Oh Mercury, you trickster.
So many people are worried about the mercury retrograde that is starting TODAY. But relax, it's okay! Don't stress about it and create a situation where you are going to self-sabotage yourself with anxiety over it.
With the full moon tomorrow night and the mercury retrograde, all I have to say is to just work on your meditation and mindfulness. It is so easy to mess up communication, which is one of the main things that mercury stands for. So work on mindfully being truthful and openly communicative without being brash or harsh (Leo hanging out right now).
Things to do?
Charge those crystals! Especially get out those gemstones that are helpful in aiding communication, like Amazonite, Lapis Lazuli, Sodalite (my favorite), or Turquoise and after charging them sit with them Saturday morning and program them to specifically help you get through this time period.
The full moon with the lunar eclipse makes it a particularly charged full moon, a super moon. So the charge will be wonderful. Just stay positive!
Meditate. Make sure you are being mindful of your breath. Your steps, your level of compassion for yourself and others. Because creating a level of kind regard for yourself helps you fight the demons of depression and anxiety.
How?
Because depression is worrying or dwelling on the past and anxiety is worrying and stressing about the future. Neither of which you control. Meditation brings you to the present. To the breath, to the life inside you.
So if you are worrying about the Mercury Retrograde, and I now a lot of you are, please don't! Just relax and use the gifts the universe is handing you. Something is always going to be throwing off your vibe, but the mercury retrograde is all about perception, it's not really going backward, we just see it as going backwards.
Be like the Hanging Man (or the Oak King in my deck), let go of old perceptions and habits.
Today's three card reading was on the three things I need to focus on during the Mercury Retrograde. The first card is The Wild Hunt, or the Tower. As a major arcane card I believe that some things that I believed were true will collapse under pressure (and I believe this may be a continuing thing). This card is not scary because sometimes we build our beliefs of something on false facts or poor communication and they will inevitably collapse.
The second card is the Three of Chalices, which stands for creativity and strength in community and friendship. I need to make sure I stay focused on the friendships and community to keep my head on straight.
The third card is the Seven of Chalices, which is a card of choices and a pause in contemplation. With the mercury in retrograde, this is a good card to remind me to meditate and be thoughtful in my choices and actions.
Stop stressing about the Mercury Retrograde!!
Be well and keep your chin up.
Talia Ravenspath
Heading up to the full moon, I have noticed in my readings for others that I have been bringing up spiritual guides. We all have one in each life and this is the little voice of wisdom that tells us not to do something or to go for it, why not.
When I was 13 and first met the Goddess in her all encompassing earth spirit form/feeling, I also met my spiritual guide who has been with me ever since.
As a trained therapist with a Master's degree in Counseling, I can categorically say that there are things in our pagan experiences that do not fall in the realm of understanding for culture by and large. But we all have that little nudge or voice that we sometimes do and sometimes don't (usually for ill) listen too, this is your spiritual guide.
In my experience and through much meditation and research, I have come to believe that these spiritual guides are spirits that we have known in our past lives and they choose to "walk" with us in this life to help us learn the lessons that this life is geared towards. The little ones and the big ones that help our spirits evolve and the general spiritual understanding of the universe of vibrations as a whole.
What I mean is, the lessons we are here to learn do not just help our spirits come to a higher understanding each lifetime, but help all of the spirits in general as we share our lessons and understandings at the end of each life when we release these bodies and return to the stream of energy that we all are connected too even when alive. That is where Reiki energy comes from and returns too. Energy cannot be destroyed or created but transmuted by the lessons our spiritual selves absorb.
So how do you find your spiritual guide?
The good news is, you don't need to go looking, they are literally with you and have been there since the day you were born.
If you want to have a more connected relationship with your spiritual guide, this is achievable through meditation, especially guided meditation specifically geared towards that, which I am working on writing out but you can also find it almost anywhere online if you google it.
It is easiest to do this type of work in a natural setting where you are comfortable. I prefer the beach. The sound of the waves constantly rolling onto the beach is one of the most soothing sounds to me. And if I sit in a chair on the beach, close my eyes, and open my third eye while I breath deeply, I can feel my spiritual guide beside me, also sitting and enjoying the beach and my presence.
What do they look like?
Do they feel male or female or neither/both?
What are they saying?
Do you remember a time when they comforted you?
Spiritual guides are extremely personal to you, specifically to you. Sometimes a reader or medium can talk directly to your spiritual guide. I often feel their presence, and sometimes someone has more than one, though that can sometimes be people who did pass in this life. I don't get words, but I do get impressions from other peoples spiritual guides and that helps to give a relevant and accurate reading when I'm doing a tarot card reading for someone.
What is your experience with your spiritual guide?
Blessed Be!
Talia Ravenspath
With the new moon sliding in this week (July 12th) and this Friday being Friday the 13th, it is a day of beginnings and new growth. Of opening what was once closed and of the beginning of healing.
Some ideas for the new moon, or the dark of the moon, are as follows:
1) Meditation
An oldie but a goody. There is not better time to meditate than during the dark of the moon. This is a time of pause. A time of contemplation and of setting intent and goals to culminate in two weeks at the next full moon.
2) Setting Goals
Speaking of setting goals. All you need is some white candles and a few pieces of paper. Write out your goals over the next two weeks on the paper and you can burn them or you can keep them, either way works as it sets your intent into the world.
One way to keep the intent strong in your mind and keep your moving forward towards it is to get a jar (like a clean Prego sauce jar) and put your intent papers in them. As the two weeks progress add more pieces of paper on how you are actively visualizing or creating the change or opportunities that you set in motion during the new moon and on the full moon read each little note with pride and perhaps even create a little bonfire of success in a bowl or cauldron (if you have one) and burn each one after you read it.
3) Invoking a Dark God.
Dark does not mean evil, just means perhaps this is a time to invoke and listen carefully to what Morrigan or any other dark god or goddess has to say that has been poking at you recently. Respectfully research the best ways to acknowledge, as you would with any other invocation. There are a great deal of book available on the subject. Don't be afraid of the battle gods, their strength can get us through anything.
4) Divination
Oh yes, the new moon is a good time for divination. It is a time of shadows and these shadows can be understood through a tarot reading or other types of divination. Keep it in mind. I know I will be doing an extensive reading for myself.
5) Reiki Healing/Self-Healing
This is also a great time to do some Reiki healing. Setting those energies to work over the building of energies towards the full moon is a very positive thing and healing something that may be on your mind, or a pain in your knees or heart or head can be a very helpful thing. I know I need to keep on my daily regiment to stop the migraines!
I am working on a special blog post for Friday the 13th. Don't fear it, embrace your power! What is your favorite number?
Be well and whole.
Talia Ravenspath
So if you are worrying about the Mercury Retrograde, and I now a lot of you are, please don't! Just relax and use the gifts the universe is handing you. Something is always going to be throwing off your vibe, but the mercury retrograde is all about perception, it's not really going backward, we just see it as going backwards. 
