The Sacred Wheel of Life

PART I: INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

Wheel of the Year – Series of Ancient Calendar of Festivals & Holidays – Based on 8 energy centers through out the year.
Each holiday has a mystery teaching
Get Allison’s Beautiful Guide below for all the details
Feb 1st – Imbolc/Candle Mass – Cleaning out the old + initiation
Spring Equinox – Potential, symbol is the egg – Plant seeds
May Day/Beltane – Desire, “sex for plants”, tapping into the wild within you
Litha/Summer Solstice – the height of energy, stretch your limits and expand
Lammas – time to move into the darker, feminine energy.
Mabon/Fall Equinox – harvest time, receiving the flow of energy back, festival of gratitude, what has come in for the year
Samhain – letting go and releasing what we no longer need.
Winter Solstice – Yule, cultivating your inner source of light, time to dream into the new year, celebrating the light within, show appreciation for those who support you during your time of need
Winter can bring up unresolved feelings if you haven’t prepared + slowed down.
Use the dark (nourishing) times to tap into your creativity and open up to dreaming
Connection during the early part of the year can be light and fun, and in the later half they need to be deeper, richer, more intimate
The “Omen Days” – go outside first 12 days, and look for a sign (oracle reading). Each day corresponds with a month of the year.
- Christian calendar: December 25th – Jan 5th
- Pre-Christian calendar: December 20th – Jan 1st
- Omen Days: The Twelve Days of Christmas by Caitlin Matthews
Imbolc – Live each day + year as an act of magic

PART II: ACTIONS STEPS

1. Set the intention for each of the “Omen Days”
  “Show me what I need to know for the month of ____?”
  I.E.
  First day = January
  Second day = February
  Third day = March

Take a moment to go out side and what’s the first thing you see.
Don’t make it hard or difficult. You’ll know when you see it. It’ll resonate inside for you and feel complete.

1. Ask “Let’s see what this means?”You can use this technique anytime of year to ask and receive an answer to any question you have.
2. Get Allison’s guide below and start paying attention as each holiday approaches. Notice the energy as February comes, decide what you want to commit to this year.

The Sacred Wheel Overview and reference guide has everything you need to get started. It includes a full page layout on each holiday, including when to celebrate and some fun ritual ideas for making the most out of each day.

About the Guest:

Allison Carr LAc is a witch, healer, writer, mother and licensed acupuncturist. She received her BA in history from Reed College, and her Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine from Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. She is trained in Classical Five Element Acupuncture and is a certified Herbalist in Chinese Medicine as well as a graduate of the Blue Iris Mystery School where she trained in the skills of witchcraft, magic and the path of the priestess, with Colette Gardiner. She writes a blog and as offers classes in magic and healing.

Empowerment & The Feminine Cycle

PART I: INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

Nicole and I got a book like “What’s Happening to Me?”
Young women are experiencing new hormonal health challenges – Increased stress, birth control & hormonal regulation
The norm has become to have period related issues or fertility problems
Poor food choices + hormonal birth control + stress = a perfect storm
GMO’s – really impact our health – physical, emotional, learning disorders, hormonal health
Glyphosate (herbicide) – mimics estrogen in our bodies, major endocrine disrupter
Estrogen dominance – fibroids, endometriosis, PMS, breast cancer
Men are being more feminized too!
Our periods are a window into your overall and reproductive health
“Your period is like your monthly report card” Dr. Laura Brighton
Take ownership of your body and your well being
PMDD – Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder – really heightened PMS: Anxiety, overwhelm, anger, sadness, depression
Stabilizing blood sugar helps minimize symptoms
Ask why are these feelings coming up in the first place?
Moody Bitches – Julie Holland
What happens internally each month mirrors what happens externally seasonally during the year
Phases of our cycle:
- Period (3-7 days) – Winter, calm, quiet, build in rest and self care, clear your calendar, preserve your energy
- Follicular Phase (10-14 days) – Spring, growth, egg is ripening for ovulation, energy building, more social
- Ovulatory Phase (days 13 – 17) – Summer, Preparing egg for ovulation, time for speaking up at work, everything is in tip-top shape, increased sex drive, best time to meet Mr. Right, more effective, pheromones high – watch how men respond to you!
- Luteal (14 days) – Fall, Estrogen & Testosterone decrease, start winding down, increased sensitivity, accounting/bookkeeping, internal to do list, more reflective, higher tension + anxiety. Great time for creative focus.
If Luteal phase is too short pregnancy won’t happen. It takes 10-14 days for egg to travel.
Peri-menopause – Ovulation is more sporadic
Can also use the moon cycle – it syncs with our cycle

PART II: ACTION STEPS

Pull out your calendar and map out your cycle. Plan your activities based on the energy of each phase.

Here’s a detailed blog post to help you map it out: Four Phases of Your Menstrual Cycle

This valuable 10-page guide will empower you on your journey to ultimate hormonal health and wellness – stable moods, less PMS and anxiety, less overwhelm and ultimately more whelm.

About the Guest:

Nicole is a Certified Women’s Health Coach + Functional Nutritionist. She is the creator of Fix Your Period, a series of programs that empower women to reclaim their health in a natural way – and while having fun too.

After working with a naturopathic doctor to conquer her own disruptive hormonal imbalance during her early 20’s, she knew that sharing her experience could benefit many others in the same situation. She became a certified health coach and took further specialized training in women’s hormonal health with industry visionaries such as Dr. Sara Gottfried and Jessica Drummond, founder of the Integrative Women’s Health Institute.

Rather than treating problems or symptoms, Nicole treats women by addressing the root cause of what’s really going on in their bodies and minds. She passionately believes that the fundamentals to healing any hormonal imbalance lie in an approach that addresses the unique physiology of every woman. This is essential to reclaiming and maintaining feminine vitality at any age.

Paws for Thought Animal Foundation

Podcast 033 Photo

PART I: INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS

What motivated her to create Paws for Thought Animal Foundation?
Dr. Tricia’s plans to expand.
My experience fostering animals – meeting my dog Colby in a meditation.
Ways you can help
- Volunteer with the animals
- Donating time to help build website
- Financial Donations
- Become a part of Uni-paws ministry group.
- Adopt a Soldier program
- Let Dr. Tricia you want to help and she’ll find a place for you.
What she would do differently? Put systems and staff and volunteers in place before starting to advertise.
Identify goals, needs, what resources do you need?
Don’t try to do it alone!
- Find people of like mind, heart and spirit to help you.

PART II: ACTION STEPS

Make it a daily practice to send prayers to the animals in your life. Nothing is too small!
Put your paws into action – Take the Fur Agreements pledge.

Right click the image below and select “Open in New Tab” to download Tricia’s Fur Agreements.

About the Guest:

Dr. Tricia Working is the founder of Paws for Thought Foundation and she is on a mission to build a cooperative resource through the efforts of community leaders, local businesses and civic organizations plus people like you, on the issues of animal control, responsible pet ownership, community education and outreach, and the development of a community-based animal sanctuary. Her goal is to build a consortium for communication and policy development between business, government, civic, citizen and animal welfare/rescue organizations.

Inspiring Resources for a New Point of View

In an earlier post – 8 Ways to Connect With Your Inner Guidance, one of the ways I talked about was surrounding yourself with inspiring resources.

By introducing fresh and inspiring material into your awareness you develop new, deeper connections within yourself. With this new awareness you begin viewing your life and experiences differently. Have you noticed this before?

Have you ever picked up a book you previously weren’t interested in and found it to be perfect for what you were going through? Sometimes we aren’t ready for new information. Timing is key. Notice what and when you are drawn to new information to find out what you may need to be paying more attention to. The more you practice this, the more you will strengthen your intuitive sense.

If you need a new perspective around a matter, pick up something inspiring. I’d like to share with you some of my favorite books I have on my bookshelf.

Inspired Living
Ask and It Is Given– Esther & Jerry Hicks
Creative Visualization– Shakti Gawain
The Four Agreements– Don Miguel Ruiz
Natural-Born Intuition– Lauren Thibodeau, Ph.D.
The Power of Now– Eckhart Tolle

Relationship Books
Creating a Spiritual Relationship – Paul Ferrini
Resurrecting Sex– David Schnarch, Ph.D.
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love– Richard Carlson, Ph.D.

Health
You Can Heal Your Life– Louise Hay
A Course in Weight Loss– Marianne Williamson
Naturally Thin– Bethenny Frankel

Business Books
Think and Grow Rich– Napoleon Hill
E-Myth Mastery– Michael Gerber

If you know other inspirational books, please share in the comment section below. You never know when you’ll impact the life of someone else in a positive way!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Angela Wilkinson

Making Your Home Your Sanctuary

Angela Sevin via Compfight

With all of the activity happening in the world today you need a place where you can relax, feel safe and secure. Your home should be your sanctuary allowing you a comfortable space to reconnect to yourself and your loved ones.

When you spend time at home do you feel at peace? Or do you feel overwhelmed and stressed?

Take a moment and look around your environment. What does it reflect back to you? What does it say to you? Is it organized and clean or is it messy and full of clutter? Most importantly, how does it make you feel?

[Tweet “If your home doesn’t give you feelings of peace, inspiration or joy take time to recreate your space”]

If your home doesn’t give you positive feelings of peace, inspiration or joy take the time to recreate your space. This powerful experience can dramatically shift how you feel, affecting how well you function in all areas of your life.

Not sure where to start? Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

How do I feel when I spend time here?
Is there too much going on in this room (to much clutter, furniture, decoration)?
What can I change that will make me feel more comfortable and enjoy spending time here?
What colors do I love and make me feel good? How can I add more of those colors into this area?
What tangible items do I enjoy (flowers, books, photos, etc.)?
Do those items I value have a place showing their importance?

Your answers will give you a natural place to begin. Start small, changing one area to reflect what you learned from your answers. If you try to change everything at once, the experience will become overwhelming. Try a few changes, take a step back and see how you feel. Continue as long as you enjoy the process. Use this technique for any room in your home, your office or anywhere else you spend a lot of your time. Notice what happens.

If you want to take this to another level, find an area to create a sacred place where you can meditate and listen to your inner guidance. It’s important to find a place where you feel safe and calm. It should be a quiet place free of distraction such as phones, family, pets, work or anything else that can take your attention away from your quiet time.

In creating your sacred space, include anything that is of special importance or spiritual significance that represents who you are and the issues you are working with. Some items you may include are:

Red Cloth – Red is a spirit filled color commonly used as a foundation for a sacred area. Red is very powerful, passionate and dynamic; it brings a great deal of energy to any area.
Candles – Fire is transformative having the ability to change something into a new material when burned. Lighting candles helps shift energy and increases your focus.
Crystals – Crystals (quartz, amethyst, citrine, etc) have various properties that can assist in amplifying, supporting and manifesting your intentions. Sounds strange but it works!
Burn sage or cedar to clear negative energy within an area.
Water Fountain – Water represents the flow of emotions and is very good for positive Feng Shui
Affirmation or guide cards – These can bring something to your awareness to focus on, helping connect you to your intuition
Fresh flowers or live plants add beauty, nature, and life to your space.

If you don’t have a place where you can have a permanent alter or sacred space, find a decorative box to hold your sacred items. Take it out when you seek guidance, want to retreat, and relax. Start small and build your space over time. It’s less important about the elements used as the intention you hold while creating your space.

Have fun with it and share your experiences in the comment section below.

xoxo

Angela, The Goddess Next Door