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.

THE HOODWITCH: WITCHTIPS AND HOROSCOPES 01.17-23.2018

Written by Jessica Lanyadoo

 

Witch Tips

As we take a step into weird and wonderful Aquarius Season (both the Sun and Venus enter air sign Aquarius this week), the thing to remember is this very moment. Aquarius is a sign that concerns us with the future, which is an excellent thing as long as you’re not avoiding the present. These vibes can get really theoretical; prioritizing ideals of humanity without all the messiness of dealing with actual humans is the downside of Aquarius. Make sure you aren’t weaving ideas about the world that you aren’t willing to test out in the world. This is an excellent time for collaboration for common goals; where Leo wants to shine all on her own, the light of Aquarius burns brightest when it falls on everyone. Aquarius season is a great time to investigate your beliefs by actually living them out. Connect with people you don’t usually meet with, and be open to difference. You don’t have to be in agreement with others in order to be on the same team. Explore the potential of your ego by deemphasizing it. Look outside of your personal concerns to explore the needs of your community, whatever that looks like for you.

The 23rd is day one of Mercury meeting Pluto in rigid Capricorn. This transit will last until the 25th, and it’s one to watch out for; Mercury governs your mind, friendships, and communication in general, while Pluto is compulsive, intense, and has serious abandonment issues. You may find that you’re caught up in an obsessive line of thought, feeling paranoid, or that your abandonment issues are extra sensitive, or you may have to deal with someone else who's going through it. This is a great time to seek insight and healing, but there are some pitfalls to avoid. If you find yourself seeking to blame yourself or others, you’re on the wrong track. Negative thinking will only lead to more negativity, so if you’re feeling really down and you can’t get up, seek neutral ground. This isn’t the time to try to control situations, feelings, or people; all you need to do is find the truth of your feelings about them, not to make them something different. Seek to improve the relationship you have with yourself today (and every day), my love.

ARIES

March 21-April 19

It’s important that you communicate, Aries. You’re likely to be stuck on some pretty frustrating feelings, and if you neglect to share what’s happening for you with others, they’re bound to take it personally. You don’t need to get into details or get too involved, but what you omit is communicating more than you might intend it to this week. Share yourself, even when it’s difficult. You may be surprised at the amount of support you have available to you, my love.

TAURUS

April 20-May 20

Letting go is hard to do, but it’s absolutely worth it. We move into Aquarius season this week, and this can be an uncomfortable time for you, Taurus. Don’t try to hold on tight in the face of change, but try not to abandon yourself when your feels get complicated either. Strive to find a way to flow with your circumstances by being kind to yourself, wherever you’re at in your process. You can for sure get where you want to go; just make sure that when you get there, you feel good in your own skin.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21

There are always more than two options, but when you’re blocked, it’s hardest to see that. You may be tempted to give up and walk away this week, but that’s not your best move. You need to pace yourself, creating balance between your obligations and your passions, your personal life and your goals. Don’t worry so much about the future; all you can make sure of is that you are acting in ways that support you and your life in the present moment, Twin Star.

CANCER

June 22-July 22

Don’t rush into the future so much that you abandon the present. Likewise, don't resist the truth of how things are because you wish they were different. Struggle against adversity, repression, and dead-end pathways, but don’t struggle against the truth, Moonchild. Acceptance is not consent; it’s awareness. Be present for how things are in the here and now so that you can act in the most constructive ways possible this week.

LEO

July 23-Aug. 22

Let’s talk about courage, Leo. According to Brene Brown, “Courage is a heart word. The root of the word courage is cor - the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant ‘To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart.’” Now is the time for you to act on the contents of your heart, even if your fears are telling you otherwise. Make choices that allow you to feel right in your own skin so that you can gracefully grow into the person you intend to be, my love.

VIRGO

Aug. 23-Sept. 22

There is no perfection, no immaculate idea, and no infallible plan. There’s just life, messy, complicated, unpredictable life. Instead of seeking someone or thing that can tell you all the answers, try to find willingness to just be where you’re at, Virgo. Being in the middle of things doesn’t mean that there’s no end in sight – only that you can’t see it yet. This is a bad time to drop connection to your vision to focus on obstacles. Stay aligned with your plans, and you’ll do great, this week.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22

When it all feels like too much, you don’t need to force yourself to put on a brave face, Libra. How you care for yourself is foundational to the options you see, the choices you make, and the attitudes you hold towards life in general. This is not a time to crumble in the face of adversity, but you don’t have to power through, either. Make adjustments that reflect the needs of your heart as well as your commitments. You don’t have to be anywhere but where you’re at, my love.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Don’t be a bully, Scorpio. If you can’t be a good friend to yourself, you’re missing out on one of the greatest relationships of your life. Spend some time in a little place called me this week. Honor your gifts and hard work, show up with gratitude, and do it all without checking over your shoulder to see if something bad is coming for you. Handle fear and stress with the love and patience that you deserve; be the very friend you need this week, my love.

SAGITTARIUS

Nov. 22-Dec. 21

This week is an excellent time for confronting problems, but if you’re not careful, you’ll create more by evading them. FOMO will get you if you let it, ‘Tarius. Beware of the impulse to add a bunch more stuff to your plate when what you really need to do is manage what you already have going on. If you get a chance to take on something new, make sure that it won’t come at the expense of what you’ve already initiated, even if that thing is a pain to deal with.

CAPRICORN

Dec. 22-Jan. 19

You’re so capable that you could easily create your fears and worst-case scenarios without breaking a sweat, Capricorn. Obsession and repetitive thought or action is pretty much like prayer; make sure that you’re not praying at the altar of your fears and investing your precious energy into what you don’t want. Avoid looking for how things are likely to go wrong. Commit to seeking the creative potential in your life, and you’re much more likely to find it.

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18

Think of this week as your chance to work on integration, Aquarius. Your feelings can’t be ignored, but they shouldn’t overshadow your plans. If you’re struggling with indecision or acceptance, it’s time to clarify what you’re doing and why. If you slip into your scattered and reactive behavior, you’ll find yourself seeking validation in the eyes of others instead of yourself. The whole truth can’t hurt you – it’ll only help you to move on, my love.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20

You don’t need to convince anyone that what you’re doing is valid. You don’t need permission, and you don’t need an audience. All you need is you, Pisces. When you’re going through deep healing or meaningful change, loneliness and fear are a part of the process. It’s healthy and normal to feel bad, you just don’t want to make decisions from that place. Stay aligned with the truth of what you’re doing, no matter how compelling your distractions are this week.

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.