Month: January 2023

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. I appreciate your time and presence. See this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/2iaohpcVKMk

In making the decision to ease into this new year, I did something a little unusual for me. I prescheduled downtime for myself. Insert audible gasp here. This included time for reading, resting, and for listening to my own heart.

Yes, that is correct—I scheduled time to intentionally listen to my heart. Listening to one’s heart is not something that I feel like modern society encourages. In fact, I think we are more encouraged to follow the mind—to be logical, practice, and reasonable.

In law school, there was much mention of “the reasonable man.”

According to Justia, this is a phrase, “used to denote a hypothetical person who exercises qualities of attention, knowledge, intelligence, and judgment that society requires of its members for the protection of their own interest and the interest of others.” There is a certain amount of caution that this person takes, and then they behave sensibly according to the standards of society. This generally leans towards the logical and the rational.

The logical and rational are within the jurisdiction of the mind. The heart however, is more emotional, and seen as sometimes irrational. The heart is usually more willing to take risks that the mind won’t take. The domain of the heart is love. Sometimes the heart and the mind are in conflict. When they are, often we are encouraged to make the common sense choice, and follow the mind. I have found that the mind can lead to overthinking, which can lead to anxiety, and which can lead to sadness because ultimately we did not follow the heart.

This can express itself with everything from relationships, to career paths, to heck, almost anything. I am of the mindset that we should let love lead our actions—that the mind should bow to the wisdom of the heart…and yet, how many of us know with certainty what it is that our heart is trying to tell us? How will we know if we don’t ever make time to listen to what it has to say?

A quote by Jack Kornfield which I came across in Bell Hooks seminal book, “All About Love: New Visions,” says, “It is possible to speak with our heart directly. Most ancient cultures know this. We can actually converse with our heart as if we were a good friend. In modern life, we have become so busy with our daily affairs and thoughts that we have lost this essential art of taking time to converse with our heart.” So I say, “what says you heart?”

If you have been listening to this channel or reading my blog long enough you may know of my longstanding love of Paulo Coelho books, and The Alchemist especially, which is probably my favorite book of all time.

There is also mention of listening to the heart there as well. “Why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked, when they had made camp that day.
“Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you’ll find your treasure.”
“But my heart is agitated,” the boy said. “It has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it’s become passionate over a woman of the dessert. It asks things of me, and it keeps me from sleeping many nights when I’m thinking about her.”
“Well, that’s good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say.”

When I made the decision to ease into 2023, as I mentioned before, I did something that was out of the ordinary for my normal extroverted self. I blocked off two weeks where my calendar said, “Do Not Plan Anything.” This is a big deal for me because I am generally always out and about, with some “downtime” which usually comes when I start to feel burnout. Then my friends will gently say, “Ma’am, it might be time for some downtime.” Hahaha. I savor life, and I love to soak up every minute of it, but I am learning through the wisdom of my own heart, that sometimes for me, this includes “hermit time.”

That is time spent in solitude, resting, reflecting, and talking to myself—I mean when we need expert advice on our life—we should talk to ourselves hahaha. I joked to one of my friends recently that I was enjoying my downtime so much, that I could probably become a hermit easily. Her response was a resounding, “Yea, no, I give you three days alone by yourself max before we call in reinforcements to get you to leave the house.” That was funny, because I do thrive on my time with my friends and family, so point taken, there has to be a balance.

The last year ended and this year began on a Mercury retrograde in the sign of Capricorn, a sign that has heavy influence in my natal chart. My own Mercury placement is in Capricorn, and so the energy was ripe for slowing down, reflecting, and finding some time to refresh my spirit.

So much happened last year, and so much happened all at once it felt like sometimes I could not catch my breath; I don’t think I had much time to process. I like to “process,” “excavate,” and see what if any lessons there were to learn from situations and experiences that pop up in my life.

I probably could have been an archaeology major easily lol, but since that wasn’t my path, I have to be the archaeologist of my own life. While some things will and should remain buried away, when we can look objectively at life—at our own life, there is opportunity for growth. Maybe there were situations in which I could have reacted differently, maybe there are places in my life where I need to be more proactive, or maybe there are still things that I am learning—like about patience for example. I decided to take some intentional time for this process of reflecting.

Intentionality has become very important to me, and it was with this in mind that I sat down, drafted up a vision for the future from this point, and came up with my “word,” for this year. For the past several years, I have selected a word that helps to anchor me to a particular goal or intention for that year. Some examples have been, “flow,” “balance,” “abundance,” and “fun.” This year, my word is devotion. I also have a word for this decade of my life, and that one is more private and personal, but it feels delicious to my spirit. This year’s word is “devotion.”

I wrote a short snippet about it on social media. I said, “This year’s word is devotion. Devotion to my heart, to love, to joy, to the joy of living, to beauty, to kindness, to my own well-being—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. It is also devotion to my enjoyment, to my quirks, and to my tribe. Devotion is my anchor word. It signifies love, loyalty, and enthusiasm.” I was on a walk through the park when I thought about this more deeply. What does devotion to love and to life even like to me? What was love even?

Whenever I have a deep question, a book with answers will always find me. In this case, as I was dusting one of my bookshelves, my copy of “All About Love,” by Bell Hooks, fell on my toe.

That’s a sure sign that it wasn’t so accidental. There are so many good parts to this book—which is a love letter in it of itself to remaining hopeful about love in a cynical world. One of the passages says, “Love redeems. Despite all the lovelessness that surrounds us, nothing has been able to block our longing for love, the intensity of our yearning. The understanding that love redeems appears to be a resilient aspect of the heart’s knowledge. The healing power of redemptive love lures us and calls us towards the possibility of healing. We cannot account for the presence of the heart’s knowledge. Like all great mysteries, we are all mysteriously called to love no matter the conditions of our lives, the degree of our depravity or despair. The persistence of this call gives us reason to hope. Without hope, we cannot return to love. Breaking our sense of isolation and opening up the window of opportunity, hope provides us with a reason to go forward. It is a practice of positive thinking. Being positive, living in a permanent state of hopefulness, renews the spirit. Renewing our faith in love’s promise, hope is our covenant. I began thinking and writing about love when I heard cynicism instead of hope in the voices of young and old. Cynicism is the greatest barrier to love. It is rooted in doubt and despair. Fear intensifies our doubt. It paralyzes. Faith and hope allow us to let fear go. Fear stands in the way of love…When we love, we no longer allow our hearts to be held captive by fear.”

This echoes beautifully what Marianne Williamson said in “A Return to Love, Reflections on A Course in Miracles.” She said, “Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we have learned here. The spiritual journey is the relinquishing or unlearning of fear and the acceptance of love back into our hearts. Love is the essential existential fact. It is our ultimate reality, and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience it in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life.” In devotion to love, and to life, I am cognizant that will require vulnerability. It also feels like we have become a society of people who are afraid in some sense to be vulnerable with each other, to go beneath the surface, and to allow others to see the things that even frighten us about ourselves. Yet, it is diving deeply and being vulnerable where the true opportunity for meaningful connections lie.

As Brene Brown said, “We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection. Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves. Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.”

I do not yet know how the intentional selection of a word like “devotion,” and adding in vulnerability and love to that equation will unfold over this year. I think it will offer some beautiful moments, some lovely conversations with people and with myself, and will offer some deeply meaningful experiences rooted in the tenderness, the loveliness, and the joy that is also inherent in life. It is work though. In all of the aforementioned works, there has also been mention of acknowledging where we have a wounding, and thinking about how we can heal the wound so that we can experience life from a more joyous place. (I acknowledge fully that some trauma is very intense, and I will always advocate for therapy and anything that helps people to take care of their entire wellbeing).

In another post, I will talk about the wounds we carry and make an astrological connection (of course) to Chiron, the wounded healer.

We will discuss how wounds also appear in our natal chart, and once we learn how to overcome those wounds, how our own tests can often become a testimony for others. Where was our first wounding? Where was our first conscious recollection of love? Life does not come with a manual for living or for loving. There are things we learn along the way, whether for the good or for the bad. If ever we are to devote ourselves to love, then those questions are also important elements to the equation. I have asked myself where was my first abandonment, what are the wounds of my inner child, and how can I let her know that we grew up and we are okay now, so we don’t have to react with anything but love? How do I console her when she is triggered and frightened? How do I soothe her into realizing that we don’t have to react in old ways to new situations. I don’t have all of those answers, these are just things to think about. For now, I wonder—do you have a word for this year? Do you ever listen to the sound of your own heart? Are you someone who is more led by the mind? There are no right or wrong answers to these questions.

As I think about how I want the year and quite frankly, the rest of my own life to unfold, I know that I want my mind and heart to be able to co-create together. I want my mind to bow to the wisdom of the great mysteries of the heart. I want my heart to appreciate that the mind wants to offer its protection, so as to minimize hurt, but to recognize that hurt is an inherent risk when we make a decision to reveal ourselves fully. Despite that, there is still life after hurt.

I want to listen to the soul of the world, and to my own heart, and then take action from that point and place. Regardless of what happens, I want to exude love as my natural state of being. I want to embody love, and to remind all of us that it is the most important part of living. I hope that you have a wonderful week, filled with beautiful reminders of love. I hope the stars shine brightly over you, and I hope that you are able to hear the wisdom of your heart, and to feel the devotion that your heart has had to you all along. Thank you!

Hello beautiful people and welcome to this dose of Celestial Goodness. As always, thank you for joining me in this space and on this journey. If you are reading the blog or watching the video this week, congratulations—you have made it over into a new year. This week’s video available here: https://youtu.be/HJzCMaZ97io

I was joking with one of my friends that there are many ways of marking a new year—and there are many cultures and groups that celebrate a different new year—the Lunar New Year for example—which will happen on January 22^nd, marks the year of the Water Rabbit.

Our birthdays—the solar return, are also a beginning point. I turned 40 recently, so that was a new decade and it definitely felt like a new chapter of my life was beginning.

My friend and I jokingly devised a new year for each month this year hahaha, so if this one doesn’t work for you—make your own! All of that being said—today, January 1^st is the day that most of the world celebrates a new year. Marked by different celebrations, fireworks, and fanfare, we have collectively created a ritual that sends out the old energy of the Gregorian calendar year, and that welcomes a new one.

Along with this comes many little rituals of sort that help us to ceremonially close out old energies in our personal lives and welcome a new energy. I thought about this for a few reasons. First, this was the first year in over six years that I was home for New Year’s Eve—I have celebrated the holiday in different locations, including in England last year.

This year it was nice to be in my space, having a very low key and chill evening. It was also the first New Year’s Eve in at least ten years that I was by myself. Some friends invited me out, but my spirit desired the alone time. I will speak at a different time about the benefits of solitude for the soul. You can be alone but not lonely. I have grown over the years to learn how to enjoy my own company, and in recent months, I have been relearning myself.

I also know that my family and friends are a literal phone call away should I start feeling in need of human companionship. I derive great joy from my relationships with others—and cultivating and devoting time to nurturing those relationships will continue to be an important part of 2023; there is also a strong need within myself to nurture my relationship with self. It is for that reason, I know that New Year’s Eve was its own kind of bliss.

I got fresh flowers from the market—while walking over there some rain drops evaded the umbrella—they felt cool on my skin and I remembered the quote attributed to Bob Marley—“some people feel the rain, and others get wet.” I felt the rain, and want to continue living life with the experience of feeling—of not being numb to things like sunrises, sunsets, and the coolness of raindrops. I also stopped for a bit to observe the fog rising up from the pond by my place. Fog always feels so mysterious, mystical, and otherworldly. When I got home from the market, I made myself dinner, listened to the rain, read snippets from several of my books, watered my plants, danced around, and listened to the Buena Vista Social Club.

At midnight, I had a small bit of Moscato d’Asti and I ate 12 green grapes. One grape to signify abundance, prosperity, peace, joy, and love for each month of the upcoming year. I forget where I learned that tradition, but it is a fun one if you have grapes handy! That leads to the second reason that I thought about personal rituals. I spent most of the day doing a deep cleaning of my place. I mean dusting the corners, scrubbing the shower curtains, mopping, dusting all the nooks and crannies… like deep deep cleaning…I probably looked like Cinderella, but there is absolutely no shame in my cleaning game.

When I was little, my mom always wanted everything to be immaculate. I use to mutter under my breath when I was woken up early on the weekends to clean, that as an adult I would do whatever I wanted lol, which didn’t include getting up on the weekends to clean. It also didn’t include deep cleaning before the new year. Turns out that was a lie. It is just hard for me to focus when things are chaotic—my home needs to breathe, to have things in their rightful place, to feel clean and smell good—it needs to be a sacred space for me. We tend to temples, and my home is that for me. It is a sanctuary away from the rest of the world. It is a safe place, a comfortable, peaceful and Zen place for anyone who crosses the mantle.

When I was little, Jamaicans made it seem as if the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve and things were out of place—the clothes weren’t washed, the dishes not put away, the trash all taken out, that was to be your fate for the rest of the year. It felt like oh my God, you were going to be living in filth for a whole year. I would seriously get anxiety about it. Anyway, that is not the case, but yesterday still felt cathartic. It wasn’t as if the place was messy to begin with, but there was something about ensuring that everything was in its place and I was throwing things out that made me feel as if I was ceremoniously saying good bye to 2022. After everything is clean, I also do a smoke cleanse with the windows and balcony door open, and then burn some of my favorite incense.

Good bye to old energies, and welcome to something new. I am curious about other rituals that people do to celebrate the end of an old year and to welcome in a new year. I know that some of my friends eat black eye peas, some people attend a church service, and some have to stay up until midnight to make sure that yes the old year is in fact gone. Some people go to bed at their normal time so that they can wake up feeling refreshed. I read online that in Scotland, the last day of the Gregorian calendar is called “Hogmanay.” It may be derived from Norse and Gaelic traditions, but it involves gift giving, visiting the homes of friends and family, and there is very special attention paid to the “first foot.” That is the first guest to step foot into your home in the new year. I never even thought of that, but I think it is cool. I will have to pay attention to remember who will be my “first foot,” for the year! What are some of your new year’s rituals or traditions?

The New Year’s Day also reminded me that a new energy is being ushered in—both astrologically and in terms of numerology. I will get into the astrology in a different video, but this year is a 7 year in numerology. 2+0+2+3=7. In numerology, a 7 year is one that emphasizes introspection, emotion, analysis, intuition, reflection, seclusion, research, and faith. It is also a year that finds most people deepening their spiritual practices and a year that leans towards creativity and mysticism. What that all sounds like is that some of us may feel a pull to turn inwardly during the year, and even though we spent most of the pandemic inside, this feels different. This feels more like tuning in to our inner voice—to hearing ourselves speak from a soul level, to tapping into our creativity, and to feel more connected with the divine whatever that means for you. I hope that however your year has started off that you feel a sense of peace—a sense of gratitude for what is gone and what has yet to come, and just a sense of knowing that you are loved and supported by life—even on the difficult days.

I saw a poem online which I loved. It says, “The old year is worn and tired. Time now to kiss it goodbye. Take with you its wisdom—the authority and the power of all you have learned. Remember the past year with love, but let go of its despair. Live the year that lies ahead with fresh energy and hope. Be strong, have courage. It is time now for something new.”

Before I end, I do want us to just take a moment—close your eyes if you can, and just take in a deep breath—it should be deep, but comfortable for you. I am going to lead us in a small meditation.

Put your hand over your heart space, and take in three deep but comfortable breaths. As you inhale and exhale, become aware of your breath. Feel a sense of gratitude for your body, which functions mostly on auto pilot. Be thankful for your heart which beats each day, and which also emits vibrations of love out to the world. Be thankful for your mind, which allows you to process so much information. Now I want you to visualize that you are standing by a bonfire. You are able to drop anything from 2022 and prior that may have caused you stress or grieve into the fire. From the ashes will spring a glorious phoenix that brings with it the promise of a transformative energy. Next, visualize a beautiful glass cup filled with crystal clear (and clean) water. You will take a drink from this cup. As the water fills you—as it is cool flowing through your body, you imagine that the new year will be filled with love, joy, prosperity, growth, and anything else that you desire that is in its proper divine timing, and for your overall benefit. You feel a sense of peace and purpose. You become aware of your breath again. Sit with that sensation of feeling your breath rising in your chest. Say thank you, and then open your eyes.

I hope that this year will unfold for you in the most delightful and beautiful ways, and I hope the stars continue to shine brightly over you! As always, thank you, and happy new year. ♥️