Believe in who you are

Believe in who you are

Inspiration

The New Moon is the perfect time to rest and tap into your intuition

“Believe in who you are

Believe in what is yours.

Believe in your power.

Believe in what lies

In the depth of your soul…”

– Meg Bowman

These were the words that opened my 67th virtual Red Tent tonight. It seemed a perfect reading to explore the energy of the Sagittarius New Moon.

I host virtual Red Tents for the members of my Sacred Grove Community with the New Moon and Full Moons throughout the year – I can’t believe that we are at no. 67! How did that happen?

I feel it’s important for women to have a place where they can spend an hour or so where nothing is expected of them. They show up to the call and all they have to do is rest and receive.

My intention is always the same each month: that each woman allow herself the space to honour herself, to rest and be restored, then I add a little extra to harness the energy of the particular moon.

Before I read the opening poem/reading, I like to draw a Womansrune card to offer insight into the the themes of the event, and even after all these years, the accuracy of the card never fails to amaze me.

Today’s card was the The Dark Moon – The Rune of Wisdom. This fitted perfectly with today’s theme of setting bigger, bolder, and more adventurous intentions with the expansive and confident energy of Sagittarius.

The card spoke to me of trusting your own wisdom, of having the courage to sink deep into yourself and allowing yourself to name and claim your own dreams and vision for your life – ‘Believe in who you are’.

Too often people, especially women, can be so busy going through the motions of life, checking off those boxes of expectations, that you can completely lose track of what YOU actually wanted from life. What you find fulfilling and what brings meaning and purpose to your life.

After I draw the card, I always like to see what card is behind it, as the cards always tell a story. Today the card behind the Dark Moon was The Labyris – The Rune of Will.

This seemed like the perfect card to support your own wisdom, as it’s about cutting away those things that hold you back or weigh you down. It’s about making clear choices and aligning with those choices – ‘Believe in who you are’.

After we’ve explored the energy of the moon, and shared intentions (ask me about the Carebear stare another time!), we do an energy clearing and activation to release the energetic patterns that prevent us from reaching and achieving our intentions.

The main part of the clearing today was around the energy of “Fear of not being heard”.

Two things came up as we cleared the energy around this:

  1. It’s the holiday season and many people will be spending more time with their families. This is enough to trigger old patterns of being the ‘good girl’, or the ‘child’ in a family situation. Even if you are a fully grown adult with responsibilities.
    Triggering patterns of not being listened to, being dismissed or even ridiculed for your beliefs or dreams.
  2. Not listening to, or trusting, your own intuition. Not allowing yourself to hear your dreams and desires.

It reminded me of a time from my own childhood.

Each year at Christmas we would travel across the UK to go and visit my mums family.

When I was 13 I became a vegetarian, Back in those days (lol) being a vegetarian wasn’t that common. But I think it’s fair to say that people new what it meant – I didn’t eat meat…

So the first year I was vegetarian at my Aunty’s house for the Christmas gathering, she served me minestrone soup with ham in it.

When I said that I couldn’t eat it because I was vegetarian, she said ‘Oh yes I know, but you eat ham don’t you?’… I could almost have understood if it had been chicken… there are some people who call themselves vegetarian but still eat chicken or fish… but not pig!

The next year the same thing happened, but this time it was chicken… ‘Oh I know you’re vegetarian, but you eat chicken don’t you?’

Talk about not being heard… Perhaps you can relate?

These patterns can often follow us throughout our life, showing up in all areas.

Do you find it easy to speak up, do you feel heard, or do you have to shout and almost have a meltdown before people take notice?

Do you listen to your intuition, hold space for yourself to connect deeply with your hopes, dreams and desires, or is that very idea alien to you?

How would your life be different if:

  1. You felt heard, witnessed and seen. People listened to you, believed in you and supported your ideas and dreams (even the hair-brained ones!)
  2. You listened to, and completely trusted, yourself. You believed in who you were.

During each energy clearing, as we gently remove and dissolve another layer of limiting beliefs, fears and out-dated patterns, and that’s exactly what people begin to experience.

They trust in themselves, and make confident choices that are aligned with their truth, energy and values! No more doubt or second-guessing themselves (or at least much less!)

Then after the energy clearing, now that you’re relaxed and more connected with your intuitive self, we do a meditation along the theme of the Moon’s energy, this month I thought I’d try something new.

For longer than I’d care to admit… okay I’ll tell you… at least year, I’ve been wanting to write meditations that are specifically for the energy of the Zodiac signs as the Moon travels through them – this month was the first time I actually did it! And writing it here, in black and white, is my commitment to keep going – only 23 more to go!

We then finish the Red Tent with me drawing cards for the members who want some additional guidance, again I love seeing the patterns and messages emerge for people as the months unfold – nothing in these events is ever random, everything has a meaning!

I love these Red Tents, I love the community we’ve created in the Sacred Grove – it’s all the perfect blend of accountability, guidance and space to connect with your inner voice and truth – even if you don’t know where to begin.

No expectations, people dip in and out of what they need, but always knowing they are held and there’s a space for them to come and explore their passions, beliefs and desires, share their concerns and challenges, or have a community to celebrate with them.

If you don’t have a space where you can do all of this I highly recommend that you find one! It will quite literally change your world!

Everyone needs a community where you can be witnessed, celebrated and where you feel safe to explore all the things that light you up.

Of course you are more than welcome to see if The Sacred Grove is a good fit for you, but if this isn’t for you find one that suits exactly what you do need.

So in the spirit of the Sagittarius New Moon, what bigger, bolder, more expansive intentions/goals/dreams are you setting for yourself and what community is going to support you reach them as you learn to more deeply trust and ‘believe in who you are’?

Your Sacred Power

Your Sacred Power

Archetypes, Inspiration

Over the last few years it’s become more and more obvious to me that the seat of a woman’s power is in her Womb.

And when I say ‘Womb’ I’m not referring to the physical body part, but the energetic space.

After two years of study in Glastonbury, I dedicated as a priestess of Cerridwen on the shores of Lake Bala in Wales.

Then a month after that I was with Miranda Gray, training to be a Moon Mother and being initiated into Awakening the Feminine Energy with Womb Healing and the Womb Blessing.

During this time I bought a yurt and turned it into a Red Tent – a place for women to come and be held, nourished, nurtured and restored – it’s literally like being held in a red cauldron or sacred Womb.

Of course I’d never logically planned this, but it’s funny how things weave themselves together…

The goddess Cerridwen is the Keeper of the Cauldron.

Symbolically the cauldron is the Womb. The space of darkness, where things come to be transformed. The place of creation.

Although Cerridwen is often depicted as a Crone due to her wisdom, her story is all about her children, she is very much a Mother (Creatrix) Goddess.

When you look at my Cerridwen training and the Womb work with Miranda, I think it’s fair to say that the Womb energy has been calling me for quite some time…

This is also reflected in my clients.

Over the last couple of years, more and more of the clients that come to see me on a one-to-one basis have had imbalances in them owning their own power. They’ve had a deep desire to fully believe in themselves and their dreams, to confidently own who they are and unaplogetically express their truth in all areas of their life. They’ve wanted own and embody their (often hidden) power!

In a world that benefits from woman staying small, values them looking young and pretty and have them not make a fuss, it can be incredibly hard to break free and do things differently.

So let’s talk about this and why your Womb energy aka Womb Story is so important.

The womb is the female centre of power.

 

And as I mentioned at the beginning, but is worth mentioning again, whether you have a physical womb or not, is irrelevant, we’re talking about Womb with a capital ‘W’, your Womb energy, this is the seat of your female power.

 

When you’re disconnected from your Womb space, that energetic space, you also become disconnected from your own power.

 

When you are disconnected from your own power the most damaging thing that happens is that you can lose your sense of self.

You can literally disconnect from who you are and lose touch with your own truth.

You can be so busy putting everyone else’s needs before your own you end up frustrated, feeling empty and resentful.

As I’ve been working with the SHEro Archetypes over the years, they’ve revealed to me a very important aspect of their work, and that’s their energetic connection to the Earth Energies and the energy of your energetic Womb space.

There are many reasons that women can become disconnected from their power, and these reasons can be explored in the SHEro Archetypes and their associated Earth energy celebration/Sabbat.

Imbolc and The Innocent SHEro: The Individual Womb Energy

Spring Equinox and The Intuitive SHEro: The Sacred Womb Energy

Beltane and The Rebel SHEro: The Suppressed Womb Energy

Summer Solstice and The Passionate SHEro: The Expressive Womb Energy

Lammas and Creatrix SHEro: The Creatrix Womb Energy

Autumn Equinox and The Teacher SHEro: The Physical Womb Energy

Samhain and The Change-Maker SHEro: The Ancestral Womb Energy

Winter Solstice and The Wise-Woman SHEro: The Collective Womb Energy

Connecting with the SHEroes and the earth energy activates the Womb energy so that you can clear, rebalance and rejuvenate the energies.

 

February:
Imbolc and The Innocent

Your Individual Womb Energy

Freedom – Optimism – Trust

The individual womb energy is any energetic patterns or grief that is a result of any rejection you feel for yourself, any judgement you have towards yourself, or any lack of self-worth that you feel.

Any time that you dismiss your feelings, your experience or your intuition, you create dis-harmony in your Womb space.

March:
Spring Equinox and The Intuitive SHEro

The Sacred Womb Energy

Awakening – Growth – Insight

A woman’s power is in her energetic Womb.

Any time you deny or suppress your own power you actively disempower yourself.

When you look to others for the answers because you don’t believe of trust yourself, or as a way of not having to take responsibility, when you turn a blind eye to something that you know is wrong, when you say ‘Yes’ to everyone but yourself, you drain your own source of power.

Each time you think that you can’t do something, or that you ‘should’ do something else. Each time you don’t follow your heart because you feel you’re expected to do something else, or make up an excuse not to start something you really desire, you continue to drain your own reserves.

May:
Beltane and The Rebel SHEro

Your Suppressed Womb Energy

Wild – Sexuality – Expansion

And of course we’re dealing with womb energy so it wouldn’t be complete without working with the physical and energetic pain and grief caused by sexual trauma, from misuse or abuse.

As well as the collective grief from the use and misuse of women and girls in all of it forms.

The emotions of shame, guilt and blame around sex and sexuality can be suppressed and held in the womb.

Often these feelings can leave it hard for a woman to be intimate with herself and to connect with your body fully, leaving her feeling frustrated and ashamed.

June:
Summer Solstice and The Passionate SHEro

Expressive Womb Energy

Passion – Desire – Fulfilment

The expressive energy of the Womb is a woman’s ability to take up space physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Women are taught to be quiet, to keep their emotions in check lest they be called ‘irrational’ or ‘high-maintenance’, and this can lead to a fear of expressing your own unique and vibrant power.

If you ever find yourself playing smaller than you know is possible for yourself, if you ever find yourself not expressing your true thoughts and feelings, or suppressing your emotions – especially anger, then know that your Expressive Womb energy is out of balance.

August:
Lammas and The Creatrix SHEro

Womb Energy

Creation – Self-Love – Connected

As you can imagine, Creatrix is literally about creating from your Womb space. That might be projects or ideas, or of course children.

If you ever find yourself sabotaging yourself, having great ideas, but not being able to birth them, this is for you. But also, it’s about the mother energy. You as a mother receiving and also receiving that mother energy.

It’s about your own children, it’s about birth. If you have any stories of trauma, mistrust, maybe your own mother was emotionally distant, maybe you felt emotionally distant to your own children. This is the energy for you.

The Creatrix also holds the energy of having babies, not having babies, losing babies; from having miscarriages, abortions or adoption.

September:
Autumn Equinox and the Teacher SHEro

Internal Womb Energy

Knowledge – Trust – Inner-Knowing

The Internal Womb energy is all to do with the stress, intervention and the energetic trauma caused by symptoms of dis-ease that typically show up within the reproductive system and pelvic area.

If you’ve had to undergo medical procedures such as a hysterectomy or a C-section, or you’ve had/have cysts, or fibroids – which may or may not have had removed, this is one that you’ll want to attend.

October:
Samhain and The Change-Maker SHEro

Ancestral Womb Energy

Support – Confidence- Liberation

The ancestral energy that we carry through our mother line and is passed down through the DNA has a very significant effect on us.

This Sacred Pause will be of benefit to you when you keep repeating patterns that you can’t logically explain, yet you feel that you’re being held back by something bigger than your own experiences.

If you look at your the women in your mother line, and feel that they did not live the lives that they wanted, that they sacrificed and became resentful, or that they experienced trauma and grief in their lives, you’ll want to free yourself (and your family) from these energetic Blueprints, and we will start this process in the Sacred Pause.

December:
Yule and The Wise Woman SHEro

The Collective Womb Energy

Wisdom – Sacred – Mystery

The collective womb energy is the energy you learn from society.

From the history you’re taught, events that shaped the world, fairytales, books, films and our surrounding culture.

You might have heard the term the ‘witch wound’ before, the unconscious understanding and experience that if you stand in our power, and if you speak your truth, you’re going to be persecuted, as so many millions have been before you, and that still are still today.

 

The Edge-Walker SHEro

As you walk this path on Your SHEro’s Journey, you are held in the spiral labyrinth of the Edge-walker who brings you what you need, when you need it.

 

You can learn more about the SHEro Archetypes in my book:

The SHEro Archetypes: Take the journey within to awaken your inner power.

Available on Amazon and Kindle.

Walking the spiral path

Walking the spiral path

Inspiration

Tonight was the final call of a four month group that I’d been running, I was both excited to share more on our final lesson togther, and sad that such an amazing experience was coming to an end.

It was fitting then, that our final topic was on supporting our sacred self, and looking at the spiral path that women walk.

As I spoke about honouring our sacred selves, the topic invariably turned to cycles and nature – two of my favourite topics.

It seems like a lifetime ago, but I used to teach people about how to create amazing raw food recipes.

Raw food didn’t appeal to me because it was healthier, in fact in my case, when I was pregnant, raw food wasn’t the best choice for me – but that’s a whole other story… But I love raw food because it’s food in its natural form (or at least much closer than heavily processed foods!), and when I ate a high raw food diet, it was one way that connected me more deeply to my own true nature.

There was no hiding from emotions or feelings by stuffing them down with foods such as breads and pasta, but eating more raw food, allowed to to relearn about my relationship with myself, and highlighted the areas in my life that needed some attention.

It reminded me that ultimately we are part of nature in all of it’s glorious, colourful, juicy, tasty, powerful, and unruly ways.

We’ve done a good job over the years of trying to control nature. To harness her power, and protect ourselves from the very same wild, unpredictability that both scares us and has us in awe.

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Travel tips that teach us about life

Travel tips that teach us about life

Inspiration

I was listening to the radio on my way back from dropping my little boy at nursery the other day, and Ray Mears, the adventure and survival expert was a guest on the show.

I’ve always liked Ray Mears, he seems so ‘normal’ yet has these amazing adventures, he knows pretty much everything he can about surviving in the wilds, yet remains the eternal student, always curious, he would most definitely be on my fascinating ‘people to have at a dinner party’ list…

Anyway… He always has great stories to share, and this was no different.

Someone had phoned in to the show, and asked him how to get the most out of their upcoming trip to the rainforests of Borneo, and I LOVED his response.

He said:

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Feeling Disconnected When Being Connected Should Be Easy

Feeling Disconnected When Being Connected Should Be Easy

Inspiration, My Story

Sometimes I can’t help but laugh at myself…

One of my deepest desires in life is to feel truly connected to both myself, and the world around me.

I can’t explain why this is important to me, but it’s an inbuilt need I have. When I feel this sense of connection I’m at my happiest, most creative, productive, loving, and nurturing, self.

Over the years I can track a very clear correlation between how connected I feel to nature, and how connected I feel to myself.

These pictures are some views from my home, as you can see I live in the countryside. I’m surrounded by fields, and woodlands.

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Trusting the unseen

Trusting the unseen

Inspiration, My Story

Why do we find it so hard to trust the unseen?

I’ve been into ‘woo woo’, before ‘woo woo’ was even a term.

I’ve had crazy experiences with crystals, and after the Dr’s couldn’t help the eczema that I developed, it completely cleared up after working with an energy healer.

I’ve worked with women and seen nothing short of miraculous changes in them and their lives. You could dismiss this as ‘coincidence’, but I’ve seen too many thousands of them to know that is the case.

Yet despite accepting ‘weird’ stuff as my normal life, nothing was quite as surreal as when I was pregnant and I dreamt that I was given a little boy to look after.

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