Full Moon in Capricorn: Slow Your Roll

When Your Love Takes You to a Barn Dance

 

Today, we welcome the full moon in the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn, the Sea Goat. The Sun in watery Cancer trines the fortuitous planet of expansive Jupiter in Pisces, harmonizing well with the Moon right now. Earthy Capricorn connects us to Mother Nature and Cancer/Pisces brings in the cooling, yin, feminine side of life This is good: we need a little ease as the recent yang Gemini (air)/Sagittarius (fire) eclipses and Mercury Retrograde, along with unseasonal heat waves, put many of us on edge mentally and physically.

What is happening under the surface is that the messages from the culture (i.e. mainstream) tell us that it’s time to get back to “normal.” The state of California,for instance, is declared “open” and it’s magically time to socialize, see everyone again, move about, get busy, spend money, and do a lot of things that weren’t available to us over the past year of lockdown, whether because they were officially shut down or the fear factor was too high.

The problem is that our animal bodies and our soft underbellies, and our intuitive souls, may not be ready to get back into gear. The empathic wisdom in all of us is attuned to something much deeper than what is being fed to us on the social media feed or the news… If you’re one of the empathic people or sensitive spirits who feels this, you are not alone. Trust your body’s wisdom. Just because the society tells you to come out of your lockdown hermitage and run around again, it may not be time to do that for you.

When Kitty Encounters Her First Stag

As the veil covering that which is hidden has been fully ripped open since the past year, empaths and intuitives are acutely aware of what is behind the curtain. The collective shadow is knocking hard on the door – some of us can’t sleep at night as our guides are speaking to us, our ancestors are teaching us, our souls are doing heavy lifting and processing in the nighttime hours. If that is you, it is vital that you adjust your lifestyle to rest more often during the day. Take more naps, lie flat on your back, and definitely schedule less on the calendar.

Explain to your family or friends that you are needing more time to rest. If they’re in tune to you, and attuned to themselves and their own processes, they will understand and support you in this. Speak up: you are practicing good modeling!

When You Finally Attempt to Garden

If you do travel, whether by air or land, make sure you build in ample time (like, weeks) before and especially after your journey to ground, to earth yourself. Let yourself be in an “ordinary” lifestyle and chop wood, carry water, hang your clothes on the line, plant flowers, take a walk in the woods. Driving in cars and getting on planes stimulates vata, the air element, which in Ayurveda can create pain or stiffness, anxiousness, and confusion in the body-mind. Slow down, do less, especially talk less. Bed earlier, cook your own food, sit quietly and feel into your spine and hips and legs.

Same thing goes for social events and visiting friends and family: before and after the event, make sure you have plenty of time built in for quietude. The theme is spaciousness. Our bodies and souls are begging for more space and a slower pace. It’s totally OK to let loose or attend highly stimulating events or crowded situations – we just need to ground, root, and center all along.

Last but not least: IF you have plans to go somewhere, to have a visitor, to do something, and you feel a sense of unease or even dread about said plan – stop immediately and reevaluate. Adjust, minimize, or cancel. No hemming and hawing. This is a time in our evolution that we cannot compromise that which is for our body-mind-soul’s highest good. If you’re still hearing the internal message that “it would be good for you” or “it’s not nice to cancel on someone” or “it’s good to keep your commitments always,” realize that it is completely outdated conditioning. What is good for you IS what is good for everyone else, for the whole. When you are tuned into your body, your spirit... When you slow down and listen... When you pay attention to your belly, your root, your heart... it is absolutely PERFECT to change or cancel plans. You can trust that is perfect for the collective and everyone involved.

Do not deny any insights you are having.

Do not gaslight your soul. Honor your soul’s truth, and be free.

Enjoy your precious Presence.

with love,

Erin 

When You Take a Long, Solo Hike to a Secluded Beach

 

 

THE KING (OR QUEEN) IS AWAKE!

from Rumi

 

There are people with their eyes open

whose hearts are shut. What do they see? Matter.

But someone whose love is alert,

even if the eyes go to sleep,

he or she will be waking up thousands of others.

If you are not one of those light-filled lovers,

restrain your desire-body's intensity.

Put limits on how much you eat

and how long you lie down.

But if you are awake here in the chest,

sleep long and soundly.

Your spirit will be out roaming and working,

even on the seventh level.

Muhammed says, I close my eyes and rest in sleep,

but my love never needs to rest.

The guard at the gate drowses.

The king stays awake. You have a king inside

who listens for what delights the soul.

That king's wakefulness

cannot be described in a poem.

- RUMI

Have you read Truth Seeker yet? If you prefer supporting your local brick and mortar bookstore, you can order the book straight from your local bookseller. Otherwise, it’s available on Amazon Prime in paperback and Kindle here. I continue to be touched by the reviews (keep 'em coming, please), like this one from an appreciative reader in Berkeley, CA:

 5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, inspiring, and a joy to read

Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2021

This book took me on a journey through India, and through spiritual awakening, with a front-seat view from the author's perspective. The honesty of the author's writing made it a joy to read, and her tone always remains humble and relatable, even when she shares her experience of awakening. I gained a greater understanding of the core principles on non-duality and I was moved by the piercing description of her love for her guru. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a spiritual "seeker", and to anyone who shares a passion for travel in India.

 Erin Reese, M.S. is a contemporary non-dual spiritual teacher, author and guide. A modern mystic with over thirty years of experience, Erin Reese offers incisive, practical intuitive readings to her clients worldwide. She is a counselor, guide and mentor to those seeking an alternative to traditional psychotherapy or business coaching. Erin also offers non-dual meetings and retreats on embodied liberation and freedom from suffering. Visit erinreese.com for more information.  

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The Artist's Way - online group forming

“To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it.” ~ Kurt Vonnegut

Happy almost-autumn dear clients, friends, readers! 

I would like to hear from you if you are interested in participating in an upcoming online group for The Artist's Way, utilizing Julia Cameron’s bestselling book on creativity and transformation. Our springtime inaugural cohort was utterly transformational, with breakthroughs and epiphanies right and left, so much so that I’ve decided to offer the course again!

Fall 2019 Artist’s Way with Erin Reese – BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

My world has been magically transformed by completing The Artist's Way and consecutive books by Julia Cameron at least five times. The entire trajectory of my life over the last 20 years has been influenced by my Artist's Way work - running a marathon, writing and publishing a memoir, a stint in New York City, solo performance in San Francisco, living and studying in India, creating a successful career as a working artist and intuitive... the list goes on and on and on.

I would like to now share this with you, my readers and clients, in a small group format, over a series of 13 weeks (one introductory week followed by twelve chapter modules). We will meet one hour weekly online, in a Zoom room, and I will facilitate a safe and sacred space for the committed participants to share their reports, discoveries, and miracles of the process.

I will strive to make this experience life-changing, fun, and safe for budding creatives and artists to come out, come out, wherever you are!

Whether you see yourself as an artist or not, YOU ARE A CREATIVE SPIRIT.

The Artist’s Way combines three basic tools: 1) morning pages (three pages longhand of stream of consciousness writing), artist's dates (solo outings with yourself), and completing creativity exercises at the end of each chapter.

I will hold space for the participants to travel through the 12 chapters with an emphasis on sharing experiences on the accompanying chapter exercises, artist’s dates, and epiphanies. This material will work for anyone. You do not need to think of yourself as artistic! You only need to want the blocks to your creative spirit removed!

There are NO prerequisites (beyond acquiring a copy of the book). Maximum 12 participants.

INTERESTED? HERE ARE SOME DETAILS - we will meet on Thursday or Friday mornings

Introductory call (FREE!): Sign up for one of these calls and get information to get started!
 #1 Thursday or Friday, September 12 or 13 –  9 or 10 a.m. Pacific (all calls recorded and made available to registered participants)
 #2 Thursday or Friday, September 19 or 20 –  9 or 10 a.m. Pacific (all calls recorded and made available to registered participants)

Week One: Thursday or Friday, September 26 or September 27

Final Week: Thursday or Friday, December 12 or 13 OR December 19/20 (TBD) 

Please reply which weekly time slot(s) would work for you:

·       Option A: Fridays 9am Pacific

·       Option B: Fridays 10am Pacific

·       Option C: Thursdays 9am Pacific

·       Option D: Thursdays 10am Pacific

COURSE COST: $395

EARLY BIRD OFFER: $295 (register by September 10th)

REFERRAL BONUS! Receive $50 OFF for each and every registered participant you refer! Simply notify me upon registration!

Please reply to this email directly and let me know if you are interested, and please FORWARD if you know someone who needs this process and would be interested in joining. Also, if you have any questions, let me know that too.

Blessings, art, love, spark, freedom, and magic ~

Erin

Erin Reese, M.S.
Skype, phone, and email consultations worldwide

www.erinreese.com * erin_reese@yahoo.com
 

Enjoying flamenco - "Artist's Date" in Barcelona, Spain ~ August 2019

Erin Reese is an author, spiritual guide, teacher, and modern psychic reader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.

New Moon in Pisces: The Space Between

Today, March 6, we welcome the New Moon in the mutable water sign of Pisces, the non-dual Fishes. It’s a powerful lunation, and many of us have been feeling the oceanic overwhelm tendencies. Neptune-Poseidon, ruler of Pisces, is conjunct this New Moon, enhancing the depths. In addition, Uranus is changing signs today, entering Taurus for a seven-year sojourn. And, last but not least, Mercury is doing his retrograde dance beginning today and lasting until March 28^th, 2019.

If you’re feeling a bit like you’re floating down a stream with the sounds of a rushing waterfall the size of Niagara Falls up ahead, without a raft, let alone an oar, you’re not alone.

There is not much we can control right now. Of course, that’s always the case from the point of view of the Infinite. But this level of surrender in this time of Pisces is felt deeply on an embodied level. Your Soul is in charge. Not your separate volition.

Perhaps we catch sight of a branch jutting into the stream from the riverbank. We grab hold of it and stay afloat to catch our breath, hauling ourselves out of the turbulence in order to reach a new shore. One we’ve never experienced before. It’s all undiscovered terrain. And we are going to acquire new tools and techniques to navigate. It’s all fresh, unknown territory.

The Space Between is that time on the downstream float, where we have no idea what the outcome will be, or where Life’s River is leading us. How we make use of that time makes all the difference in the world. Will we endure it? Will we panic, fret, bemoan our fate? Or will we trust, breathe, even enjoy? This is the gap between actions, thoughts, projects, outcomes, directions.

“I cultivate empty space as a way of life in the creative process.” ~ Josh Waitzkin, U.S. chess champion portrayed in Searching for Bobby Fisher 

  

We’re so conditioned in our modern culture to do, do, do, that when we are in the Space Between, we fear – am I wasting time? If I float, will I be sideswiped by the unexpected? Must I continue to brace, to always be prepared? We forget that cultivating empty space is essential in the art of living. How else are we to attract that original thought to emerge from the Ground of Being? We need time – and space – to hear, and listen, to the muse!

Art Imitates Life: Stop, Look, and Sea

Untitled, Vija Celmins 1970

Last weekend, my partner and I visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in order to check out a Paul Klee exhibit. Just before I left the museum, we reviewed the museum map to see what else was on display. We saw a listing, “Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory,” ending March 31, 2019. The tag line, “Stop, Look, and See,” caught my eye. We wandered over to check it out, and were both pleasantly surprised. It was the best contemporary art collection I’d seen in a long time.

Vija Celmins (b. 1938) is a Latvian-American artist whose family escaped the Soviet occupation during WWII, first taking refuge in Germany and ultimately the United States. She settled in Southern California and ultimately in NYC. Having very little possessions during her art schooling at UCLA, she learned to paint only that which was in the space right in front of her: a hot plate, a table fan, a lamp, a space heater.

Eventually, she became transfixed with black and white seascape drawings, minutely recreating open ocean waves from intricate photos of waves, over and over again. Using only a graphite pencil on paper, Vija insisted on going into finer and finer depths, to perfect what she saw in her mind’s eye “to fix the image in memory.” The level of detail of her waves is stupendous.

Untitled (Regular Desert), Vija Celmins 1973

Eventually, Vija discovered the landscape of the deserts, and repeated the effort to draw the rocky desert floor, again and again, finer and finer down to the tiniest grains of sand. Each individual rock was recreated, never stopping until the scene neared perfection. Then, she turned to the black night sky, the stars, and with her pencil and paper, revealed the cosmos over and over and over again.

Untitled (Cassiopeia), Vija Celmins 1973

The artist's work is stunning, inspiring, and instructive. Can you imagine the hours upon hours upon hours it would take to depict the tiniest rock in the desert, the placement of a star in the night sky, the protrusion of a single lapping wave on the ocean?

To an artist self, what is time? And even more important, is this a waste of time? Vija has dedicated her entire life to exploring what is in the space, in the finest detail. When we remove the judgement of time, the illusion of needing to prepare for a future, to to produce, be productive, we are left with the Now. Pure Presence.

And it is art that plants us firmly in that Now. Writing, music, drawing; poetry, dance, cooking; lovemaking, gardening, Nature-walking – it is art created in the Space Between. This is where the magic lives.

The Space where Nothing and Everything Occurs

I’m reminded of the Christopher Nolan movie Inception (2010), with Leo DeCaprio and Co., in which the dream architects construct a dream within a dream with a dream-scape. The film’s crescendo extends a few seconds into a several minutes. 

A van containing the sleeping heroes lurches backwards off a bridge into a river. Layers upon layers of happenings are occurring simultaneously, down to the micro-minutia, in the deepest seas of the unconscious. Time is slowed down almost to a halt, while the other members of the team figure out a way to wake up the dreamer to save the heroes’ lives. Invoking The Space Between.

When things feel they are dangerously speeding ahead, we can find time by taking a breath. We can not only slow time, we can stop it, by instantaneously and spontaneously dropping into the Now. The Now is centered in the belly, the heart, the seat of the soul, the Ground of Being. This is the space and the place where Nothing and Everything occurs all at once.

When there is the pause between jobs, projects, duties, tasks, busy-ness, with our action-addicted, extrovert-biased society, we get antsy. The Unknown, the Void – what to do? I’m nervous! Let me reach for a drink, a smoke, a TV show to binge watch, a chocolate bar. Let me make another plan, fill up the space! The Space must be contained lest I lose my identity, sense of Self! Right?

It is at these times we can experiment with living sans identification. Floating, flowing. Allowing, seeing, witnessing. What. Arises. Next.

Never fear. Something will happen. And you’ll notice, it is exactly perfect.

If you’re experiencing anxiety, perhaps that is exactly what is also meant to arise. Perhaps it’s okay to have an “off day” or three, while something New is being borne.

It is in the discomfort of the Space Between that genius flashes of insight, life-changing, often emerge.

Recently, I was deeply disturbed about a project I needed to quit that involved a great deal of responsibility and other people. I went to the seaside to contemplate in Nature, no distractions. Boy, did I have a couple of restless nights as my psyche wrestled with the issue. No fun! But after three days in my hellish “vision quest,” I woke up calmly on the final morning, and drafted a resignation letter to leave the project.

Instantly, I began feeling better. Heart rate dropping, irritability diminishing. I knew what I needed to do. It’s been a lifelong practice of learning to disappoint other people to be true to myself. I have the tools and the courage to do it, when necessary. But it required that discomfort in the liminal space, the Unknown, to have my psyche work out the issue.

Remember, discomfort does not automatically imply you are doing something wrong. Sometimes, sitting, waiting, experiencing without knowledge of goal or intended outcome, is exactly what is needed.

At this time of the New Moon in Pisces, in which the known and the unknown ebb back and forth like waves on the open ocean, give yourself time to float. Step into the Space Between, the Now, and allow the miracle to emerge.

A Sunday at SF MOMA

Erin Reese is an author, spiritual guide, astrologer, and modern psychic reader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.

New Moon in Aquarius: Rules? There Are No Rules.

I'm thrilled that Destiny decided I would come in as an Aquarius – a fixed water sign, a wild-child Water Bearer who absolutely cannot be confined to societal rules, expectations, obligations. What’s it like to be an Aquarius? Well, for one thing, if you are an Aquarius, or have many planets in Aquarius, or a heavy influence of Uranus, know this: you will DIE if you try to fit in.

Literally. Your soul will die. Maybe slowly, but it will whine, weep, and mourn to try to get your attention. It will make odd noises in the middle of the night or in the middle of a conservative business meeting or gathering of well-behaved individuals. Out of nowhere – OOPS! – you’ll mutter out some comment that makes everyone go hmmmm… and turn the conversation on its ear. Even the Aquarius himself will be sitting there, a bit stunned, going – ugh, pop-went-Uranus once again. Can’t keep status quo… for long!

One confusing bit about Aquarius energy, among many paradoxical parts, is that Aquarius’ original ruler was stable Saturn – the rule follower – until the discovery of Uranus in the 18th century. So, Aquarius ambles along under the radar as long as she can, trying to fit in, acting as a visionary in the realm of tradition and structure. That is, until the explosive, revolutionary antics of Uranus rise up and take her by the hair and thrust everyone and everything around her straight into the future.

 

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.”

~Christopher Lloyd as Doc, Back to the Future

In Aquarius Land, we are meant to pay respects to and honor tradition, so that we can first understand the past, the foundation, where we came from. In this way, we can deeply grok what must happen NEXT in our personal and shared evolution. Aquarius is a pioneer, way out on the horizon, seeing things and FEELING things that are coming down the pike, before anyone else. This is a difficult role to have if you are a sensitive. It can be especially hard on the body, in my experience. I am like a tuning fork. I resonate in outer space, the future, to what is Coming Soon to a Planet Near You. This is often beyond odd. It’s like giving birth to a new species, and then learning its alien language à la Amy Adams in the movie Arrival, and then bridging the gap, translating to the masses.

All of us have revolutionary “age of Aquarius” tendencies in our beings, in our souls. Where are you ignoring your inner rebel? Where are you forgetting to heed the call of your spirit? You will know you aren’t listening if you start feeling soul sickness. You will feel sad, sluggish, depressed for no obvious reason. Your dreams may start feeling muddied. They may be repeating themselves, especially stressful dreams, over a period of days or weeks.

Start paying attention to the synchronicities. Notice odd cancellations, changes in plans or scheduling. Notice when electronics, internet servers or bank accounts make odd leaps and shifts, forcing you to look at your world in a new way. Notice if you start getting strange rashes, ailments, somatic reactions. Notice if individuals suddenly up and leave your life out of nowhere. Uranian acts.

If your world is getting weirder, you may be pulled into the realm of Aquarius. This is the time to get your ear to the ground. Listen harder, drum with more fervor. Talk to a friend who doesn’t just think outside the box, they live outside the box. The family member, advisor, or therapist who is still playing inside the old rules WILL NOT DO at a time like this. You need to speak to someone who can get out there – way out there – and trust that the terrain you’re playing in IS real, your path forward IS possible, those bizarre trance beats you’re hearing in your head ARE giving you a message of the future.

At this time of the New Moon in Aquarius, remember that we are not meant to be stagnant. We are meant to DO OUR OWN THING, and that is the path forward, the path to health and happiness. Seize this moment to feel validated for being DIFFERENT, UNIQUE, ARTISTIC, PROGRESSIVE, WAY OUT... AND PROUD OF IT.

In peace, love and psychedelica,

Erin

Erin Reese is an author, spiritual guide, astrologer, and modern psychic reader based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She works with clients all over the world. For readings and spiritual counseling by Skype, phone or email, contact her directly. She can be reached at erin@erinreese.com.