WITCH TIPS + HOROSCOPES 10/18-24/2017

photography by Scarlett Hoof Graafland

Written By Jessica Lanyadoo

WITCH TIPS

This week, the big news is the New Moon in Libra on the 19th. This is an excellent time to reset, refresh, and realign yourself.

New Moons mark the start of a new cycle for your potential and personal development, while Libra is the sign of partnership, diplomacy, and the drive for fairness. To be honest, the world isn’t fair, and that’s nothing new. We are seeing more world events as they happen in real time than ever before, and we’re inundated with more messages from advertisements than ever before. We live in a “like” culture, and this is Libra’s Kryptonite. Don’t lose track of yourself, dear heart. Whether someone likes you or hates you is their cross to bear, not yours, unless you take it on. You don’t need to get validation or permission to be yourself. There’s a shifting of the tides happening within each and every one of us, and the more authentic and present you are for it, the more graceful this shift will be.

From the 18th-20th, the bright-light Sun will sit opposite revolutionary Uranus. This transit will be exact with the New Moon, radicalizing your whole emo experience. This is an excellent time to throw off limitations, access more options, and try new approaches. You don’t need to be perfect or even feel confident; you only need to try. Don’t lose energy obsessing on an unknowable future or on picking apart your allies and enemies – it won’t heal your pain or generate more justice, it will only dilute your energy.

Get right with yourself this week. Cultivate ownership of all your parts, and leave space for growth, no matter how deep your learning curve is. Allow for the diversity of the human experience. A person doesn’t need to agree with you on all things in order to be ‘on your side.’ This is a time that you can achieve greater freedom, so use your energy wisely, my love.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

The Libra New Moon in your relationship house comes with a punch. The tension between your desire to be intimate and your drive to do things your way is real. You can do whatever you want, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll like what happens if you do. Sit with your impulses long enough to understand what you really need. Relationships without compromise are kind of a fantasy; be willing to bend so that things don’t break this week, Aries.

­TAURUS

April 20-May 20

When people tell you to ‘just be yourself’ or ‘trust your instincts,’ it’s hard to know which self you’re supposed to trust and which instincts you’re meant to honor? It’s time to slow down and get grounded, Taurus. If you’ve lost track of what’s motivating you, this week may bring you some drama to unravel. Handle what you’ve got instead of taking on something new. Pace yourself so that you can act on self-knowledge instead of pressure. You’ve got this, Taurus.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

Relationships aren’t meant to be easy all the time any more than they’re meant to always be hard. You’re on call to show up for the complications of compromise, Twin Star. In order to make healthy concessions, you need to first know yourself though. Whether you’re negotiating your needs and responsibilities with your boss, your bae, or your relationship to social media, know your values and make sure your actions reflect them this week.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

Not knowing what comes next can be exhilarating or exhausting. Decide today that you’re willing to make the most of what you have in the here and now, Moonchild. There’s so much intense uncertainty in the world and so much that’s out of your control. Don’t lose your energy obsessing on what you can’t know. Focus on what’s currently happening, and make the best choices you can. You don’t have to be perfect, you only need be whole.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

You would have so many fewer problems if you would just be a bit more direct, Leo. You can worry over the right way to package what you think and feel, or you can just be honest. You don’t get to both control or manage how other people feel about you and also be authentic at the same time. If you choose to be true, the people and situations that remain in your life will be good for you. If you speak out of both sides of your mouth, you’ll get a false sense of peace, this week.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Other people’s opinions are important, but when you don’t know what you think, too many ideas can serve to make you feel confused and unsure of how to make sense of it all. Take time to sit with your ambiguities and disappointments this week. I’m not encouraging you to wallow but to instead stay present with your feels and show yourself the kindness of honoring them. Doing this will help clarify what you truly need so that you don’t go putting band aids on bullet wounds, Virgo.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

There’s only one New Moon in your sign per year, and it’s happening on the 19th of this week. This marks a powerful turning point for you, Libra, and it’s on you how it’ll go. If you’ve been dragging your feet on making changes, this is the time to spring to action. You can expect your relationships to challenge you to step up. Don’t hide from your life, my love; as the saying goes, they call it the present because it’s a gift. Make the most of yours.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Jupiter in your sign can be an exciting time in which you feel your luck shift, and a sense of optimism may overtake you. More likely, though, it will simply expand whatever you’re feeling. If you’ve been struggling mentally, it’s time for something to bend or break, my love. Invest in your wellness by taking creative actions, spending time with people who want the best for you, and letting yourself have your feels. Healing comes from getting real, so try to show all the way up, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Explore what you’ve got without adding anything new to your plate this week, ‘Tarius. You have so many resources and so much potential; don’t squander it all by allowing yourself to get caught up in distractions. Check your dreams for inspiration and direction. If what you think is important isn’t informed by your deepest feels, life tends to be hollow. Take a chance on what you most deeply desire instead of settling for what it seems easiest to get this week.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Not getting results right away is frustrating, but it’s not a sign, Cappy. This week you’re likely to be dealing with a mixed bag. You’ve grown and changed and in some ways are doing better than ever. In other ways, you may find yourself regressing into anxiety and impatience. Make space for your feelings without overindulging them to a point of self-sabotage. Sometimes, you’ve just got to gently pick yourself up and do the work, my love.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

How is it that you’re both ready to take the bull by the horns and totally confused about what to do next? This week, what you decided not long ago is likely to be challenged by either new information or old insecurities. If there’s no rush on decisions, grant yourself the space to figure out what you really feel before you strike forward. If you have something pressing to deal with, try not to do it from a place of fear. You don’t need change as much as you need improvements, my love.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

Your mind may be racing, and distractions may come at you from left field; don’t let that deter you! All you have to do is follow through, Pisces. You’ve done so much hard work to get to this point, and now it’s on you to carry on in spite of the chaos of the moment. Even if your feels flare or relationships throw curve balls at you, you’ve got a plan to carry out. Stay centered in your ambitions and take them on little by little every day, until you get where you intend to be.

THE HOODWITCH: WITCH TIPS & WEEKLY HHOROSCOPES 8/2-8/2017

Lunar Eclipse 

Written By Jessica Lanyadoo

WITCH TIPS:

Get ready for the feels!

On the 4th, we have another direct hit to the square between "now-or-never" Jupiter to "heal-it-or-fully-destroy-it" Pluto. There are far-reaching social and political implications of this event, but in terms of your personal life, know this: what you do matters. How you pace out the events of your life, what you take on, and what or who you let go of are terribly important now. Believe this: you are a unique thread in the tapestry of humanity, and you count.

You know how intensely you’ve been feeling lately? Blame it on the Moon, baby. On the 7th, we have a Lunar Eclipse (which is like a super-juiced Full Moon with the volume turned all the way up) at 11:11am PST in the forward-thinking sign of Aquarius. You may feel irritable or on edge, and that’s OK; this is a time for transformation and time of healing – not for peace and stability. You’re not meant to maintain the status quo at this time of your life, unless doing so is heartfelt for you. This is a time where what you believe in is getting activated; you may feel a restless need to push things ahead to get answers, power, or to get away from something you don’t like. It’s best to be careful, Puppies. This is an explosive period, one that will have ramifications for a long time to come. Hold your ego in balance with your higher self, and keep your humanity at the center of your processing at all times. You can’t take back the things you do or say once they’re out there; pace yourself through your emotions and your reactions this week, especially when you’re tempted to run with them. When in doubt, wait 72 hours to allow your reactions and feels to settle.

When you’re dealing with heartfelt issues, it’s hard to see your whole situation clearly. How we feel tints our perspective and, therefore, our experience. That’s not good or bad, but it is something to keep in perspective. When upsets occur – even wonderful upsets – it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and fixate on your strongest, most persistent feelings. The trouble with this is that our most powerful feels are not necessarily the most true or constructive ones. When feels flare up this week (and that they will), choose self-care over self-sabotage at every turn.

XO

ARIES

March 21-April 19

You’re ready to examine the role that fear plays in your life. The Lunar Eclipse on the 7th is going to bring with it so many feels that you may hit a bit of a wall. Take pro-active steps to manage sustainable self-care. Make space for movement, the arts (Instagram counts!), and whatever else gives you some much-needed strength and perspective. Everything you do is an act of creation; build yourself into the person you want to be, Aries.

­TAURUS

April 20-May 20

It’s time to confront the conditions in your life that don’t reflect your values, Taurus. Tensions are running fast and hot this week, so here’s a Pro Tip for managing it like a boss: if you don’t like the game, don’t play. Don’t get so caught up trying to defend your choices that you miss out on knowing your own sweet self. Have enough self-love that you know what your needs and limits are, and enlist the strength of character to honor them, even when it’s hard, my love.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

You always have a choice, Gemini. The trick is to see it and to be brave enough to make the right one for you. This week’s Full Moon intensity will trigger feelings of scarcity that have been motivating you to live smaller than you need to. Not everything that feels good is good for you, and not all pain is a sign that something is wrong. Be willing to confront your feelings, even if they’re painful or scary; growth will happen by going through the complexities of your heart, not by finding a way to work around them.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

Your ruling planet is full this week and pulling us all along for an emo ride. What you feel is both an extension of your inner world and also a reaction to the past, your current conditions, and the people around you. It’s a lot. Do the work of sitting with your feels to better understand where they’re pointing you, Moonchild. It’s Eclipse Season, and you are meant to be changed; bring clarity to your emotions to make sure that you’re moving in the direction you want to be.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

How you relate to anger is up for you, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself agitated or compelled to stand up for something you believe in this week. It’s of the utmost importance that you believe in yourself while not getting caught up in proving it to others. Your ego is running a mild temperature, and if you’re not careful, you’ll trigger conflicts by acting hot under the collar. Find creative ways of experiencing the powerful and driving feels that you have, my love.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

The Lunar Eclipse is ushering in a time for evaluating how you live. Whether your job, your health, or your general day-to-day habits need revaluation, the task is the same: make sure that you believe in what you’re praying to. Ritual and repetitive behavior are like prayer in action, and if you’re pouring your continued attention, time, and effort into conditions you don’t believe in and want, that’s pretty serious. This is an excellent time for facing the truth and making big changes based on what you learn, Virgo.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

When you feel low and down on yourself, it’s hard to believe that things will improve. It’s possible that your feelings may be more dramatic than your circumstances are and that’s OK, but it’s important to know the difference because they require different tools. Consider the bigger picture, Libra. Don’t get so caught up by what’s immediately in front of you that you miss out on what you can get from it. A shift in perspective is what you need for a lightening of your spirit, my love.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

It’s time to let go. You’ve been dealing with so much lately as the energy has been building to August’s two Eclipses. This is meant to be a time when you confront your innermost self, while being kind to whatever you find. You may have to let go of some people, things, or situations that you know aren’t working for you – don’t resist it. You must change in order to grow into the version of yourself that you’re trying to be; don’t hold yourself back, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Change or be changed ‘cause keeping things the same is not one of your options! This week’s Eclipse is going to shake up your attitudes and friendships, which can be awesome if it’s not very dramatic. Your job is to look within, ‘Tarius. There’s a jumble of fear and hope within you, and you can make either one grow by giving it the right amount of attention. If you don’t know what’s coming next, you might as well choose to bring about the best, my love.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

What you believe in is on the line. This is the time to make sure that you are acting in ways that reflect what you value, even if that means making some pretty meaningful changes. This theme may play itself out in any area of your life, but watch out for your finances in particular. The value you place on money – what you’re willing to do to get it and keep it – is meant to be under inspection. Success is not a destination, Cappy. It’s a feeling, and feels ebb and flow. Get right with yourself this week.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

This week’s Lunar Eclipse in your sign is the thing to look out for. You’re coming to the end of a deep and meaningful cycle, and it’s gonna require all of your attention. The only problem is that you may find yourself feeling agitated and out of sorts. Explore your reactions instead of taking them at face value, Aquarius. What you’re going through is important, but the way you go through it will be defining. How you rise to the occasion is a reflection of your emotional maturity. Act in ways that reflect your integrity, not your situation.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

Having a strong imagination is awesome, but when it goes rogue on you, you’re in trouble, my love. Don’t let your mind get carried away with stories that you have no evidence to back up, no matter how real they feel. Things are not set in stone, and people are inconsistent and weird. None of that has anything to do with you! Allow matters to develop and people to be mysterious, and focus on being the most creative and kind version of yourself that you know how to be.