Dear you I hope you had/are having a wonderful weekend!
Here in Holland we switched to Daylight Saving Time last night so the evenings are getting longer.
I always get a bit jetlagged even with the one hour difference, but in a few days I will find my rhythm again.

The energies are powerful and building which may result in many of us to wake up in the middle of the night or very early in the mornings. Try to stay calm, stay in bed and just relax. Don’t struggle to fall back asleep. Surrender. Try blocking off your right nostril and breathe deep and slow through your left nostril. At least 5 counts in and 5 counts back out. This breaht connects you to the Moon’s energy and will calm and comfort you. And during the day, take a power nap and extra time for short yoga sessions to amp up your energy.

Yesterday I continued my Spring cleaning and did a lot of yoga and took an invigorating walk outside. My friends went to the Comic Con, but I decided not to go. For the past years large events (and any crowded space) have become uncomfortable for me. Too many people, too much noise and after a busy week at the office I just crave some me-time. In the past I would have pushed myself to go anyway. Listening to that voice of fear, that voice of not being fun enough, other people having fun without me, other people thinking less of me because I choose to be alone. Or being afraid that they would think that I don’t like them anymore. You know that voice. But I choose to no longer listen to it. In these moments I realize how far I have become. I used to be such a people pleaser and do things I thought other people liked me to do. I can so much clearer now hear my own voice. And I am so much better about stating my boundaries.

Anyway I am drifting off-topic and yes I am like that! I am here now to wish you a happy New Moon and give you some inspiration on how to work with the energies. In a separate post I will post this week’s Tarot/Oracle guidance later today.

Aries New Moon

For now the Aries New Moon which graces us tomorrow, March 27th. Aries is the first sign in the zodiac so this is the beginning of a new astrological year. New Moons are powerful times turn inward and plant the seeds of our dreams and visions while also releasing the past or our patterns and reactions. Right now it is vital to fully be who we know ourselves to be.  One of the most painful feelings is knowing who you are but not knowing how to be who you are.

In my work as a coach, healer and tarot reader I get a lot of questions about life purpose. You see you attract the people who are having issues you yourself are dealing with or have dealt with in the past. Some coaches/readers attract love questions, career questions, health questions. I mostly get life purpose and self care related issues. Yes Life Purpose is a big one. A (for the lack of a better word) client this week inspired me to write this and I would like to share this with you as I feel many of us can now use this message in their lives.

Life Purpose

First your purpose is not something you need to do, we often believe that, but our purpose to be here is to be ourselves. To be. It is no mistake that you are here. You have a purpose and we don’t always know what that is. But your energy is needed where you are now, there is a reason. And if you feel strongly guided to do or move, than listen. But if you are too worried about getting messages, too busy trying to think (with your mind) what your purpose is, you will not find it.

Trying too hard

When you are hungry for finding your life purpose you may frequently make the mistake of trying too hard, or thinking too much about your life purpose. When we are like this, we can easily fall into the trap of believing that our purpose in life is something that we must pursue, such as a goal, or that our life purpose must be something profound and that it has to change the world. Your purpose has always been there within you and always will be. It may only have been eclipsed by your own thinking and sense of doubt. The only thing that can prevent you from knowing it is not being at the level of awareness where you can recognize it. You are not alone. So many people these days feeling either lack of clarity about their path or blocked from fully expressing the gifts of their soul. The keys to self-understanding and healing are found within the DNA itself.

Massive questions

Keep in mind the big picture of this lifetime. This is no ordinary life and certainly no ordinary time frame. Whatever successes or challenges you experience, know that they are a part of your soul’s path to find wholeness. There really are no random jobs, love affairs, or life circumstances. Each of these arises from seeds planted before, and you can grow spiritually from any of them. You are a divine change maker, after all, alive now to bring your love and light into this world. As you do this, you will naturally attract what you need and you will be a significant force for good. The ripples of this goodness have no end. “What will you do or be with your precious life?” “Who are you?” These are huge questions. They bring up issues around our identity which always forces us into deep reflection and sometimes even personal pain. They ask us to look at our personal and professional roles and visions which again, may bring forth issues of self-worth, judgement, or shame.

Nature

If we look closely at the workings of nature, we find that every living being contributes to the success of all other beings. Consider the human body, which is made out of an astronomical number of cells. Each cell is specialized to perform a certain function, yet in fulfilling its specialized function, each individual cell supports all other cells. The entirety of the human body is dependent upon each cell performing its specialized function. In fact, what makes cancer so damaging to the body is it focuses on its own survival at the expense of the other cells. Just like a cell in the body, you have a specialized function that contributes to life. Your purpose in life, or your dharma, will present itself to you without having to search for it. All you need to do is be open, aware, and focus on others. .

Open: Open means to be open minded and open to experiencing new things, new people, or new places. It is stepping outside your comfort zone and willing to risk failure, disappointment, and rejection.
Aware: Awareness means to be aware of your life from moment to moment and it can also be described as “mindfulness.” The purpose of your life is to serve life, so redirect your awareness to your experience of life and become aware of your feelings. Be aware of the fleeting thoughts that appear and fade within the light of your consciousness. Do so without any form of judgment. Be aware of the sensations and emotions that rise and fall like the ocean tide. Be aware of the inhalation and exhalation of your own breath. Be aware of the rich diversity of colors, textures, and appearances that is life. Do so without any form of judgment. This kind of awareness takes practice and finding a coach to help you train in mindfulness is very worthwhile, as it will transform your life.
Focus on Others: Discovering your life purpose will come about naturally if you shift your focus from yourself to finding ways of contributing to the happiness and success of others. Our sense of fulfilment will spontaneously arise when we focus on what we can give.

Apply this understanding of these three components to the formula for discovering your purpose in life, which consist of the following:

  1. Discovering what brings you happiness.
  2. Knowing your strengths and talents.
  3. Finding unmet needs among those around you.

The formula for your life purpose can be simply restated as this: We are happiest when we are being our natural and authentic selves. When you are being your authentic self, no effort is required. Because of this, your strengths and talents appear naturally and effortlessly. Because you are happy and aware of your strengths and talents, you automatically find a way to use them in the service of others.

New Moon in Aries

Because of the fiery nature of Aries, we now feel a deep push to move forward. It’s important to heed the call of this time, but we also need to be cautious and take our time. This New Moon will illuminate the shadows. The places we have ignored or pushed away, hidden or denied parts of ourselves and avoided our destiny and birth right. We are being called to be self-reflective or else there is a fear that either we will be stuck for a long time or that we will miss out on living the dreams we hold as sacred.

Let’s journal

It can be challenging to hear the answers at the core of our beings amid the noise of the modern world. Advertising, social media, family, friends, colleagues, teachers, partners, etc. are intertwined in our ideas of what we think we want (consciously and sub-consciously) and untangling what we’re told to want from what we actually want can be challenging. These external wants are better known as “shoulds,” a desire based on someone else’s value system.

In other words, a dream that does not belong to you.

To find out what dream actually does belong to you, please complete these prompts without thinking too hard:

I should ____________________________today because____________________________.

I should ____________________________ this month because____________________________.

I should ____________________________this year because____________________________.

Many of us have been carrying around these ‘shoulds disguised as wants’ for a good portion of our lives, and I’ve found that the time increments in this exercise help you develop awareness around what they feel and look like—the first step in shifting to operating under your own idea of a life well-lived instead of someone else’s.

Of course some shoulds are obligations we can’t ignore or walk away from, but the shoulds shouldn’t drown out the voice of your soul. And that soul voice is the one in which I’m most rigorously interested, because it contains directions for how you are meant to evolve. Which leads me to the next journal prompt. Take a moment and ask yourself:

Today, the genuine sounds like____________________________.

This month, the genuine sounds like____________________________.

This year, the genuine sounds like____________________________.

These prompts are meant to unearth what I call Soul Directions. Unlike shoulds, which usually make us feel physical contraction, or like wearing another person’s shoes and carrying all of their bags, exhausting ourselves, Soul Directions can give us the sensations of lightness, excitement, expansion, tingles and, sometimes, a rumbling in the stomach. They will keep nudging us until we allow them to surface, and if we’re not skilled at identifying and listening to them, they remain trapped inside of us and can atrophy our cells, depress our spirits and profoundly drain our energy.

Yet I’ve seen the grace that unfolds when Soul Directions are given the freedom to emerge. There is usually a moment of truth about 45 minutes (or three weeks or maybe 10 years) into coaching a person, when their voice breaks open, morphing into a strange combination of shaky and strong (like a calf who has just learned to walk) and they say: “I guess if I were honest, the thing I REALLY want to do is… It’s usually followed by—”Oh my goodness, that’s sooooo crazy” 😉

But it’s not crazy!!

Aligning our lives with Soul Directions increases the likelihood of our getting what we want. Social Psychology researchers and developers of the Self-Concordance Model of achievement Dr. Kennon M. Sheldon and Dr. Andrew J. Elliott found not only that we are more likely to put sustained effort into self-concordant goals (goals that are aligned with who we are and that make our hearts sing) and therefore are more likely to attain them, but we also gain deeper well-being when we actually accomplish them.

Your Soul knows exactly how to place you at the intersection between success and fulfillment.

To continue

Here are some more journal prompts for you if you would like to continue. Please take time, make sacred space, silence, ask, listen and write and be so so honest to yourself.

  • When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
  • If you woke up tomorrow with 10 million dollars in your bank account how would you change your life?
  • If you received a call that you only had 12 months to live, what would you do differently?
  • What is important to you?
  • What are you passionate about?
  • When do you feel the most fulfilled?
  • What makes you happy?
  • What excites you?
  • What drives you?
  • How do you want to make a contribution?
  • Looking back on your career (or life), 20 or 30 years from now, what do you want to say you’ve accomplished?
  • If you could go back and re-start your career (life – because our purpose really isn’t our career!) today, what would you choose to do. And why?
  • What is the craziest thing you would like to do in your life right now, if all barriers to doing so were removed and there were no limits. What would you do? And why?
  • If your confidence was so high that you could achieve anything, what would you like to achieve most of all? And why?
  • What is a problem you see in your daily life that you’d love to see a solution developed to deal with it? What solution might that be? And why go for that solution? (also what pisses you off and you would like to fix/help resolve?)

Don’t just answer these questions in your head. Do this in writing. Take it seriously. There is something about writing out your answers that really makes this powerful.
When finished, look back over your answers and see if there is some common theme. Inside that theme you will find your life’s purpose.

Ritual

For this New Moon take time for a personal ritual. A ritual (this is personal, any way you feel is perfect for you) for the New Moon is to release the old negative, disempowering or self-sabotaging patterns, get clear, centered and grounded, set clear new intentions and take inspired action. This Moon energy is so potent, it would be such a shame not to use it consciously. Tune in with your higher self regularly and trust that you will receive signs and synchronicities on each step to take and every move to make. And let go and let God. Live, be and trust.

Apologies for this being so long, but my fingers kept on typing. I hope this is of help to you. The world is calling on each of us to take self-responsibility so that we can be beacons of love and service.  So that we can be like the Ram and be daring and courageous enough to journey into the depths of who we are and rebirth ourselves.

Warm wishes and happy happy Spring to you, I so wish you to bloom!

In Lak’ech

Charissa