Calling all women...

There's only three spaces left in the 2017-18 Kamaria Circle...  Is one of those seats yours?  Here's three easy ways to tell: #1:  You're ready for your next level  Life is pretty good, but it's time for an upgrade.  Maybe you want to get your financial or relationship house in order.   Maybe you need to step your parenting game up.  Or maybe that promotion or career change is calling you louder and louder.  We'll support you every step of the way until your vision becomes your reality. #2  The world is waiting for your gift With all of the madness going on in the world, more than ever, we need women of purpose and substance to stand fully in their power.  You are a women of influence- your mental, spiritual, and emotional wholeness matters.  Your life matters.  And what you plan to birth into the world through the Kamaria Circle will not only impact you, but also your family, community, or even the world.   Let us be the midwives for your vision. #3  You believe in magic Not rabbit-out-of-the-hat magic, but the real magic that happens when your intentions, desires and actions all line up.  In the Kamaria Circle, we work with the subtle body, chakras, astrology and the elements to activate that 90% of our brain that we don't use every day.  We'll learn practical tools and how to work the magic that is our birthright.   So if you believe in magic, you'll be in good company! In this 6-month course, you will learn concrete tools to awaken your creative genius, manifest your intentions, tap into your inner resources, and actualize your purpose. You'll learn how to understand the subtle messages of your body and dreams,  align yourself with abundance,  and lead from the Sacred Feminine. You'll gain deeper self-awareness as you work with flower essences and learn practical tools to upgrade your life.  We are a community of women who support one another as we live on purpose and stand in power.  We are committed to making ripples in the current world tide.  JOIN US! www.OceansandRivers.Com/kamaria-circle

Lemonade: My Album of the Year

Ya'll know all of last year I was absolutely obsessed with #Lemonade, right?  I was so taken by it that  I joined forces with another sacred feminine powerhouse and hosted an exclusive event-  a gathering at the New Moon to watch the album, have an intimate discussion about the Sacred Feminine, and to sip on our own special lemonade cocktail. 

As I watched Beyonce's performance on the Grammy's last night, I was reminded of how incredibly honored I feel to be part of the lineage of Goddesses she paid homage to in her performance.  I felt incredibly proud of her well-thought out acceptance speech, and choked up a bit hearing Adele's honest deference to the Queen Bey.   Sure, there are talks of cultural appropriation and all kinds of critiques, because that is what our logical minds are literally programmed to do.  But I just feel proud.  It was beautifully and magically done.  But i digress.  

I'm a self-proclaimed neoancient, so I'm always looking for ways to connect what happening out there in the world with what's happening in here. As the ancient axiom goes:  as above, so below;  as without, so within.  When #Lemonade dropped,  I immediately started dreaming up flower essence blends for each song.  Now, as I prepare to formally launch Elementals- my new collection of flower essences to heal the heart and soul-  I am struck by how many of the essences align with the archetypal themes explored in the 
album:

 

The Catch Me Remedy (Sacred Source) Sometimes what we truly need to honor is above the pay grade of our logical minds, and we can only find solutions through intuition and alignment with our inner knowing.   Sacred Source is a recipe with  Star Tulip essence to create space for meditative awareness, Deerbrush essence to tap in to our true feelings about a situation, Mugwort essences for cultivating a relationship with the messages received through dreams, and Cerato for the confidence to trust our intuition. 

The Sorry... Not Sorry Remedy (Worthy)

A major recurring theme in my executive, entrepreneurial, and personal leadership trainings is 'sorry not sorry'.  We explore the many ways that women in positions of power overwhelmingly over- apologize, give disclaimers, and ask for validation. The Worthy recipe includes Buttercup essence for self-validation and confidence, Gold essence for honoring our inner worth and value, and Larch for confidence and clear expression.

Are you Neo-Ancient? 7 Ways to Tell

Forget all this talk about Millennials, Generation Xers, and Baby Boomers.  These  crazy times call for the ones I've been affectionately calling Neo-Ancients.  As confusion, worry and fear run rampant, the Neo-Ancients can be found gathering our inner resources as we prepare for assertive, clear and directed action.  Here are seven clues you just might be part of our tribe:

1) Solstices and Equinoxes are your holidays

Maybe you go all out with fasting, cleansing, meditating and aligning with your intentions at the change of of each season. Or maybe your body takes care of it for you by giving you seasonal cold or fatigue at these cross points.  Either way, the Summer and Winter solstices and the Autumn and Spring equinoxes hold special meaning for you.   Interestingly enough, many popular holidays tend to fall around these powerful shifts in the balance of Yin & Yang.  At this time of year, festive lights and candles for remind us of the return of the Sun after six months of increasingly long nights.   If the solstices and equinoxes facilitate physical, emotional or spiritual shifts in your life, you might be Neo-ancient.

2) You are more than your Sun Sign

When most people think of astrology, they think of the sign that aligns with the month in which they were born.  They may even refer to the daily horoscope for entertainment, or you might feel a particular kinship with those who share your sign (big up to all the scorpios in the house!  heeeeyyyyyy!)  Neo-ancients know that the natal birth chart is more than just really fun insight- it's a map of human psychology. Each planet position gives archetypal insight an aspect of our psyche, as well as what we most need to feel like our authentic selves.  So if your answer to "What's you sign?" sounds like mine:  "I'm a Scorpio sun with a Libra Moon and Venus, Mars in Scorpio,  and Gemini rising...", you might be Neo-ancient.

3) Your schedule is cosmic 

You don't just set your intentions and goals on a monthly basis, but you pay attention to the fluctuations between Yin and Yang as you plan your year.  You know active force, Yang,  is at its height in summer, as well as during full moons. You know that stillness and reflection, the Yin, are amplified in the winter and during new moons.  And the happenings of Mercury Schmercury have on more than one occasion affected your plans.   If your schedule is cosmic, you might be Neo-ancient. 

4) You take care of your subtle body

Neo-ancients understand that health is not just physical- it's emotional, mental and spiritual as well. While conventional medicine is about 500 years old, it's really a baby when compared to many of the ancient healing systems that considered the physical, etheric, astral and spiritual planes.  Acupuncture, for example,  is a 2000+ year old medicine that's now gaining popularity in the West for its success treating muscular pain and fertility. In my practice, we honor the Shamanic lineage out of which acupuncture emerges.  This means we're not only attending to the physical body, but also attending to heartache, lack of inspiration, confusion, anxiety, depression and any of the myriad ways we might be out of alignment with the unfolding of our path, our Tao.   We use earth medicine such as flower essences, essential oils, gemstones and herbs to facilitate inner and outer shifts.  If you believe that health is about more than being "free from disease",  you might be Neo-ancient.

5) You're etherically sensitive 

Photo Credit: NASA

Speaking of the subtle body, the etheric body is the first layer of the subtle body.  It can be likened to an electromagnetic sheath that envelops our physical form.  It's the aspect of the subtle body that gets charged when you 'feel' someone staring at you, your back hurts cuz it's cold outside, or your knee acts up every time it rains.  Our electromagnetic bodies are in close synergy with the electromagnetic poles of the earth, and etherically sensitive folks are often affected by full and new moons and
changes of seasons.  Because our emotions live mostly in our etheric body, etherically sensitive folks tend to be very empathic- and can often sense when someone is feeling angry or sad even if their words indicate otherwise.  Being in crowds of can upset the nervous system of etherically sensitive folks, who might need to spend some time decompressing alone after lots of interaction with others.  If any of this sounds like you, you might be Neo-ancient.

6) Synchronicity has meaning
Neo-ancients know that there is no such thing as a coincidence.  Every moment has the potential to answer a question that was posed with intention (or inadvertently) to the Universe.   We are constantly  reminded that we are not physical beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a physical experience.  A random song that's stuck in our head that carries a potent message.  Being in the right place at exactly the right time.  The friend you were thinking of that happens to call at that moment.  The person on the train that catches your eye.  The billboard you never noticed before that carries a special message today, just for you.   Neo-ancients find a way to live in the meaning and magic of it all.  It's like that quote from the book Conversations with God, when God tells the author to look for her in:

"...the words to the next song you hear.  The information in the next article you read.  The story line of the next movie your watch. The chance utterance of the next person you meet.  Or the whisper of the next river, the next ocean, the next breeze that crosses your ear….”

If you have ever experienced the magic of synchronicity, you might be Neo-ancient.

7) You believe in it all

You consider yourself "spiritual" instead of "religious".  You grew up on the Bible and can drop a Proverbs quote at a moment's notice, and know all 12 signs of the zodiac.   Or you can recite the original, modified, or personalized declarations of Ma'at. You have gained wisdom from the I Ching, Yogic philosophy, the Secret, the Buddha, Earthseed scripture, Nature and/or your Highest Self in meditation.  You light candles for your ancestors and pour libation.  An Ifa reading once transformed- or saved- your life. Quantum physics has your mind blown. On top of that, you're a magic manifestress.  You believe in it all, because all is one.  If your heart can hold yes/and instead of either/or in your spiritual practice, you are definitely Neo-ancient.

Join our "Vibe Tribe" this Winter Solstice!

What the World Needs Now...

IS YOU.

I'm going to be completely honest and transparent.   This blog was supposed to be a celebration about the upcoming Magic & Medicine flower essence training happening this weekend.  I love flower essences... LOVE them.   I am REALLY excited about the training.  So, I was going to write a blog about the difference between flower essences and essential oils, and I was going to share stories of the profound shifts they facilitate.  

But everytime I went to write, I kept seeing images of Alton Sterling's son weeping.  

I couldn't write.  My excitement felt inappropriate, and I started feeling despondent.  sad.  angry.  distracted. powerless.  unexpected tears would well up.  As my heart wept for humanity, I felt even more disconnected from my purpose.  

In my practice, so many came in yesterday feeling the same way.   Eyes slightly glazed over, distracted and unable to focus.  Some felt almost numb, while others' muscles tensed in a hyper-viligent state of fight or flight.   Secondary trauma, which is the emotional duress that results when an individual witnesses the firsthand trauma experiences of another,  is REAL. 

I remember reading somewhere that when a mouse dies on a trap, it energetically sends out a message to its fellow mice colony so they can avoid the same trap.  A telepathic "don't eat the peanut butter!" of sorts, which is why you have to keep switching the bait.   

I believe that we as humans are no different.  I believe when one of us is affected by crimes of hate, we ALL are.  We receive the message- yes through social media, but also deep in our bodies.  

The question is:  how do we stop eating the peanut butter?  

There are no easy answers, but I personally always turn to flower essences when my heart is aching. When my mind needs clarity.  When my soul needs solace.   Here's whats in my medicine cabinet right now:

Star of Bethlehem Flower Essence:  For any type of shock and trauma, Star of Bethlehem flower essence helps to reconnect the body and spirit for a sense of renewed wholeness.

Borage Flower Essence: Creates a sense of buoyancy in the heart when it is weighted by grief or disappointment.

Mountain Pride Flower Essence:  Helps us respond to injustice with clarity and conviction, while staying connected to our soul purpose.  

As I slowly, gently and lovingly come back to myself, I am reminded of my purpose. I am reminded that this ancient medicine is needed in times like this.   I am inspired to be an agent for change, and allowing space for RIGHT ACTION to reveal itself. 

May each and everyone of us find the connection between our personal purpose, and the soul of the world.  We are the ones we've been waiting for.  

The Legend... The Icon... The Archetype

When I woke up my patient to remove her needles,  she told me that she had felt another presence in the room while she was resting during her acupuncture treatment .   We explored if she had sensed the pigeons outside of the window, or perhaps an ancestor visiting as a healing ally.  "No", she insisted, shaking her head.  "It was none of those, but definitely a presence".

About an hour later, she sent me an email stating, "It was Prince.  He's been my idol since I was in elementary school.  Someone I never met, don't know personally but have adored most of my life."

I received the news of Prince passing while that patient was resting, and I could feel the reverberations of shock and sorrow throughout the city.   I knew that, like myself, people were reliving memories of a cultural icon's music that raised a generation.   Recalling with a nostalgic "remember when...?" , and all of the moments embraced in the music.

Suddenly it's 1980-something, and I see myself perfectly-  begging my dad to let me watch Under a Cherry Moon on our Beta-Max machine.  I am at the 8th grade dance, feeling like I've arrived in an alarming combination of hair spray, lace, and ruffles.    I'm brought back to first boyfriends and first kisses and summers with my sister-cousin in PG County. Then I'm in Carolina blue, partying with my fellow Tarheels as the Class of 1999.  The memories- from each stage of my life- are hauntingly, sweetly, refreshingly clear. 

How is it that we are so greatly affected by the loss of someone that we never knew personally, but was so intimately wrapped into our lives?  

Spike Lee Block Party Tribute Photo Credit:  NY Daily News

Then i remembered.... ARCHETYPES.  It's all about archetypes.

Carolyn Myss defines an archetype as "psychic power patterns in the unconscious mind." She writes that "although arcehyples are collective symbols that everyone in the culture shares, they can also speak to us individually, as personal archetypal patterns that are the foundation of our beliefs, drives, motivations, and actions, organizing and energizing all out relationships in life".   I work ALOT with archetypes in my practice- calling on the Elements, the Zodiac, the Chakras, Orisha, media personalities, and the archetypal wisdom of flower essences to help us understand how and why we do what we do.

The point is, when a person lives very close to an archetype, they become iconic.  Their presence becomes a symbolic and earthly representation of a cosmic force that lives within all of our psyches. We love them like we love our best selves- because they represent something that IS part of ourselves.  Something universal, yet intangible.  An icon gives us rare access to a subconscious human pattern of the psyche- manifesting in real life so that we can see it, dissect it, critique it, adore it,  and if we're lucky, integrate it into our lived experience.

Beyonce as the Venus/Het Heru/ Oshun archetype, calling us to embrace the aspect of feminine sexuality that is powerful and defiant.  Michael Jackson as the Puer Eternal archetype, challenging the aspects of ourselves that desire to live in perpetual childlike wonder, joy and fantasy.  Princess Diana as, literally, the Princess archetype who found her Prince Charming.  When an archetype either emerges or dies, the whole world feels it.

The Legend Formally Known as Prince breathed life into the archetype of Aquarius.

Aquarius.  The Eccentric One.  The Rebel.  The Original.  The Inventor.  The Cosmic One.

Astrologically speaking, the spiritual principle of Aquarius is "individuation and the freedom to be original."  Indeed, the Aquarius energy is one that allows us to be creative, inventive, and to defy the rules in honor of our orginality.   Governed by Uranus, the transgender planet of rebellion against social norms, Aquarius affords us the psychic impulse to be uniquely, eccentrically, authentically ourselves.

Didn't he do it, tho?

Prince refused to be imprisoned, not even within a box of his name or his fame.  His music became the soundtrack for the freakiest, sexiest, darkest desires that were too unconventional to express. Rigid delineations between black and white music dissolved.  We lived through him as he rocked eyeliner and heels in all his masculine glory, helping us expand our preconceived notions of gender, of coolness, of sexy.

And I can't think of single woman that didn't want to sleep with that musically genius, incredibly sexy, androgynous little man. 

The archetype of Aquarius 'aims for total freedom to pursue enlightenment and raise the consciousness of the planet. And in his fame, Prince turned is attention to humanitarian effort,s seeking to raise the vibration of the planet by attending to those who needed it most.  A close friend recalls him saying, "I don't need any more attention, but I can't be in this world and see this much pain and suffering and not do something".

Rise in Power Dearly Beloved.   May we honor you by honoring that which is cosmic, radical, innovative, and humanitarian within ourselves.  Rock on.

Here's to Riotous Roots

When we look around outside in nature, we see trees void of leaves and life, standing naked and still.  But the truth is, there's a lot going on beneath the surface. Rather than being dead, those trees have diverted all of their resources inward. Instead of energy being sent to the periphery, the leaves and branches, the tree wisely sinks its nourishing capacity into its core and its roots. 

The ancients believed that as above, so below; as within, so without.  They understood intimately that nature was a metaphor for the human experience, and that the pulses of nature resonate within us.  This fundamental knowing became the basis of Chinese Medicine and a host of indigenous healing systems.

 Just like the trees, animals pull their resources inward to hibernate in the deep sleep of winter. And like our furry friends, we might find ourselves sleeping more, valuing quiet and stillness, reflecting on the year's lessons and blessings.  Maybe cuddling under thick blankets is more inviting than a night out. And maybe, just maybe, in the silence and stillness we are hearing the whispers of our inner wisdom. That deep, inner wisdom is one of the many gifts of the Water Element. 

If we were to observe a plant growing in glass bowl, we would see that before bursting forward with new life in the Spring, the roots sink down and anchor. That beautiful moment in nature embodies the principle of Sankofa- looking backward at where we've been before flying forward. It is here in the water element that we encounter that connection to our roots- and the collective wisdom that comes from our ancestors, our family history, and our past experiences.  It is this wisdom from the past that allows us to transform fear- the emotion associated with the water element- into trust and courage. 

Here are a few of my fave flower essences to connect  with The Water Element: 

Olive: if you're feeling worn down from the year (or the holiday season!), Olive helps us to replenish.  It invites a sense of rejuvenation to toratiour inner reservers, and allows us to welcome the rest and relaxation we need. I call it "the hibernation" flower essence!

Joshua Tree: if you're family roots need watering, Joshua Tree helps us address generational, family patterns that no longer serve us.  It also serves as a catalyst for bringing healing and compassion to family drama.

Star Tulip:  This is one of the most popular flower essences at this time of year. Star Tulip supports us in awakening the soft, receptive qualities of our soul.  It awakens us to our dreams, and supports us in slowing down, reflecting, and  cultivating present presence.  (It's also a great essence to have on hand when you're working on a Prayer or Vision Board!)

Cherry plum: The Water Element is associated with the dark, the unknown and the mysterious.   Cherry Plum supports us in transcending our fear when we are at a breaking point, or have reached what we believe are the limits of our inner resources.  It transforms fear into deep trust that all is well, even when we don't have all of the answers.

7 Songs to Help You Understand the Wood Element

Music is life.  If you're still not quite sure what the heck I'm talking about when I say "The Wood Element", check out this list of songs on my "Wood Element Playlist" to get a better understanding of what this ancient wisdom looks like in our modern lives....
Note: Some of the videos posted have explicit lyrics.

#1 Green Garden by Laura Mvula
The color of the Wood Element is green, and its season is the Spring when the plant world emerges from the darkness of Winter.   So Green Garden not only literally references the Wood Element, it also energetically conveys the freedom and ease that the Wood Element gifts us.  We often associate joy and happiness with the Fire element. However, the Wood Element brings us contentment and satisfaction- a smile on the inside that knows all is right in the world.  This song puts me right in that space, each and every time. 

At the Heart of It All

I have a love-hate relationship with Valentine's Day.  When I was in Grad school, we studied how the De Beers company literally fabricated the engagement ring phenomenon to boost diamond sales (don't believe me?  click here for the science!).    All this talk about love and romance, as if love isn't hard work that has to be cultivated year round.  Chocolate becomes comfort food for women feeling the lack of true love in their lives- married or single. I'm not sure if it's true, but I read somewhere that there are more arguments and break-ups on Valentine's Day then any other day of the year.  And then there's red and pink hearts everywhere!!!  Give me a break.

But then there's the other side of me that LOVES this month dedicated to love!  i love the pink and red everywhere- there's a 'girly girl' deep, deep inside that gets a lil' bit excited by lace and frills.  I love those little message heart candies- they are DELICIOUS and... dare I say? Slightly addictive.  And yes, I understand that true love requires hard work, commitment, generosity, forgiveness, and compassion. Not for the faint of heart, for sure. But I love  the opportunity to break out of the mundane routine-  spicing up our relationships by turning up the romance, turning up the sexy.   

But I most of all I love Valentine's Day because i've made those little hearts my personal reminder of a beautiful, sacred philosophy:

---

The Metal Element: Inner Alchemy & Surrender

We can see the journey through all of the elements through the seasons in nature.   In the Winter, the water element gives us the seed.  The innate potential of what is to come condensed into a promising seed of life, the acorn holding the full potential of the Oak it is to become.  In the Spring, the Wood element bursts through the soil as the seed becomes a spout.  In the Summer, the Fire element brings us the blossoming of plant life, flowering our landscape.  And then we have the late summer, the Earth element, which offers abundance through the fruits and harvest. 

The unharvested fruits fall to the earth in preparation for the Autumn season.  And then what?    What then happens that transforms the rotten apple that fell to ground into the sprout that appears in Spring?


The answer is the mystery and the magic of the Metal element- that alchemical process that transforms something that can no longer serve us into the seed of new potential.  It is the Metal that discerns the flesh of the rotten apple that must return to the earth from the seed that must be nurtured.  But there is no physical evidence of this process, which happens so deep underground.