural experiences. This transit will last about a year, and it marks a time of increased growth. The only trouble is that not all things should grow. The downside of this energy is that it can compel you to jump to conclusions, to sacrifice common sense to your impulses, and to err on the side of extremes. While this can help us to better understand each other, it can also lead to cross-gendered mansplaining, aka soapboxing. If you’re in a rush to convince others of your views, you may not be doing a great job of listening. This is a period where we can find new ways of communicating and learn a ton, but this will require listening at least as much as you speak. If you feel called to teach or travel over the next year, it’s likely to be an expansive experience.  We are moving into a time when you get to rewrite your story. If you do this at the expense of the truth, justice, or fairness, you will find that you are restless and hungry. You are not better than anyone else, and you are not worse. When your version of the truth justifies cruelty or condemnation of others, you’ve veered off a dangerous edge. We still have the heavy hitters of Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn, and Uranus in Taurus, so it’s not sunshine and rainbows quite yet, my friends. Beware of the pitfalls of extremism; if your version of utopia is at the expense of other people’s wellness, then that vision is at the expense of both the collective and your own Soul. Confront your shadow with kindness. Shine light into the darkness, and don’t recoil from what you see. Embrace yourself so that you may heal, and then use the resiliency of your own healing as a resource that you can share with others. Good intentions, thoughts, and prayers are only the first in the many steps needed from each and every one of us.

Xo

ARIES

March 21-April 19

You can find your best self, inner peace, or the path forward, but it won’t happen by avoiding your stresses or by overwhelming yourself to the point of paralysis. It’s time to take stock of the big picture: look at your goals, and look at how far you’ve come. Don’t be in such a rush to fill in the details that you do so before you're clear about your modus operandi. Believe it or not, you can put some things down now in order to more effectively deal with them later.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

You’ve got all of the tools you need to get up and make it happen, but right now that’s not the best course forward. This week’s New Moon in your relationship house is a great opportunity to slow down and get grounded, Taurus. Things are changing, and it won’t do you well to have knee-jerk reactions. Take the time you need to consider your past. Commit to learning from your experiences rather than dooming yourself to repeat them, dear Taurus.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

When things slow down is when you start to stress out. Don’t confuse the space in which to create infrastructure with being stuck. Sometimes the movement in your life is meant to be internal, and sometimes it’s about productivity and action. Slow down and regroup this week, Twin Star. Realign your plans with your circumstances. Be willing to make carefully considered changes based on the information that you have now, my love.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

This week’s New Moon is likely to put you right in your element, sweet Moonchild. Show up emotionally for yourself and the people in your life. Allow the wisdom of your heart, including all that you’ve learned and lost, to inspire you to hold space for others and for yourself. You’re in a unique position to honor your feels and to support others too. Align yourself with the generosity of spirit that helps you to not only have peace within yourself but to also generate it in the world around you.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

Letting go is hard work, even when that letting go is absolutely the right thing to do. This week is likely to kick up some seriously sad feels, but that doesn’t mean that they’re bad feels or an indication that you’re off track. Don’t confuse what you’re feeling with a green light or a red light. Your feelings are a response to your situation right now in tandem with the baggage you came here with. Be patient and kind as you work through them, Leo.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

You don’t need to know what’s coming next in order to be safe. This week you’re likely to feel your control issues are triggered. Instead of taking those feelings at face value, try to investigate them. Why do you want control? And truly – of what? Dig deeper into your reactions so that you don’t end up relocating messes instead of cleaning them up. Even better, try not creating them in the first place. Change yourself before you go trying to change others, Virgo.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Embrace what you have with both arms, Libra. This week, the power of gratitude will help buoy you along. Take pains to appreciate the air you breathe, the food that nourishes you, and all the other little things that are so easy to take for granted. Finding balance isn’t like finding the perfect pair of jeans. It isn’t waiting somewhere for you; you have to make it happen. Counterbalance the tough stuff by paying greater mind to the abundance in your life.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

The New Moon in your sign on the 7th marks a powerful shift for you, Scorpio. This can be a time when you feel overwhelmed and shut down, or you rise to the occasion by using the tools and inner resources at your disposal. Be your own best ally, my love. Show up for yourself, wherever you’re at, and put into practice your hard-earned wisdom, even if your feels would have you regress back into old habits. You’ve got this.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Don’t get so caught up looking around for excuses that you check out from the story as it unfolds. You are here now, and you have a part to play in the events of your life. Don’t forget why you’re in it, Sagittarius. Reconnect with your sense of purpose, and let that guide you – not being right, not rushing to the part where you understand the big picture. Get accustomed to uncertainty, and strive to pair it with faith and patience this week.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Your fears are likely to catch up with you this week if you’re not careful, my salty friend. Instead of losing yourself in a soup of what ifs, start with accepting where you’re at, including the parts that are yet unknown. You can only make plans based on the information you have, so start there. Don’t overwhelm yourself by taking on too much. Dont' try to cultivate a long-view when so many details are blocking your view. Do only what you can today, and handle tomorrow when it comes, Cappy.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

The New Moon on the 7th may fill you with a sense of purpose, or it may highlight that you’ve strayed from having one. You may have to take a slow road forward, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t get there. Find strength in your vulnerability and a purpose that can propel you to whatever comes next. This week is bound to reveal something that you’ve been trying to avoid dealing with, and while it’s not fun, it was really a matter of time, Aquarius.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

You seriously need a break, Pisces. You are likely to have people around you with lots of demands this week, and it’s on you to articulate and honor your own limits. It’s not true generosity when you don’t give it with an open heart. Saying no to a person is not the same as denouncing them; give yourself the same latitude as you would offer to others. You get to do what works for you in a healthy way, even when it’s a bit complicated. Prioritize self-care, my love.

WITCH TIPS AND HOROSCOPES 10.17-23.2018

Written by Jessica Lanyadoo

We are living through a time in which we will either be transformed by acts of kindness, empathy, and unity, or we will succumb to the worst elements of society: fear, blame, and punishment. The transit of both Saturn and Pluto in Capricorn (until mid 2020) marks a turning point in humanity, and here’s a consistent component to every downturn in human history: fear. Fear of others, fear of survival, fear of judgment, and fear of difference. The only pragmatic way to battle this is by working together for a common goal, to commit to embodying our humanity, especially when scared or triggered. When we feel down, we can get stuck in paralysis, or worse, it can transform us into petty tyrants who feel entitled to everything because nothing feels good.

Don’t be that person. Don’t sink to the lowest level. If life is a game of rock, paper, scissors, rock doesn’t beat rock. In other words, cruelty doesn’t beat cruelty. Judgment doesn’t beat judgment.

 Venus is still Retrograde (October 5th-November 16th, 2018), and this means we're at a particular stage in our journey where we’re meant to look at our values, women’s rights and place in society, money, gender, and of course, love.

This week we move into the sultriest season of the year – Scorpio season! On the 23rd, the Sun moves into Scorpio and instantly forms an opposition to explosive Uranus. This means that you can expect the unexpected around this date and that the energy you experience around this date will inform what’s to come this Scorpio Season. You may feel a tension between what you want and what you possess, or you may have a conflict between the various things you're willing to do for your desires. This transit brings about excitement, distraction, and innovation, and it heightens your restlessness and impulses. If you’re prone to irritability, you may feel extra annoyed, and if so, you’re probably bumping up against limitations. This is a good time to explore the concept of freedom in your life and to make the space to be true to yourself – at least in your thinking.

When we unpack all of the details, the planets' placements distill down to this: it’s time to practice kindness in your thinking, words, and actions. Notice when you’re being a jerk to yourself by minimizing or dramatizing your situation (they’re pretty much heads/tails of the same problem). Understand that your relationship to yourself is the foundation upon which you build everything and all that you do. Be patient as you learn new things about yourself, the world, and your role in it. This is the time to take responsibility for what you obsess on and to strive to keep it constructive.

When you feel anxious, gratitude is the key. It aligns you with what you have, and the attention you affix to your abundance is what makes your life more bountiful. This allows you to be generous with yourself and others, to actively support the world around you in small or big ways.

Don’t recoil from discomfort; it’s a teacher that you have much to learn from. Your life is so deeply valuable, and you make a difference. Treat the present like the gift that it is. Honor it today, try again tomorrow, and repeat.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

The role that fear plays in your life is really important, sweet Aries. Find ways of respecting your fears without indulging them and making them worse this week. Allow space for what you don’t know to unfold, and try to parse out what feels bad from what is actually bad for you. Here’s some homework for you: ask for help when you need it, take breaks to check in with yourself, and no catastrophizing! Strive to manage your feels with patience and strength.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

When you’ve accepted too much mixed input, it can lead you to feel confused, demoralized, and unsure of what to do with yourself. This week calls for patience, Taurus. It’s unclear what’s coming for you, and you may even be forming a new understanding of past events. When the past and the future are both out of your hands, all you have is the present. Put all of your self-care tools to work, and strive to do your best in the here and now, my love.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

The ego needs balance. When you feel good about yourself, it’s easier to be clear about your aims, to direct yourself in a way that works, and even to be responsive to the world around you. When you feel utterly down on yourself, you can get stuck in inactivity, or worse, act out of integrity because of how bad you feel. Seek balance so that you don’t find yourself needing to work off an ego hangover. Transform that ego into a friend you can rely on this week.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

Make it your mission to find evidence of your own strength, Moonchild. You are a force to be reckoned with! This week it’s time to stop comparing yourself to others, to where you want to be, or to where you once were, and it's time to embrace the person that you are in the here and now. It’s only by embracing this moment and your place in it that you can determine which are the healthiest boundaries. This will in turn free you up to do what you’re meant to do.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

When you can’t figure things out, it’s often a sign to slow down. The path to growth and expansion sometimes involves retraction. In order to have the life you want to live, you have to first strive to become the person you want to be. This week is about that striving. Don’t look so far outside of yourself that you miss out on the most simple and impactful source of change – you. Gather your strength, and with it will come your sense of purpose, Leo.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Open up and let go, Virgo. There’s no stopping progress, and that’s as it should be, even if it doesn’t feel like it. This week will challenge you to become the person that you want to be, but the weight and stories of the past will try to keep you as you were. Be sincere, Virgo. Even if things move slower or in a more circuitous way than you’d prefer, this is the time to be present and to focus on your efforts and not fixate on the outcome.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

When you hurt or your heart is heavy, it’s easy to lash out, shut down, or generally be out of sorts in how you relate to yourself and others. This week your job is to practice kindness and empathy. Go beyond the surface of your situation, and embody the openness and support that you believe everyone deserves to be afforded. You need to let go of something, but you don’t need to do it today. Be patient with your process, Libra.

 

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

There’s no way to grow without outgrowing some things, Scorpio. As you expand into the person you mean to be, there are inevitably people, attitudes, and attachments that you will have to shed. This week is likely to bring you the chance to put into practice some wisdom you’ve earned, but it may come at some personal cost. Do what’s right, even when it’s scary, my love. You can’t lose anything of value when you’re following your truth.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

FOMOS is real, but it won’t help you get very far in life. Try to not get so turned around that you lose track of what you care about and why, sweet Sagittarius. This week will present you with choices, and if you aren’t clear about your motivations, you may get overwhelmed and not know which shiny thing to chase. Stay true to your heart. Align yourself with what brings you joy and does the most good, and you won’t miss out on anything that you need.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Abundance isn’t about having lots of things. To have true abundance, you need to actually feel it. When you focus on what you might lose, it’s almost like you never truly have a thing. Look around your life, Cappy, and consider the bounty that you have. Be grateful for your health, the love, your possessions, or whatever you value. Next, align yourself with the knowledge that you can improve those things over time. Enjoy what you have in this moment, my love.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

You don’t need to know what comes next, or why that thing happened yesterday; the story may be compelling, but it’s not as important as how you choose to respond to it all, Aquarius. If you can move away from thinking that things have to happen tit for tat, you can actually be more efficient with how you use your energy. You determine your actions, and you decide how you to engage with your obsessions and your dreams. Don’t look for blame, look within.

 

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

If you’ve been burning yourself out lately, it’s on you to name your limits and enforce them. Stop waiting for others to agree with you or see things from your vantage point. It’s OK to go your own way, even if that means walking alone for some time. You have agency, and this is the time to use it; deal head-on with your fears and hopes, both for your life and for the world around you, Pisces.

XO

WITCH TIPS + HOROSCOPES 09.05-11.2018

Photography by Philipe de Sablet

WITCH TIPS

Written By Jessica Lanyadoo

This week, there’s a changing of the guards as Mercury, Venus, and Mars move into new signs (on the 5th, 9th, and 10th respectively). These shifts can mark a time when things either get deeper and more fertile, or more spread out and chaotic. The mental energy of Mercury in Virgo and Mars in Aquarius drive us to find answers, while Venus in Scorpio seeks depth. The things you have control over are what you choose to give your attention to and the quality of your consideration. Try not to spread yourself too thin or to lose sight of the bigger picture, my love. Depending on your nature, the little things can be either a distraction or what you need to dedicate more attention to. When in doubt, seek balance.

Around the 7th, the Sun will sit opposite anxiety-provoking Neptune. This transit confronts us with what we don’t know, and because of that it can provoke anxiety, exhaustion, and demoralization. This isn’t a great time for seeking understanding, but it’s an excellent one for seeking beauty, empathy, and spirituality. The potential here is that you find grace instead of answers, but the danger is that your impatience or your feelings will generate so much unrest that you create mountains out of molehills. Remember to breathe, and that this – like all other transits – is a chance to grow and to heal. Bring your presence to the parts of yourself or your day that feel too hard to bear, and show them kindness. There are other days for commitments and answers. The 6th-8th is for reaffirming your relationship with yourself as a foundation for how you relate to the world around you and the people in it.

There's a New Moon in discerning Virgo on the 9th. This week marks a shift and an opening. This is an excellent time to redefine your relationship to your body in efforts to make it a healthier one.

Take a moment to look in the mirror (or if vision is an issue, replace all of this advice with feel/touch). Don’t look for marks on your skin or signs of perfection or imperfection. Be interested in your face. Really look at it, and really get to know it. This body is yours. BS beauty standards of the moment will inevitably pass out of fashion. What you look like is interesting, but in the grand scheme of your spiritual wellbeing, it doesn’t mean much. You are not your face, but your face is you. Be kind and supportive to it. Be interested in what you look like without criticism or judgment, and if that's hard to do, just have compassion for yourself. Make friends with your beauty and your ugliness. Embrace the skin you're in, my love.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

You can take on other people’s traumas and dramas, but that won’t help you or anyone else one bit. It is far more important to show up and be present than it is to try to fix things for others, dear Aries. This week your relationships are in a subtle but deeply important state of flux. How you proceed will lay the framework for what’s to come, so tread with compassion, not pity. Bear witness to your loved ones in a way that makes them feel seen, rather than making them feel like your project.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

Are you a good friend to yourself? No matter how reliable your willpower is, even you have limits, Taurus. This week you’re likely to find that you’ve taken on more than you can handle in an emotionally present way. While that’s inevitable at least some of the time, it’s important that you respond sagely this week. Try your best to engage in healthy self-care habits so that even if what you really need is to check out, you can do it in ways that won’t create extra problems for you in the morning.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

Everyone is going through it, and this makes it even harder for you to resist distractions. Things are changing, Twin Star, and it’s not clear in what way or where it’ll take you. You can hold on tight, totally let go, or try to ride the current, but it’s time to make a choice. This week’s New Moon is an especially fertile time for you to pick a lane. Align yourself with what you need so that you can respond with intention to what you’ve got, my love.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

Your circumstances are likely to kick up some uncomfortable feelings this week, and it’s wise to sit in those emotions. If you rush away in effort to fix something that isn’t broken, you’ll end up further from well-being and more confused to boot. You have such an easy time sharing that strength of character with others; practice embodying it for your own sweet and salty self, Moonchild. Sitting with difficulties may feel like inactivity, but it’s really a much-needed kindness.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

You’re ready to make some bold moves in the direct of what you want, but it’s important that you do it with care, Leo. If you push too hard or too fast, you’re likely to kick up resistance. Strive to act in concert with the people around you and in the environments in which you seek safe harbor. This isn’t about compromising your vision, but it is about adapting your needs to consider and reflect the needs of others too. You can have it all but not all at once, my love.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

If you can put aside your resistance to being changed, your fears of being wrong, and your desire for it all to “make sense,” you’ll quickly gain the very clarity you seek, Virgo. Your problem isn’t one of understanding, it’s one of motivation. If you can clarify what you want to get from your goals, your plans themselves will more gracefully crystalize for you. The hardest way isn’t the best or the only way. Seek your simplest foundational truth this week.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

You’re on the right path and pointed in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean that you’re getting exactly what you want. It’s confusing, but don’t fixate too much on the prize while you’re in the middle of the game. It’s important that you allow for your ambitions to shift as you move through your process; as you gain momentum, you’re likely to find that you are changed by the journey you’re on and what you uncover of yourself on it. Take it one day at a time, my love.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

The struggles you’re engaged in are not meant to oppress you; they’re meant to help you gain clarity. Sometimes knowing what you don’t want is as powerful as knowing what you do want. This week, you will have the choice to fall back on your old foolishness or find a new way. The former is easier in the short-term, but it ultimately puts off the inevitable – change. Breathe and seek the most peaceful path instead of the “best answer”, dear Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Ready, set, go! Get ready for a burst of energy, sweet Sagittarius, and make sure you consciously direct it. There’s what you want right now and then what you want down the road. Make sure that you’re not sacrificing your future for some momentary or fleeting gain in the present. You can have it all if you creatively pace yourself and your commitments. Strive to strike a balance between the big picture and the myriad of little things demanding your attention, this week.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

When you’re right with yourself, it’s so much easier to manage the inevitable compromises that you need to make in life. This week you're likely to feel guided in a new or different direction than you expected to be, but try to go with it, Capricorn. Staying the same is only a good thing for a period of time; growth requires change, and change yields instability. Embrace the process, even as you’re still developing your vision for where it’s taking you.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Uncertainty is no fun, but it can also be a really fertile state. Seek the potential in what you don’t know, what has yet to develop, and what is possible but not guaranteed. As Mars enters your sign this week, you’re likely to have a boost of energy, but that isn’t the same as clarity. Get intentional so that you can leverage your motivation into inspired action, Aquarius. You’re ready to step into the unknown to co-create something better.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

There can be a fine line between deferring to others and considering their needs. This week, you may want to make a change that adversely impacts the people around you. This may or may not be the right thing for you to do, but for sure you need to approach things with careful consideration. While you can’t please all the people all of the time, you don’t get a pass for your own inconsiderate behavior either. Do your thing and bear the consequences, Pisces.

WITCH TIPS & HOROSCOPES 7/4-10/2018

Artwork by John Deckmann

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.

WITCH TIPS AND HOROSCOPES 6-27- 7-3/2018

Written by Jessica Lanyadoo 

Witch Tips

On the 27th the Moon will be full at 6° Capricorn at 9:53pm, and the Sun in Cancer will be opposite Saturn in Capricorn. Full Moons are always a momentous time when feels come to the surface and demand to be dealt with. It’s when we’re meant to release what isn’t working, a process that can be painful but is also cathartic and totally necessary. We’re currently in Cancer Season, making it the time for family, and for reunion with the heart. Full Moons are oppositions – they happen when the Sun is exactly opposite the Moon; the Cancer/Capricorn polarity is an opportunity for the healing of our broken family of humans, or the hurtful dynamics in your own family. It’s time to consider the needs of the whole and to honor all children and all families, in small or big ways. 

This Full Moon is likely to be hard, and it might bring up emotions that make you want to shut down. When you’re in pain it’s tempting to want things to be black and white, but the truth has layers. Saturn is the planet that governs depressive thoughts and feels and it gives us a heavy load to carry. You may need to take a break to nurture your heart or gain perspective, but Cap/Saturn has a tendency to go rigid and procrastinate or degenerate into guilt and blame. Stay connected to your heart, to empathy, and compassion. We're all going through this astrology together. If you’re going to fight, fight for what you love. It’s a time when you can better understand the hierarchies impacting you and decide to move in the direction of change. Capricorn and Saturn bring consequences and reality checks, and they confront you with limitations (real or imagined).

Mars has gone Retrograde in Aquarius for the first time since 1971, and it will stay that way from June 26th through August 27th. Mars is the planet that governs fighting, fornicating, and the concept of masculinity. Rage, flaring tempers, self-defense, competition, and ambition are all in Mars’ wheelhouse. Mars is the warrior, while Aquarius is the sign of 'We The People.' The last time that Mars went Rx in this sign, we in the USA had Nixon as president, and hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to protest the Vietnam War. The country was divided on a number of issues, and people were engaged in acts of liberation and war.

On a personal level, the potential of this transit is to radically reassess what you’re doing, and to make necessary changes. Retrogrades are always the time to review, reflect, and reconsider; and Mars is a fiery planet that governs where you’re going and how you’re going to get yourself there. Aquarius is concerned with forward motion as well, but in a very different way. This is the sign of invention, of the future, and its energies are individualistic. This sign can be humanistic in its drives, and it's not concerned with walls or nationalism. Aquarius wants you to direct your anger towards efforts that impact the collective, and for compromise to be a means towards greater freedom.

This is a time when you may have to fight for what you think is right, but heed this warning: Mars retrograde can lower your vitality, and bring frustrations and obstacles to your efforts. The key here is to not burn yourself out, especially while Mars moves through quick-witted Aquarius. Mars will Retrograde (aka move backwards) into Capricorn where it’ll stay from August 14 through September 11th. This will mark a transition into addressing what is and isn’t working with the structures in your life and in society itself. The upshot here is that we’re all on call to consider how our participation impacts the whole of society. Action without integrity or consideration for others will be poorly starred. If you’re going to fight, fight for what you believe in, not just to have your voice heard over the chorus, or to have your ego validated.

Love, as simple or cheesy as it sounds, is the answer. It’s an action and a force for change. Let it fuel you to confront the realities of your life, relationships, and our world. Things may be hard right now, but the astrology gives us the tools to work on them, to bring justice and compassion to the fore. To do this you must seek the wisdom of your heart, and the teachings of history, whether you’re looking at your own patterns, or human history itself. This may be a serious period of action and consequence, but it’s also one for building emotional maturity and strengthening your internal resources, and then sharing them with the world. Take a deep breath and do the work, lovers.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

Sure, if you push hard enough you may get your way, but you won’t win any popularity contests, Aries. Instead of forcing your will on others, take a beat and consider their needs. If you can access compassion for another’s perspective, even if you don’t agree with them, you can start working toward successful communication. Collaboration may be annoying, but it’s the surest route to your success.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

It’s time to check your ego, Taurus. Whether you think you’re the worst or the best, when you can’t stop seeing yourself at the center of things, you’ve lost your way. Take a pause and check in with what you’re doing, but more importantly, what’s motivating you. If your driving forces aren’t clear, you won’t be happy with whatever happens – even if you get what you’re gunning for. Tighten the reigns on your desires this week, my love.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

Where your mind goes, your energy will follow. This week will test you, but luckily it’s a test you can for sure pass. Decide to let it go, Twin Star. Instead of running over details that you can’t control, align yourself with your own center of strength. You can’t control or fix much in the world, but you can participate to the best of your ability. You only have to do your best, not the best; make peace with the good, the bad, and the complicated of what you are so you can move on, my love.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

This week’s full Moon in your relationship house is a chance for you to reaffirm or reconsider the loves of your life (this may be your romantic or platonic loves). You get to decide who you're intimate with, who you trust, and how much. Even when your options feel painful, they’re still your choices to make. Honor the needs of your heart without idealizing your situation, Moonchild. It’s time to face reality and to honor what you know to be true.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

When you choose to prioritize what gives you life, you’re basically putting yourself in a position to thrive. When you allow yourself to get attached to how things need to go or how they appear to others, you lose track of those good vibes, and you also lose your way. This week, it’s time to focus on what’s working in your life, Leo. Attention and love are not equal any more than getting “likes” equals self-esteem. Realign with your sense of purpose, regardless of how it looks to others this week.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

When something worked at one time, it’s tempting to hold on to it for dear life, even when it’s no longer working in the same way for you. The path to balance or inner peacefulness requires that you’re willing to change yourself or your actions, depending on the needs of the moment. Check ways in which you may be caught up in a rigid cycle with self-care or self-maintenance, and make some necessary adjustments, Virgo. Be here now, even if here and now is a little tricky.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Reflection isn’t really a passive process; it’s an act that requires bravery and humility. This week it’s time for you to be honest with yourself, Libra. You’ve been running your life in certain ways that are no longer working, and it’s important that you don’t wait until your hand is forced before you make changes. Show up and strive to be decisive; what you choose now isn’t written in stone, but it is important for your future. Do what needs to be done, my love.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Pull it together, friend. Stress is contagious, and this week you’re on call to manage your own. Try to remember why you’re engaged in the struggles and goals that you are so that you don’t forget your heartfelt motivation. When you lead with your heart, you're less likely to get distracted by petty concerns and other roadblocks to achieving excellence. This is your story; don’t let any one person or situation define it for you, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Having too much on your plate means that you end up doing everything at less than your capacity. If you take a long-view of your life, you can adopt the perspective that allows you to better pace yourself, Sagittarius. This week you may be feeling totally overwhelmed, and your best move is to treat it as a call to better prioritize what needs to get done and when. This isn’t about doing less; it’s about being more efficient with your energy so you can do better over the long haul.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

It’s your time to shine, Cappy. This week the Moon is full in your sign, and the Sun is opposite your ruling planet: basically it’s coming up Capricorn! Whether you’re struggling to put your life together or things are going well for you, it’s wise to pause and take stock of how you got here. Own your achievements and the effort it took to attain them, or conversely, where you may have taken a wrong turn. Strive to replace guilt or pridefulness with humility and self-awareness.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

The sads are all around, and it’s hard times for sure. Do you best not to turn away from upsets this week, Aquarius. Attempt to understand what you’re really upset about, and from there, explore the best possible solutions available to you at this moment. Hopelessness is debilitating, so deciding to take action, no matter how small, will help empower you to see more options and even be more comfortable in your own skin. You’re absolutely on your way, Aquarius; don’t give up now.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

As things change and grow around you, so too must you change and grow. This week you can choose to hide in your old ways, but it won’t do you much good. Choose how you wish to be instead of waiting for circumstances to force your hand, Pisces. Trust in yourself, and have confidence in your ability to make things happen. Nothing has to be perfect, and you can take as much time as you need, but know that you have the vision; all you need to work on is the follow through.

THE HOODWITCH HOROSCOPES: 05/30-06/05/2018

Written by Jessica Laynadoo

Lets take a minute to talk about Venus, the planet of like, as she’s pretty busy this week. Its influence inspires us to seek security, peace, and comfort. Venus is of course the planet of sensual delights as well; she governs beauty, socializing, hooking up, and the arts. She’s also the planet of diplomacy, counsel, and the very things that you value. What you buy and own is a reflection of your values. How you express and embody love is also a reflection of your values. This week is a juiced-up time to explore not what you think you value but what your actions actually reflect of your values. When your actions don’t match up with what you care about, life can lack meaning, and that’s when it gets tempting to prioritize the image of happiness instead of the real thing.

This week is a perfect time to think about love; not relationships per se, but how you know that you’re loved, and how you express love to people through your actions and in your choices. Look for opportunities to act from a place of love and to see evidence of it in the world around you.

On the 5th the illuminating Sun will conjoin confusing Neptune, and Venus will sit opposite of intense Pluto. This can be a great time to put yourself out there and meet new people, get romantic, or lose yourself in creative ventures. But be careful of what you wish for around this time because you just might get it. The energy of these two transits may have you thinking that things are one way when they most firmly are not, or it may have you thinking that you should manipulate others “for their own good.” Watch out for negative or positive obsessions, and try not to let the unknown unhinge you. This is a chance for you to not just talk love and light, but instead, actually embodying it. This is a fertile time to put into practice using your spiritual and self-care tools. Do what you know is right, even if it’s in the smallest of ways. Harness the healing and transformative powers of the action of love.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

While it isn't fun, having ambiguity is normal. This week, uncertainty about your relationships may take up more space than you’d like. Instead of recoiling from the vulnerability of it all, lean in, Aries. Explore the things that you aren’t comfortable with in order to better understand your situation and also yourself. You are growing, but your blind spots and bad feels are in need of your attention so that they don’t become bigger problems down the line.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

Anyone who tells you that the garden is full of roses that are always in bloom is lying to your face. Life is full of highs and lows, and that’s just part of being a human. Don’t fear your lows so much that you can't bear the absence of your highs. You can take risks or stay at home, but no matter what you do, there are consequences to your actions, Taurus. There’s not just one way to be or one path to take, and there isn’t a right or wrong way to go. Just live your life, my love.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

When you’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to get wrapped up in blame in an attempt to cope with upset feelings, but it only displaces your bad feels; it doesn’t handle them. You may be feeling pretty over dealing with a situation or relationship that is giving you exactly what you don’t want, but there’s a bigger picture at play, Gem. Own your part, and use your agency. If you don’t like the game, no one is making you play. Do what’s right – not what’s right in front of you – this week.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

You may feel tempted to jump to conclusions or participate in self-fulfilling prophesies this week, but it’ll do you no good, Moonchild. Instead of assuming the worst – or anything at all – be brave and direct. Instead of deciding for them, it's a great kindness to ask people where they’re coming from when you’ve been offended. Give others the same chance that you want to be given in upsetting moments. First pursue due process. Then figure out what to do about what you discover, my love.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

Instead of asserting yourself into people’s lives, try being a better listener, Leo. Your desire to be free and do your own thing and your need for quality intimacies may be having a little tug of war this week. Instead of bowing to pressure, take a minute to really consider the consequences of either course of action. You are free to do what you want, but you are not free from consequence. Strive to have healthy boundaries with yourself and others this week.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Sometimes you just need to decide to be done. It might be easy to dip into some pretty serious stress spirals this week, but it won’t help you one bit. Insight is not gained from panic, and peace isn’t found through obsession. When you find yourself all riled up this week, try to decide to let it all go. Don’t follow the freight train of your thoughts when they’re speeding because they won’t bring you anywhere you want to go, Virgo.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

As things develop in your life so too does your relationship to them. Don’t be in such a rush to get where you want to go that you stop being present and interested in how the process is changing you, Libra. All big transitions leave their mark on you. You’re shifting in big ways, and if you’re not able to own and explore those changes, you risk ending up pretty frustrated by even the most pleasant of things.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

You’re on your way to happy, and you totally deserve it, Scorpio. There can be a real fine line between chaos and excitement; sometimes that line is about what’s happening, but often it’s more about how you’re responding to it. Try to remember what your intentions are so that you don’t allow distractions and petty struggles to set you off course. If it doesn’t serve your larger goals, it’s not worth your energy this week.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

You’re great with beginnings, but when those pesky middles start to drag on is when you lose your enthusiasm, Sagittarius. Make decisions to back up your decisions. There are many smaller choices within the broad and sweeping ones that you’ve made, and if you don’t direct yourself, they’ll end up forcing your hand sooner than later. Identify the compromises that you can make that will both advance your goals and not drive you crazy this week.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

You are not supposed to have all the answers, nor are you supposed to always steer the boat. Life is a journey and when you cant control the climate or the tempo, you can decide to be a beneficent ruler in the land of your feels, Cappy. This week is a mixed bag and not meant to be exactly easy; seek balance instead of perfection and hope instead of assurances. You are not meant to manage anyone’s wellness but your own. Be kind, and do what you have to do in order to be right with you.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Try to better understand your relationship to fear (not the things you fear, mind you). Try not to get so caught up in your insecurities that you lose interest in the ways your emotions play themselves out, Aquarius. Be on the lookout for the conditions that exist right before you get caught up in your fears. Are you hydrated and well fed? Have you just gotten off of social media? There are patterns to your responses. Seek them this week.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

When you overextend and push yourself too far, your body has a funny way of slowing you down, Pisces. This week you may be confronted by some anxiety or exhaustion that is here to get you to tend to the basics. How you support and care for yourself when you’re struggling is of the utmost importance. Don’t let anyone else tell you how your relationship to self-care should go. Apply what you know works for you to your daily actions, sweet one.

 

THE HOODWITCH: WITCHTIPS & HOROSCOPES 1.24-30.2018

Written by Jessica Lanyadoo

Witch Tips

Strap yourselves in, Puppies, this week is gonna be quite a ride! It kicks off with an exact conjunction from Mercury to trans-formative Pluto on the 24th through the 25th. This transit intensifies (Pluto) the tempo of your thinking (Mercury). Mercury rules over your thoughts, communication in general, your friendships and work relationships. Your thoughts are likely to be deep, intense, and compulsive, which is great if you have to do a research project or some other task that requires serious concentration, but it’s pretty rough if you’re just trolling social media or dealing with the complexities of other people. What you say now is important because you run the risk of speaking out of pettiness, but once it’s out there, you can’t take it back. If you have a serious need to defend yourself, get to it, but chose your battles wisely. Your petty parts want blame, but your soul wants peace, and that never comes from acting out. This can be a transformational time, but you need to be willing to sit with the intensity of your mind. Watch your compulsions run themselves ragged without trying to convert them into wisdom by justifying their presence.

From the 24th-26th, Mercury will form a dynamic sextile to foot-in-the-mouth Jupiter. The upside of this is that it will help you to make connections and see the whole picture. These are the days for making sense of what happened during that Pluto/Mercury transit. The downside is that it can extend the impulse to cyber stalk, compare your progress to others, view things from an all or nothing lens, and jump to conclusions. The key here is to seek the truth but not just your truth. We all exist in our own reality, each with our own point of view. Make space for all of it so that you can objectively decide what you’re wiling to work with and what’s out of alignment for you. When all you do is focus on what others are or aren’t doing, you’re evading your responsibility to yourself. Everyone makes mistakes. If you make a habit of calling people out and don’t also spread love and appreciation around, you’re participating in the worst of call-out culture. It takes takes less spiritual energy to applaud than it does to boo; comes from the well of your soul, so chose your actions with care.

Finally, from the 26th-28th, Mercury will form a square to reactive Uranus. If you haven’t been doing your homework all week, you’re likely to fly off the handle or make rash judgment calls. This is a time for new information being revealed but not so much for making sense of it. Expect to feel dogmatic, restless and nervous, or to deal with someone else who's acting from that place. This energy is likely to make you accident prone because it’s reactive and distractible. This energy is inventive, dynamic, and progressive too – as long as you can stay present without attachments to what happens next. We are at the precipice of a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse on the 31st, so you can expect emotions to be running high, making the goal of patience and presence a hard one to achieve. Here’s a Pro Tip for this week as a whole: instead of seeking the cracks, seek the light pouring through them. Letting go of what doesn’t serve you is an act of self-healing. Forgiveness will set you free, and we all need to get free of our own b$llsh$t so we can do what we came here to do.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

Peace isn’t a single point of perfection; it’s a state of mind. If you can make subtle adjustments that allow you to flow with your situation without losing your center, you can maintain inner calm, even in stressful situations. It’s when you allow other people or situations to determine your wellness that you lose track of what’s real and what’s of value to you. Don’t figure out what to do before you figure out what your truth is this week, my love.

­TAURUS

April 20-May 20

There’s never enough to make you feel safe if you’re fixated on what you don’t have. What you chose to believe in will either bolster or negate your sense of self this week. Do your very best to see the potential in your limitations, the lessons in your failures, and the joy in the little things. This isn’t so that you’ll magically no longer have problems but so that you’ll have the inner resources you need to deal with them gracefully. You’ve got this, Taurus.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

Stay here in the present, Twin Star. You run the risk of losing precious energy by obsessing on things past or trying to figure out what others are thinking or feeling. You don’t need a psychic – just ask people questions! You don’t need to time travel – just let go of what happened in the past. Take control of this moment by focusing your attention on what you can improve, my love.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

Be careful what you say, Moonchild, because once it’s out there, you can’t take it back. There’s a lot of tension in your relationships, and while it would be easy to assume the worst of others, it’s not wise. Give the same grace and compassion to others when they make mistakes as you wish to receive, but you shouldn’t lie down and take poor behavior, either. Take the time you need to decide which of your feels to respond from and which are better suited for your Dear Diary.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

You set the wheels in motion some time ago, and now it’s time to reap some of what you’ve sewn, Leo. This is an excellent time to get grounded by first getting present, and then from that place, review the past several months. You’re likely to now be feeling the consequences of what you initiated in the past four or so months, so look back to that time to see what was going on. You can’t change the past, but you can shift your attitudes towards it and let it inform your understanding of what’s happening now.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

If you make decisions in a moment of panic, you’re going to be acting from a shaky foundation. You don’t have to take on anything new, my love, and if you do, you can have boundaries with how you do it. It’s important that you give yourself permission to focus on the things that bring you life instead of only things that make you feel like you’re proving yourself. It’s not enough to just get there, Virgo. Get there full and whole as well.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Placating people is fine in the short term, but if you want true intimacy, you’ve got to be honest, Libra. Show up as your full self this week, even if that makes things more complicated. It’s time to figure out the art of having hard conversations; this will require you to have kindness for yourself and others in equal parts and to treat people with the trust that they’ve earned. If you don’t know what to say, you’re always entitled to say just that. Try your best, my love.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

You can shake in your booties, or you can get to work. Once you determine what the problem is, it’s time to get practical, Scorpio. What actions can you take to best support yourself when you get stressed? What expectations are you holding that get in the way of allowing something greater to flow into your life? This is your life, your road to travel; don’t let your fears and projections compel you to miss out on all the beauty along the way.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Things are changing, and it’s unclear what you want from it all. Instead of jumping to conclusions as a way to take shortcuts, try slowing it down, Sagittarius. This week you’re likely to have things revealed to you in pieces; try not to make any heavy commitments or sweeping judgments quite yet. Tune into your heart, and make sure that what you’re doing is in alignment with what you find there.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Where you allow your attention to go is what you’re feeding, Capricorn. You can do your best and even be the best, and that doesn’t mean that you’ll get what you want. In truth, you may not even want the right things. If you choose to pour your heart into your disappointments, they will grow before your very eyes. The trick this week is to seek the opportunities in your troubles and to manage your pessimistic thinking with gentle but persistent TLC.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

I’ll let you in on a little secret: gratitude is an anxiety buster. You can make your worst fears come true if you persist in looking for them. The trick is to commit to seeking at least as much good as you seek bad in the world, Aquarius. You don’t need to be a Pollyanna; just try to find a balanced approach to the truth. You stand to gain far more by allowing yourself to celebrate your successes and those of the people around you than by disparaging yourself or anyone else.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

When people are weird to you or awkward around you, it’s tempting to take it personally – but it’s only personal some of the time. This week, it’s a bad idea to take things at face value because everyone is going through it. the good news is that it’s an excellent time to practice embodying the emotional boundaries that you’ve been working so hard to perfect! You don’t have to be perfect, but when you feel off, try naming it and watching it instead of shrinking or advancing in self-defense, my love.