AlchemaBotana

Shamanic Intel & Teachings from a real lineage shaman practicing for over 30 years.

[alchemabotana]

Reflections and Forecasts for 2024

It’s been a while since I’ve been prompted to share on this channel, and I’m happy to return momentarily to share news from the shamanic trenches.

Since closing the brick and mortar retail outlet on trade street, Kindred Spirits has continued to evolve, giving the hoop access to more protected experiences, connections, and opportunities. Our active ministry is thriving and we are joyous to support an ever growing network of those who seek the healing we provide. I am still offering my services as a shaman, herbalist, and educator in the local Piedmont Triad area.

Personally I continue to work within my lineage to support the documentation of our lengthy oral tradition. I was recently inspired on my journey by the discovery of the location of a historic newspaper photograph of my Babcia (grandmother) upon her arrival to the United States in 1947. I excitedly await the arrival of the photograph and what other memories might be unearthed by its discovery.

I have been listening carefully to the messages being transmitted amongst the hoop and within healing sessions and note the newly refreshed call of the spirit towards prophecy from the people. The witnessing of humanity to the spiritual world is becoming easier to allow ourselves, and thus it becomes simpler to achieve connection and collaboration. It is certainly a time to renew your altar spaces, offerings, and quiet connections to the messages you receive personally and those coming through larger collective communications.

There is much activity in the animal realm, with messages coming through quickly and timely as indicators of what energy is afoot. While much integration and renewal is in the forecast, there is also a felt presence of the haunting of past misdeeds that are being excised from various corners of our planet. Perhaps you’ll be witness to the experience within your own pocket of reality.

It’s more a time of the process of shedding, unpacking, and re-imagining than it is a time of obsessively protecting and selecting.

We should be looking to the stars for answers and less to a horoscope for interpretation of events. The sky itself has messages for us all, and we are being directed and encouraged to LOOK UP and receive the blessings that come with the awareness cultivated in doing so.

Messages from Spirit are focused on the highly personalized experience of healing. Don’t expect to experience the collective energy so intensely as the year unfolds. We all regain our individualism as the year unfolds and fate pops in to remind us of where we have been and what has been accomplished.

It is a time for visions and journeys. Quiet solitude will yield great profits to the spirit and personal goals, efforts, and plans. Make sure your to clear your dreamcatchers, medicine bags, and divination tools so you can get the most of your sleep and personal spiritual inquires.

Readers and healers of all kinds should be relieved to hear that our work will become easier and we will be found at the right moments by the right people to help us in our journey of life. It’s a time for the surrender to divine trust as a grounding ritual of daily life.

To inquire upon shamanic healings and teachings, acquire my newly printed first edition publication of the colorized “Piczanka Tarot,” or other artworks please contact:

[email protected] or Instagram @whaplesantonina

A sampling of the first edition colorized “Piczanka Tarot” by artist|author Antonina Whaples, 2023.

#artnews #shaman #shamanism #shamanicart #contemporaryart #shamanicmessages

[alchemabotana]

8 of Swords - Piczanka Tarot

This is the colorized 8 of Swords for the Piczanka Tarot deck.

Because the 8 of swords is all about the revelations, I thought I’d share some about the journey I had with my deck.

The original hand drawn deck was completely black and white, done with any black pen or marker I could find the day of drawing, and whatever paper was around. I started drawing my deck in the back of Ardmore Coffee with my friend who worked security at WFU night shifts. My boy would get off his shift when I was waking up, so we’d meet in the frigid morning and make ourselves draw before the rest. I started my deck the day after my birthday in 2018. At that time we were also filming “Antonina’s Shaman Shop” (you can watch it on YouTube, it won a Coalition of Visionary Resources award at the International New Age Trade Show for “best new electronic media”)

The swords in this digital collage are from a photograph of Russian slave labor’s prison mastercraft. These prisoners within the Russian gulag system were imprisoned for the skill sets they could provide the state for free as wards of their system. In many cases this entailed creating luxury items such as glass mirrors, which many had spiritual superstitions around. The generations who lived within the system passed down this craft knowledge for long enough for such beautiful objects to be made from the trash found and traded between inmates. There were obviously gangs and subcultures within the gulags, and a sword like this one is a prison shank made from trash with the knowledge of a master glass maker (gained from a family teacher or mentor:apprentice relationship - knowledge forced on the teacher by the gulag).

This system within Russia at large was also prevalent, and what made the gulags and prison camps unique were that they were concentration camps of artisans and craftsman the state had taken for their gifts. I could speak more about which communities specifically were targeted, but the concepts are hard to translate. The major one being the LGBTQ communities, the autistic communities, the non orthodox Christians and Jews, the orthodox Christians and Jews, the musician & bard class, the gypsy class, and the academic class. Class systems were strong in the motherland. Russia’s system of government thrived under the theft of these class’s labor for the state. This was motivated by greed, superiority, and class power by powerful individuals who could simply take it.

Unlike the struggle of Germany, Russian and Slavic people who were taken were not immediately killed or worked to death specifically for racially impurity as with the Nazi ideology. Hitler’s ultimate personal obsession was the eradicated the Jews as the “final solution” - what he considered a Jew was not necessarily how Jewish or Slavic communities saw themselves, although in American culture everyone speaks of Jews and survivors from the perspective of the abuser’s concept of race thrust upon us.

In Russia people were taken for their minds, hands, voices, and choices. With the assistance of the Nazi ideology many were empowered to speak in terms of racial cleansing, and it is true that many were murdered en masse, but this was done with line ups and shootings of prisoners only taken for that purpose. Russia rarely housed those it did not desire to benefit from the work of. As such, the “useless” such as disabled people were often culled from a young age. Indeed, those who were not often suffered and died from the lack of resources and support such individuals need to survive.

Those less desirable workers, especially the Jews, Catholics, and political prisoners of interest taken by Russian military in the 1939 invasion of Ukraine & Poland were taken to Siberia to mine precious stones and minerals for the elite classes and Russian science programs, or put to work cutting down trees and other resources by hand for the government stockpiles.

These people lived incredibly primitively during their imprisonment in the Arctic desert of Siberia. These camps were meant to quickly kill the prisoners & there were few intentions to return for more resources. Now these camps can only be found by well versed guides of the Siberian forests, or by locals of small villages still near old sites. These spaces still exist, preserved by the cold of the forest.

Once I met a gemstone trader from Russia who knew where to find the mines for the stones gathered by the prisoners. He said you can sometimes see them in the summer while flying over in helicopters. He gave me a stone from one of the mines when he saw my Babcia appear next to me. He was so frightened he almost passed out. He told me to take the stone I was holding and get out of there. The name of that stone is Charoite. Many of the stones people love and use in their spiritual practices in the New Age in America come from these mines & other prison mines. These stones are: MOLDAVITE, tektite, charoite, shungite, Baltic amber, Baltic coral & turquoise, Siberian diamonds, Alexandrite, Emeralds, garnet, amethyst, spinel, and Topaz. There are others too, but I do not yet know which ones.

This is why we are so intentional at the shop about where we buy our crystals and who from. Because, it’s not just part of the heritage that our families were forced to mine these stones as slave labor (and that others continued to be forced well into this present generation) - it’s also because in our indigenous beliefs, the stones are the ancestors & connection to spirit & our ancestors were forced to mine them to stay alive & give them to their oppressors.

Thanks for coming to my Tarot Ted Talk on why my heritage matters to me & why you should be aware of the layers of cultural appropriation that effect those who are survivors of genocides and holocausts in this present age. This is also why our communities find it highly concerning that America is operating like a giant gulag with small gulags within it. The behavior and violence here has rung more than a few bells on our memories, and I hope for the spirit of American Liberty… that our consciousness as humans be healed toward one another so that this cycle of revenge will stop in this land we call home. Time to stop acting like we’re above the thoughts and actions we can see so clearly in other countries. Time to begin to see what we’re doing to each other. That starts with each of us from within each of us. Pull out the sword, cut yourself free 🔪

[alchemabotana]

“I Drink Your Milkshake” by Antonina Whaples

Acrylic on cardboard

Wake Forest University: my alma mater. No, more than that: my home away from home. My father joined the faculty of WFU in 1991 (happy 30 years dad), and I grew up down the block on Polo Road. Most days you could find me riding my bicycle to the library where I’d search manually though old folios in the catalogue for a VHS call number, use my Dad’s ID and come home with a backpack full of distraction. It was an idealized environment for me, but I didn’t necessarily want to attend the university. It’s kinda hard to blend in with your classmates when all the professors know you & your family. Politics abound. I was surprised my senior year of high school to be accepted to WFU on a presidential merit scholarship for Studio Art, and spent the entirety of my time as an undergraduate defending my right to be there. I heard a lot of “I bet your dad got you that,” & “it must be nice to get the faculty discount here” (mostly from students who owned a car, let alone a very expensive one - I didn’t own one until I was 23 years old #scholarshipkid).

Wake Forest may have been a fond memory for me if it hadn’t been for my time there as an undergraduate. Perhaps I would have blissfully embraced some sweet southern idealization of my father’s workplace with the naïveté of romanticized academia - C.S. Lewis & Tolkien type experiences. And of course, there is still some of that within me, marked by positive experiences with select professors, staff, and fellow students. But let me make this abundantly clear: those moments were few and far between. Something about the sweet memories is a bit “off” - as if they stand out simply because the overall experience was so dark in comparison. It wasn’t just that our horrifying nickname for the school “Work Forest” is real, it’s that I lost 3 friends to suicide 100% related to the stress and harassment that minority students face in Wake Forest University’s environment.

I could spend an inordinate amount of time divesting the details of the nuances of every angle of the university that I’ve experienced, and let me say the web is quite complex. In addition to my “fac brat” status, I also worked for the university in food service, as staff at the gym, staff at the library, staff in IS, as a janitor/custodial worker, in the Human Resources department, and as a student manager of the Wake Forest Fund call center (aka telemarketer). I travelled to NYC on behalf of the University as part of the Student Union Art Acquisition committee to help them invest 80k into art assets (of which they have an extensive collection. One piece we purchased is now worth millions). Additionally, over the past ten years since owning Kindred Spirits downtown and publicly offering my services and guidance as an inter-tribal Shaman, I have been asked by a multitude of faculty/staff/students to offer certain ceremonies on campus to deal with racially based discrimination, violence, suicide, and even murder. Sometimes now all I do is listen to the truly disturbing tales of others who have been through what I’d consider “worse” than I, and simply hold space for someone to hear their truth.

In this case, I need to speak my truth on the issues Winston Salem is facing in the planned take over of downtown Winston Salem’s east side in an attempt to create a white community haven in the middle of a historically black and industrial area: Gentrification’s very definition. Throw in a heaping amount of entitled cluelessness and you can pretty much track the University’s awareness of their PR issues through their Facebook ads and posts (which are basically & sadly overtly just to make themselves & potential students feel good about themselves.) Somewhere in all of it you can sense the panic as they wonder what will happen if the truth is uncovered, but can I say I really see any guilt in those front-facing for the university? I cannot. All I see is defensive tactics meant to silence the public outcry against this planned take over. I think they really just hope no one notices, or at least: not anyone THEY know or have to be SOCIALLY accountable to (clique power).

His mural cast Wake Forest’s Demon Deacon as a robber baron. A Winston-Salem nonprofit deemed it too political.

Artist Nicholas Schmidt says a mural he was creating in downtown Winston-Salem was censored for being too political.

So when Nicholas Schmidt stood up to speak out about WFU’s impact on the local landscape & it’s inhabitants (the tax paying citizens of the city of Winston Salem), I couldn’t help but feel RELIEVED. Here was someone who said what we all wanted to say, but through art. And when AFAS censored the art I was truly disappointed in them as an organization. Being a pseudo-neighbor on trade street, I hadn’t gotten involved in any of the art district drama around AFAS; which from its beginning had a large resistance to their existence. In fact, I had heard such disenchanting tales about them that I just stayed away. Eventually I met various artists from their organization; as well as leaders… and I became an affiliated artist & have hung some art with them. It wasn’t a negative experience until this recent SNAFU in judgement:

Winston-Salem Mural Removed As Censorship Debate Continues

The removal of a mural in a downtown Winston-Salem art park has led to cries of censorship, and passions are running high. The mural, by loc

But the decision to take down Schmidt’s mural may have been the most brilliant thing they’ve ever done because this one act of defiance has opened up a world of conversation in the local community about important steps we need to be true neighbors to each other (ironically WFU is obsessed with “disruptor” rhetoric when the buzzword feeds them). Not only is the city talking about it, WFU is being forced to look in the mirror (public embarrassment is apparently the ONLY way to force any sort of self reflective behavior - a sad reality for an institution proclaiming “Pro Humanitate” as a primary value).

And you know who seriously needs to rewatch Mr. Rodgers? Wake Forest University. Because whether or not they want to admit their wrongs now (or wait til a convenient later date and spin it) what they are doing is wrong: no admission is necessary for it to be factually & morally true. I don’t know that anyone can blame a single member of the university, or even one specific department or the students themselves: it’s a real system that “wake bubble”. It seems as if the university feels it is too big to fail, too important to the city of Winston Salem to be accountable for anything (and let me say additional unrelated legal allegations coming against them for half a dozen questionable behaviors involving money is alarming - let’s just say some non-profits are getting a little incestuous).

I guess the real questions for me are:

Is Wake Forest University even capable of being accountable for their actions?

Who is responsible?

Who will be held responsible when the actual responsible party doesn’t wish to be (classic insider protection strategies)

Is it too late to change our fate, or is the jury still out as to what the fate of the east side of Winston will be?

Will Wake Forest be able to make an epic comeback as an institution that actually values the lives of the students, faculty, and staff who have sacrificed for the prestige of the institution? Or will this cycle undermining the good will of the good individuals caught up in this matrix continue?

Is WFU choosing in this pivotal point in its identity to become a real Demon? It’s seems it’s sadly so.

Ultimately, will WFU realize that although it provides some form of economic support to the city through jobs, that it is actually not as important of an economic puzzle piece as they think they are? (And that most of its faculty and staff feel generally abused by their systemic issues?)

Winston Salem is a city of nearly 300k people, with Clemmons/Lewisville/Kvegas just on their outskirts adding to that number considerably. They claim to be one of the top 5 employers in our county, but I believe that number must have significantly shifted since Atrium bought out the Medical Center. And let’s remember, WFU is a non-profit. So that property they are buying up (aka people’s homes/communities) are lost city revenue. It’s really time to stop believing that Winston-Salem is somehow dependent on this institution to survive, especially in this shifting economy. Moreover, the status of the university as a prestigious place to work, with class structures embedded into their departmental politics and the rampant faculty/staff classism needs to be addressed. For too long WFU has been heavily marketing it’s mythical mystique and greatness to our local populous, their future students (which statically very few end up becoming city community members), and their board of trustees (which let’s be honest is pretty much a frat trying to run our city).

With all this being said, I really hate to have to put this here at the end of this post, but I do expect harassment for speaking up. I had hoped to proudly display this painting at my store, but with racist harassment being a consistent part of our struggle I decided it wasn’t worth it to potentially draw in more negative individuals to harass my employees: I certainly hope that the university isn’t ignorant enough to attempt to target anyone or censor them, or that loyalists in our business community aren’t deluded enough to feel the university needs some sort of “defending”. If you are a WFU graduate who wants to have a real conversation, I’m open to it. But not if you’re just going to be boring / I have a degree in arguing. As a place of higher education touting superiority in intellect any true academic would hope, at the very least, that this is the very thing they gave me a degree in Philosophy to go out into the world and muse over. I hope you enjoyed musing with me.

[alchemabotana]

Herbs for the end of retrogrades

There are many planets and celestial bodies that may find themselves appearing to be in retrograde at any given time. Here’s where it’s tricky: we’re talking about time, and if there’s one thing this shaman is sure of, time is a wobbly wobbly thing indeed.

It’s not just that retrogrades seem to pull at the past in some way: triggering attempts at healing and reflections. It’s that they pull the other way, or ways as well: forward and interdimensionally.

If you don’t know where you are, or how to center yourself in relationship to the life you’re experiencing, retrogrades can become all sorts of junky. But with the junk comes energy. With debris comes energy. If there is something, then there’s not nothing. Absence of energy is a truly difficult thing to maintain, and as soon as one shift has happened, another appears right behind it (or you know, however it dimensionally happens for you).

In these sorts of times I recommend the use of a few herbal allies:

Yarrow is especially useful at the end of a retrograde because it helps you orient to endings. Yarrow is an excellent ender of things. You can use it to end just about anything, and since for many it is hard to find closure, it can be an ally. Yarrow can be burned, used in candles, pouches: or made into a variety of medicines such as flower essences, oils, or salves. It can be easily found growing on the roadside, and when picked at cross roads, you can close certain roads and open others. I’ve always found it to be a road opener. It is also an exorcism herb that can be used to forcibly remove mala beneficia, bad or evil spirits from your person, or living space. If burned frequently enough and in large enough quantities it will absolutely have an effect on any evil presence. Combine it with your favorite herbal smudges and notice the shift.

Mugwort is also a great retrograde herb because it is highly connected to psychic frequencies. It works with the moon cycles and the upper chakras. It is a mover of the memory, and a builder of psychic Qi. It can help with aura cleansing, especially if you have a tendency to “carry the day with you”. If you use technology regularly for work it helps with the strange wavelength disruptions you most certainly undergo. It can help remove unwanted memories and triggers that bring up harmful past experiences. It not only removes the energy, but the object of the energy as well. It helps ward of psychic attacks from malevolent forces and personas. It can also help shield the user from being targeted or noticed by certain spirits - in some ways, it offers a protective mantle (invisibility cloak)!

Both herbs also help when used because they connect you with the spirit of the plant itself, as well as the spirit helpers of the plant. It may connect you with other healers or shamans using it. You may find yourself in ceremony or a waking dream while using these plants, or sense protective watchers. These are good energies to experience.

St. Joseph by Antonina Whaples

Remember that negative energy is always worst right when you stir it up, and then dissipates. Sometimes the waiting is the hardest part. But, during a retrograde we have more opportunity to release and excavate energies once we’ve discovered their true purpose and identity. These two herbs are very helpful in making the code switch. Remember to ask for their help, and you will discover new ways of being.

[alchemabotana]

dENT Reuse Center

“Let the Record Show”

This was a small show I participated in this past month. I had seen on Facebook a “call for artists” and realized that David Brown was the curator. For those who are unfamiliar with Brown’s work, he is the beloved former curator of SECCA (prior to its assumption by the state). Meeting Brown last year, as part of the Mixxer ConExpo for Winston Salem Fashion Week, was an honor - he’s put together some of the most impactful shows of old school Winston art scene. And he’s a top notch individual to boot.

The show was hosted at the downtown 5th street Central Library in its renovated state and ran for the past month. Although I was unable to attend opening night due to personal & family concerns following the tragic shooting of a Mt. Tabor High School student near my home place, I of course came by as soon as possible to see the show. I was thoroughly impressed by all of the entries, and enjoyed seeing the various interpretations of the theme. Those who know me understand that Libraries are sacred spaces for me - my favorite haunt perhaps? Basically, the show was perfect in all it intended to be.

A local paper, The Chronicle, did a write up on the show: https://wschronicle.com/2021/09/let-the-record-show-exhibit-at-central-library-features-old-records-and-album-covers/

The local paper The Winston Salem Journal also wrote about the show:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/journalnow.com/entertainment/arts-and-theatre/new-exhibit-at-forsyth-county-central-library-features-old-records-and-album-covers/article_87568a6c-0a65-11ec-9c0d-0b0f5746f498.amp.html

‘Let the Record Show’ exhibit at Central Library features old records and album covers - WS Chronicle

A new exhibit that opened on Sept. 1, “Let the Record Show,” reuses vinyl records and album covers. The exhibit was organized by the nonprof

And let’s not forget the library itself had a write up as well: https://forsyth.cc/Library/Reynolda/article.aspx?NewsID=26329

Forsyth.cc - Let the Record Show Features Art From Recycled Records and Albums at Central Library Sept. 1-30

"Let the Record Show" takes old vinyl records and album covers, and turns them into art. The show is on display at Central Library's second

Here are some lovely images of the show from my visit. My piece “Sha Sha” is an acrylic painting of traditional floral designs found in my cultural heritage. I used my favorite Ben Kweller album as the canvas. Something about orange tones have really been speaking to me. Additionally, the show inspired me to make another record in black and white; which I currently hang in my home.

In conclusion, this show was exactly the kind of vibe outsider and upcycled/repurposed artists dream of: cool ideas inspired by fascinating items, hosted in a public space where budding minds can be inspired to create and reuse. Bravo!

[alchemabotana]

Shamanic Notes on the Current Mercury Rx

The World turns upside down again in an effort to empty out the personal poisons we’ve built up inside ourselves. What seems like a collective experience is really an illusion. Bright spots on the horizon are foggy in the mists of the seasonal shift. Grief & loss are difficult things to discuss, especially when they are being reflected in the flat energy this astrological current is presenting.

Home life is challenged with unnecessary conversations about money and masculine demands. The Yang energy within us all is being challenged regularly to mature. Those with provider archetypes are asked to shift their focus from the traditional ideas of “support” to an emotional awareness.

This is not a good time to ignore potentially difficult conversations or interactions with the Divine feminine residing within us. Those who identify as primarily Yang in nature must take up the task of learning to let go of false indenting structures created to exclude. This exclusionary energy is a great way to give yourself your own chokehold. Make sure you know how to talk to yourself about your own self punishment cycles. “Who is benefiting from your suffering?” Is a meditation encouraged in this time. You may discover the answer is: no one.

If you choose to continue to ignore obvious signposts in your life, energy being presented for your consideration will only show up more frequently and violently until you accept reality. Whatever that reality is which is in need of recognition will be very clear when merc ex has passed. Make sure you’ve got your system updates in place for the next roundabout twists and turns: the universe is trying to get you to your ideal destination (even if you have no clue what/where that is)

Whatever usually gives you strength in challenging moments will not provide the usual remedy. You may feel the need to empty your pockets of the loose change you’ve got jingling about in order to find the solution. No solution is expected to present itself, however the lack of the extra coinage jangle will provide a relief in itself. Something about physical money is more powerful than the digital variety. You’re about to learn what value means through a physical experience. What that is will be personal and tbd by the universal agents working on your behalf.

That being said, it’s a good time to “take it to the bank” and make your mark on the Yang forces which subvert your ability to act on your own behalf when it comes to self sovereignty. Banks come in all shapes and sizes. Altar work around protection of assets is key in this time.

[alchemabotana]

Enjoyed making these 100% upcycled necklaces & bottle cap earrings for Melissa Coleman of Hanesbrands for Dapper Diva on a Dime - Winston Salem Fashion Week 2021.

[alchemabotana]

Your mind is a landscape. It changes like the weather. Wait and watch before taking action, so that your movements are effortless.

[alchemabotana]

Shamanic Insights for the Equinox

As the wheel turns once more, we acknowledge the sacredness of our shift into the Fall season, and movement to the Metal Element.

This time of year it is natural to allow things to fall away. As the veil thins and we begin to feel the subtle energies of the Earth and Spirit Worlds opening to us, it is important to practice grounding as a daily ritual of self love.

Do not be surprised when people, traditions, and circumstances reinforce the emotional swing of this seasonal respite. Our moods will be given space to air out in this cyclical movement and it is important to watch them pass like floating clouds - observation is the key to this season’s balance.

Mental faculties and meditative practices will be enhanced by the seasonal spirits stopping through to bless us with their presence. The present is the “present” they consistently encourage us to appreciate with a deep gratitude. Gratitude and thankfulness will only engender more positive emotional experiences this season, and bring the Winter into a safer space when it arrives with its insular nature.

Offering cedar to the western direction is definitely advisable, with a special acknowledgment towards our ancestors. Bear guards this direction on the wheel and beckons us to learn the ways of roots and their medicines - not just for spirit, but for the very real physical concerns we are all experiencing collectively under this pandemic.

With the moon moving into Pisces in a full phase, you are being asked to acknowledge the emotional crosses you carry daily out of love for someone else. You are also being asked to sacrifice your sacrifices for a chance to renew love in your community and family spaces. Emotional abundance is the name of the game, and you may find that your bank account or credit score of emotional reality is quite full these days. You may even have extra loyalty points adding up to some special experiential freebies, bonus moments, and beautiful memories. When it comes down to it, the movie your mind plays is turning into a real rom-com and even if you pretend you hate it, maybe it’s really the special sauce of life…

Enjoy the balance! And may you be emotionally prosperous 🏔🍶🥠🌊🌾🍂💵🕰💎

[alchemabotana]

Title: Creation of Man Fractal Sample

Medium: Inkjet Fabric Sample Printing

Size: 42.5in tall x 37in wide

Category: The Design Process

Sale Price: $250

This is the photograph that the fractal fabric/textile printing was based on: the 9ft x 4ft mural “The Creation of Man” painted on neon velvet and Installed at Kindred Spirits

The fractal of the above photo was printed by a small batch company in Durham. I had wanted to try fabric reproduction for a while, but had never been given the chance. I thought the colors were so vibrant! When I’m reproducing some aspect of my art, I like to use that as an opportunity to rethink the image. In this case, I wanted to create something abstract and something incredibly detailed. I consider myself something of a realist surrealist if you know what I’m saying 😮‍💨

The Art of Fashion Exhibit

Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts

Winston Salem NC

September-November 2021

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Artist Kym Cooper

Artist Statement

My name is Kym Cooper. I love the very essence of being an artist! I have loved the scent of paint and clay between my fingers since I was in elementary school. I consider myself a multi-media surrealist cubist painter who holds a B.F.A. from American University, a law degree from Howard University—both schools located in Washington DC and a Master’s in Elementary Education from Lesley College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. I create scenarios that touch my spirit on canvas. I draw my inspiration from being an Afro-American woman and all in my environment that affects my cultural identity and womanhood. I love being. In Art, you can express all that you are. You get to choose your medium; your substance and your train of thought directs your spirit. It is the most innovative, challenging experience I can think of. It is my passion. I hope others can feel my passion and delight in creating. It is a gift and I want to spend the rest of my life using my artwork to express it! This exhibit, “The Cubist Surrealism of Kym Cooper from an Afro-American Woman Point of View,” is about celebrating our heritage and the beauty and essence of being a Black person who happens to be female. It is about the tribulations and pitfalls of being Black in America. It is about being visually heard by focusing on how spiritually our ancestors talk to us about how to bring the past, present and future together in a challenging mosaic. It is the story of us.

[alchemabotana]

As I prepare to Pow Wow this weekend with an inter-tribal community of indigenous folks, I’m focusing on the wider tribe. Not which tribe I’m from or which ones have asked me to be a shaman for individuals in need, not who has asked me to do healing work or teach, or who thinks well of me or not.

I’m also thinking about and dreaming about the drums. The dancing. The rhythms that move your soul. I feel I’m there already, being healed in only the way Pow Wow prayers heal you.

Right now I’m thinking about my identity as an indigenous mother with my own roots, roots which I passed to my daughter. And I think of my daughter, with her own roots and her own relationship to my indigenousness, and her own indigenousness… and her own tribe, and her very real experience as a Native American female.

Right now, what our indigenous love to each other looks like is recognizing beauty in each other and the world around us, making beautiful things for each other, and giving each other affection and appreciation.

So I made her this for the Pow Wow.

[alchemabotana]

Photograph by Antonina Whaples

Sky People

Bring down the heavens

So I can feel closer to universe

Let the trees blow, like Coral in a wave

Give the flying ones a place

To swim in the sky

Bring me closer to myself

Out there, in the expanse

Of your majestic cities & palaces

Your temples above - which pass so quickly by

Sky People

Pray for me, so I can live my life

And die

And expand again

Aho.

- Little Thunder

[alchemabotana]

St. Bahkita - by Antonina Whaples 2021

Mixed media painting

Medicine people are more apt to be holding and releasing large facets of consciousness in this time. The message has been clear: go easy on yourself, pace yourself, rest often, and communicate only as needed.

It’s felt for a while that the medicine world has been deep undercover, and there’s been some in-fighting amongst the spiritualists about facets and tenants of what should be allowed to proliferate, and what is ultimately harmful to us all. Those who are still in fear of punishment, but truly animated by Spirit are being initiated through their own personal Great Mystery in various dimensions of Spirit World and this time-based concurrent reality. Those who were unjustly punished will be granted many graces in this time. Those who unjustly punished them will have their graces stripped away. To every season, turn, turn, turn.

In the next 6 months, some study could be used towards the influence of Saturnian energy on the consciousness we inherently perceive and struggle with when it comes to the panic it induces to begin to accept reality as fuzzy-wuzzy until a new clarity is discovered. When reading astrological reports with Saturn in Aquarius, make sure to try to relate to any patriarchy messages coming down through the spirit sponge to a fun, positive archetype in your mind. As in: what if so-and-so were here at this moment to give me encouragement, how might that sound in my head? In other words, redefine the voices in your head to send you intel and self-talk that is, at the very least, highly amusing.

And it’s not just the medicine people “feeling it” - there is a great number of uninitiated psychics and healers of all nations who are undergoing a psychological and personal spiritual awakening. There are new nations of imagination being introduced to the grid. “Boys have become men” so to speak - whatever your relationship to gender or sexuality - your inner masculine has had to arm wrestle his way into the current condition, and he deserves an epic theme song.

The divine feminine is asking this timeline “are you living with art? Are you living with heart?”. It’s been the remembrance of the knowledge we’ve been tuned into our whole lives (and the ones in the past), coming forward in an epic sweep. If your waters, earth, or air was littered with shipwrecks, mine fields, and poison gas - you’ve been feeling the triggers in every element of your life.

Take a moment to consider the reality of your lived experience, the spirals that they take, and the ultimate return to yourself through it all. We are cyclical creatures, animals of a planet, who rise and fall with the sun and the moon, and steer our destinies in the field of ownership of our minds. Like never before the nations of this planet have been revealed to themselves through the eyes of others. It’s not a surprise to begin to discover who has been avoidant of mirrors (literally, and in the outside world). Be cautious of reading too much into the “whys” of the action (or lack thereof), and be more conscious of your personal power to co-create entirely new realities, and the dominion you’ve been given karmically to do so.

Many in the mojo have discovered that there are personal power rules to any craft, be it intrinsically practical or utterly magical. Deep awareness of the lessons of the past and present are becoming embarrassingly clear to the lot of us. When responsibility needs to be claimed, it is actually an act of courage to pick up what is yours and transform it into something useful. Those who have abused their power are being dosed out timely warnings and opportunities for recompense. Those with real healer hearts should remove themselves from scenarios where other’s energy sources are disruptive to the real work being done. Revelation of this personal removal is indeed a tricky communication from Spirit and your Guides. Be watchful of subtle cues from the universal communicators in your day to day, and make sure to acknowledge that just because it’s happening, doesn’t mean something is wrong.

It’s a big message from the Spirit World these days that spiritual activity is only on the rise. Apparently many nations have called in some very powerful healing requests, and this ancient technology supersedes the forward drive of whatever other power players there are. For those obsessed with the advancement of this timeline and the legacy that they will leave, this spiritual thumbprint will be difficult to navigate. If you find yourself cursing in traffic, using expletives to explain everything, or decide that everyone is evil, you’re probably just normal.

Universal Spiritual Law has been triggered on many levels for some time. Although to many it feels like the spiritual authority and power of those they pray to is waning in this timeline, the personal revelation of spiritual truth is a promised covenant of this era. We will all discover the unveiling of our personal identities to ourselves, and revel in the discovery and love of who we were created to be. Self love and the care of the Self is and will become a spiritual dawn of community care, with generations of young people focused on how to make environments feel safe, comfortable, and healing. As people further emerge from their dwellings and interact with the outside environment it will feel like we are rediscovering our world. Absence has made the heart grow fonder. This refreshment will quickly fuel the arts and further encourage entrepreneurial growth. Those in the art sectors of the economy will breathe a sigh of relief to discover that their exploits, struggles, and expressions are important, valid, and very valuable. Quality of creation across the board will be re-evaluated. Less focus will be paid to functionality of design or shows of artistic mastery, nor will it be another reductive view into the abstract. This new art coming from this era, and the one to come, will be focused on process and emotion, meditation, feeling, intuition,spirituality, and self love. Everything for quite a while will feel very “personal” and people as a whole will need the niche of creation in their day to day routines in order to feel grounded and supported. This will take many forms, but ultimately be incredibly expressive. This new expressive voice will sound quite different from the ones that came before, and new definitions reflective of our human experience will be written in our history books. One day we’ll look back and realize just how much we knew all along.

Shamanic Reading for the Next 6 Months:

July: Elk

August: Deer

September: Whale

October: Squirrel

November: Butterfly

December: Coyote & Possum

The animal medicine consulted for the next six months indicates that timing in the natural world is healthy and centered. The more focus we as animals pay to our cycles with the natural world around us, the more healed we will become. Our focus will shift from drive to trust as we learn the ebbs and flows of the world around us, and are able to remember it through generations of whole peoples.

It will be a gentle fall into the Autumnal season, and the equinox promises to bring balance and opportunity for healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, and internal restfulness. All empathic people will feel this gentle spiritual wave as they continue to tune into the larger frequencies of the changing season.

The thinning of the veil will be informed by the emotional work we do in September, with focuses on the deep waters of emotional consciousness. It will not be surprising if you are able to, without even realizing it, leave behind facets of yourself that no longer serve you. On a very literal note, I have gotten messages for several decades now that we need to be listening to the frequencies of the whales regularly in order to heal from the psychological trauma of the past, especially war and slavery. The Whales have kept an unbroken consciousness in the waters of this world, and they are trying to reconnect with us in order to help us heal. This is part of the cycle of how animal nations help and heal each other. Other animals are very clearly able to communicate complex matters to each other and we are being invited to the pow wow to listen, learn, and grow.

The Gathering energy of All Souls will be a much needed source of energy for the late Fall and Early Winter dynamics arriving at the end of the year. It will truly feel like it is time to begin to hibernate sooner than usual. It will not be because of bad weather, but because people are choosing transformative activity of the inner self over social interaction. Something about the high Yang energy of the beginning of this 6 month journey has worn us out, and we’re ready for the respite offered by our cocoons of choice.

December is notable for further explanation as it is two animals together: Coyote and Possum. In this case we can trust that these tricksters are up to some good, and there are safe passageways being opened this holiday season that may not have been available in the past iterations of the holiday cycle. Watch as things mysteriously go right, and try to lean into your trust of your intuition and spirit guides as they whisper to you all the right answers to the final exam.

[alchemabotana]

Horoscopes for New Moon in Cancer July 9th 2021

Horoscopes for the New Moon in Cancer

July 9th 2021

By Antonina “Little Thunder” Whaples

@whaplesantonina 

If you find these horoscopes useful, please consider voting for me in the Muscle and Fitness Hers front cover competition for 2021′s Ms. Health and Fitness: https://mshealthandfitness.com/2021/antonina

Digital painting by Antonina Whaples

Still steaming in the energy of the overarching solstice sun rays, this New Moon in cancer will have you blissfully forgetting any of the struggles of the very conflicted Capricorn dominated conversations of the last Full Moon. In the wake and bake of the solstice, our Yang energy gets an overdrive that manifests in contrasting ways. Looking at your focuses on this way down the epic landslide of energy will open up gates of knowledge to understandings about your true identity. With Saturn coming into center with Aquarius soon, and Jupiter hitting retrograde in Aquarius on July 28th, your inner databanks are getting a major makeover Queer Eye style.

Much of this reorganization will center around how we collectively feel about ourselves individually, our responsibilities for our words and actions in our communities, and how we plan to make real-time changes to our “Ways” in order to contribute to grand legacies. Legacies themselves will undergo a transformation of definition. We can thank good old Venus opposing Saturn in Aquarius for this. But, unlike the “tower of babble” moment, the scenarios brought up by this New Moon will have your communication systems recalibrating towards epic achievements of the mind/body/spirit varieties. It’s all about Love, your memories of it, the ways you’ve embodied it, and the sacrifices made for it. Some of those sacrifices are coming full circle, and in the New Moon, this will be mostly felt by the Yin collective consciousness as a major relief. If you’re feeling unbalanced on the 10th, try to focus on activities that bring you comfort and ease your mind. This act may feel like a true moment of spiritual rebellion. 

There’s a lot of hope in this moon, cradled by Cancers’ warm and loving waters. The “Home” is pivotal to this Moon’s inherent cleansing cycle, which may bring up dust and twigs swept under the rug. The idea of responsibility for our actions is heightened. We will all be challenged to face our own idiosyncrasies and dualities. This appears to be a long standing theme we’re all checking in and out of repeatedly until Neptune stations direct in Pisces on December 1st 2021. This very slow moving energy feels like a drum out of rhythm with our daily lives. Individually we are learning to tune into deeper vibrations of our own, and tune out wavelengths disruptive to our growth. This moon is a good time to move your body to healing sounds that help you manifest the emotional experiences attached to your not yet manifested dreams, hopes, prayers, and altar work.

Aries:

My fiery frequencies have been running too hot. I find places to release my steam that are quiet, dark, and all my own. Whether in the outside world, or my inner mind palace, I find slices of shade are my delight. I desire a type of self-synergy that can only be activated in the realms of the subconscious, and I make time to rest in the ways that make these new synapses happen. I want to learn and grow, and I’m giving myself the space to honor the eternal internal scholar within myself.

Taurus:

I’ve been typecasting my own archetype for some time, and I’ve realized those imprints have become outdated. I do not fear the revelation of my Cosmic Face to my own self, but rather look forward to the introduction of myself to Myself. I find ways to greet my emerging identity by balancing my time with friends and family. I take the time to meditate on what I am agreeing to when I go along with the herds. I respect my self sovereignty enough to reject projections on my personhood. I take responsibility for my own reflections on others, and these actions allow me to accept myself in any situation. I release all concepts of my empathic or psychic nature as negative, and allow the gifts I have been given to garnish me with life’s abundances.

Gemini:

I’m preparing for my mic drop moment. I’ve been writing bars and aiming for the stars, and I feel it coming. Not sure what, not sure when, but this moon is bringing mojo. I sense the message I was meant to embody is being written deeply inside me by a host of ghosts and ancestors ready to protect my destiny. Things are feeling extra cosmic, and I can almost feel my future touching me from time to time. I let myself enjoy my dreaming time, and this New Moon gives me a place to hide my secret poems and self reflections. There’s a softness coming over me, and I feel comfortable allowing myself to relax into the knowledge that my creative genius isn’t just valuable, it’s real.

Cancer:

The cycle of filling and emptying feels extra powerful under this New Moon. Elevated by this lunation, I use this dark moon to focus on the moments in-between. In this meditation, the world opens up a new concept of Time to me. In this knowledge I am able to reconstruct my psychological leanings away from worst-case-scenario and anxiety -laden secret self conversations. I don’t need to look outside myself for cues from the pack, and I am comfortable asserting my authoritative genius when applicable. This acknowledgement of my self-worth and efficacy gives me awareness that assists my community and gives others much needed moments of Hope & Joy.

Leo:

Things feel saucy in the right ways this new moon. Yin and Yang are focused on balancing my section of the sky’s influences this lunation cycle. Sometimes I feel the tug of my shadow side urging me to use my head AND my heart. Although I feel driven by the power of my heart center, and the emotions of my inner oceans, I find time to stop and ask myself “is this what I really want?”. When I allow myself to acknowledge the influences beckoning me to overspend my creative and sexual resources, I am able to find my personal zen. I discover new secret distractions in the everyday experience of relating and existing in community and friendship. I’m learning to tune my volume to the right settings, and this allows my audience to hear me clearly. Clarity has become increasingly important to me, as discernment makes me feel centered. This moon I use the dark hours to clear my mind, and calm my heart.

Virgo:

The quiet emptying of this New Moon secretly invites me to advocate for my silent needs in ways that feel safe to me. I practice self loyalty regularly, and renew my vows to my internal compass under the protection of the current skies. I know that moments like this aren’t always accessible, so when they are, I congratulate myself for my good luck. Spending time with private projects makes me feel centered and focused in ways that empower me. I use this darkened moon to look at my private world with a gentle eye. I know that my goals are just an echo of desires I’m learning to advocate for. Finding words for my journey helps me understand myself the way I wish to be understood.

Libra:

I am allowing myself to be seen and appreciated by myself. When I take the time to be in relationship with myself, my moods, and my memories, I find a special center. I’m manifesting a reality where my sense of self is solidified and appreciated by myself first and foremost. Through my self manifestation work, I am becoming aware and knowledgeable of the long history and sacrifices of those who came before me. I use this awareness to build gratitude within my heart center for myself and anyone else who shares in my archetype. My focus on self-healing is a radical step in my generational efforts in this timeline. I am an important person, and I tell myself so often.

Scorpio:

I am quietly waiting for new moments to try out my newfound knowledge. I’ve been watching and observing, but now it is my time to act. I take the reins of my destiny, and I do not apologize to the previous carriage driver. I know the power of an apology, which is why I know when one is owed or not. I do not need to struggle with power games that play in the psychopomp of the collective, and am my own sovereign spiritual space. I trust that my future is held in love & beauty and is supported by the generations of ancestors present on all planes. I am using this dark moon to get in touch with my essence and knowledge of my true self. 

Sagittarius:

This New Moon I am shedding responsibilities that have become recognizably not-mine. With this awareness has come the revelation of what is mine to control, and what is mine to let go. I accept the blessings of my responsibilities as the reason I am able to hold space for myself in my own life. I do not allow others to speak on my behalf, and use my voice to set the story straight. I use my energy for higher purposes and don’t have space this lunation to be dragged into any conflicts. I use my arrow to draw solid lines in the sand about which energetics I’m willing to play with. I promise myself to treat myself with compassion daily, especially as I outgrow scenarios and scenes that just ain’t me.

Capricorn:

I’m learning how to define karma for myself, and this New Moon is giving me a lot to think about. I understand that if I wish to heal, I must practice kindness towards myself. When I notice the mean monsters arrive in the darkness of night, I use my practical wisdom to ward them off. I’m noticing that fear doesn’t have as much power as I once imagined, and I’ve been slaying small demons like candycrush. This lunation I allow a space for the internal/external conflicts to find a cease-fire, and I find myself enjoying new mental quiet. I’m learning to trust the process of letting go, and this small cycle feels like the period at the end of a sentence.

Aquarius:

The labyrinths of my inner circuit board are asking me if I’ve tried turning it off and turning it back on again. When I consider my own off/on switch, I contemplate who I give access to it. When my triggers are alarming, I respect myself enough to take the time to respond carefully to my own messages. I acknowledge the wiring of the ancient ones, and use the ancient technology of this Moon to allow my power centers to upgrade. My dreamtime is especially sacred to me in these moments, and I use this lunation to discern important inner truths. I do not need to fear when I have premonitions, but instead, refocus that awareness on trusting my own intuition first and foremost. 

Pisces:

This New Moon I let out a deep sigh of relief. In the feelings of stuckness and frustration, I’ve discovered hidden patterns of life. As I discover which patterns benefit me the most, I learn to recalibrate my channels to an easier stream. This work opens me to timelines I may not have previously considered when vision-boarding and manifesting dreams. I thank the spiritual abbacus for working out ancient calculations this New Moon. I give gratitude when my supplies are distributed exactly how, where, and when they will make the greatest impact for my ultimate visionings. 

[alchemabotana]

Please consider voting in the last 12 hours of the Muscle & Fitness Hers front cover competition first elimination round. I’m in 6th after 2:1 voting round yesterday. Here is my link: https://mshealthandfitness.com/2021/antonina

A little poem about my brain injuries. Traumatic Brain Injury Support Group posted the unknown quote, and it resonated with me. So I put it together with a poem I wrote last night on the side of an empty oatmeal container when I was moving through PAIN (obviously I rewrote it 🌞)

The Brain Injury:

Forever is not sometimes

Sometimes are not forever

Sometimes I really hate feelings

Other times that’s all I want

Oftentimes I feel lonely

I wonder what that’s all about.

Everytime I have a feeling

Doesn’t mean

I’ve had a thought.

Anytime I’ve had a thought,

There’s a feeling underneath.

Which ones do I listen to &

Which ones do I watch?

If sometimes I’m feeling that

I’m thinking too much

I try to take time to tame myself.

From time to time I don’t believe

That time is going anywhere at all.

In those times I trust

time will teach me well.

And when I take my time,

I know time will tell.

- Antonina “little thunder” Whaples

@whaplesantonina

[alchemabotana]

Horoscopes for the Full Moon in Capricorn June 24th 2021

Antonina “Little Thunder” Whaples

@whaplesantonina

If you enjoy these horoscopes, please consider supporting by voting for me as Ms. Health and Fitness 2021 for Muscle & Fitness Hers Magazine. You can vote once every 24 hours for free. If I win, I am donating the proceeds to herbal medicine school scholarships. To vote: https://mshealthandfitness.com/2021/antonina

Strawberry Moon - Pen & Ink Sketch by Antonina Whaples 

Horoscopes for the Full Moon in Capricorn June 24th 2021

Strawberry Moon

This lunar Opening in Capricorn June 24th 2021 is a cry of righteousness on the hilly planes of our spiritual landscapes. With this meregoat’s lunation, we will experience the inherent benefits of the systematic work we’ve done since 2018, with a special emphasis on decisions made to change personal system errors. The Gods of karma are smiling at our intentions and efforts, and rewards will be reaped by those who invest in self discovery. Our ritual work has been seen and blessed in the Summer Solstice shifts by the spirits of the Land. If you listen closely on this strawberry moon, you may just hear the call of the Cosmic tricksters as they work their mojo on the psychopomp of Earthly frustrations. When you’re feeling the pull of your natal oppositions this moon, tune into the tendons of your actions and see where the motion stems from. You may be relieved to find that the strings that once pulled your puppet are made of finer ancestral threads and your permission to be free was always there. When you check into the Cosmic Chess Board you may find something of a rubix cube has emerged in your new dimensional awarenesses. Instead of throwing yourself into the equations necessary to unlock this next level, revel in the achievements that brought you to this very moment. In a cosmic landscape where the processes of life and death have been hyper focused in our collective consciousness it feels rebellious to change the font and type settings of the ancestral notepads in our minds. Representing the waters that run deeply within the Earth, Capricorn’s fullness in the night sky will illuminate various Spirits whose presence have been well established, but not necessarily recognized. A sign of the power of mental affirmation, your thoughts and words will hold a special magic in this moment. Remember that your Guides, Spirit Animals, Power Totems, Good Medicine Ancestors, and the Spirits of the Land are excellent translators, and with Mercury about to pop out of retrograde (watch out for its shadow til June 30th), its final lesson is one of the personal spiritual variety. When what we seek is Truth & Justice, we allow our souls to attune to protective forces that help us autocorrect, fold into origami, and transcend with temperance.

Aries:

It’s no surprise that an old tune holds the secret code from that earlier recording of the master tape your memory has been searching for in the old filing system. In these moments you realize just how deep and densely tracked the highways and byways of your mental system are. You’re the original wayfinder of your own uncharted territory of the mind. This state of curiosity opens you up to spiritual healing that aligns your personal ideals and values with the actions a person desires to embody. When your actions meet your words, you tend to feel the most at home in the grander machinations of Spaceship Earth.

I’m not sure if I’m feeling funky or groovy, jazzy or bluesy? Does it jive with you? Is it feeling all right? What songs have got you buzzed on this full moon night? I’m enjoying the humour of the human experience, and I find ways to incorporate positive sources of enjoyment into my daily routine. I recognize that I can be sensitive to the frequencies I consume mentally, and I’m manifesting sources of comedic gold into my awareness. I can be my own clown, and enjoy an inside-inside joke anytime my mind decides that laughter is the best medicine. I love to laugh, and allow myself this simple pleasure in life. 

Taurus: 

Saturn in Aquarius square Uranus in Taurus has been creating a nuanced ping-pong table in your mind. This influence has been upon your daily life for sometime, and shall continue on through the rest of the year, with another exact square in December 2021. Accept the exactness of this T-squared engineer level measurement on the corners of your ascension blueprints. It’s ok to look at the world from your own angles, and you may be happily surprised by the moments that unfold joyously when you use your sharpness to hone the hedges of your self doubt. There’s a special magic in this moon for you, as the meregoat lights a part of the puzzle we wanted to get done anyway. This refocused energy gives you the internal resources to wait to make your next move, even though the ones you’ve planned are quite clever already, when mercury rx clears you’ll have fine tuned your intel.

I give in to the epic bonestructure of my cosmic face in the universe. I know that on these edges are where the hedgerows grow. In these sanctuaries of my boundaries, I give spaces for things I truly want to cultivate to be engendered. I find which spaceships are allowed to dock at my intergalactic port of plenty, and make sure that my shields are up when psychic frequencies intend to disrupt my qi. When I breathe, I give space to the energy around myself, and I feel permission to let go. When I let go, I allow myself to accept instructions in the forms of feelings and intuitions. I do not allow the opinions or voices of others to upset my internal compass. I feel centered and grounded and know I will continue to make positive choices and believe in myself. I choose to honor myself, and that makes me feel good. 

Gemini: 

You’ve been carefully funneling resources into a variety of investments. Financial and interpersonal projects and alliances deepen, although it is not a time to throw caution to the wind. Caution and planning is what has allowed you to learn to trust the ebb and flow of the cosmic money winds, and you’re trying to siphon your own renewable sources, not steal from the Gods. When you place yourself in alignment with your internal resources, you can learn to embody compassion to provide yourself when feelings of self worth or insecurities prod you to feel guilty about the ways you regenerate. Let your conscience be your guide, and allow others to do the same. The path of self acceptance is most rich for you at this juncture, and it would be wise to use the Full moon to clear the psychic debris of your aura through ritual bathing, sound healing, and aromatics. 

I can sometimes turn my mirrors askance to the equations I cannot seem to readily solve. But, in doing so I lose reflections that empower me. I accept that it's time to look at some of those patterns again and see if they even deserve a place on the chalkboard of my mind. When I make space to use my memory card to run programs that make me have feelings I actually enjoy, I look into my secret box of fantasies and realize I may have already realized many of those experiences. In these moments of clarity, I hold a space for myself to enjoy what I may not have allowed myself to in the past. In this way, I take back my energy and transform myself in the present. 

Cancer:

In this moon you are finally able to feel that rebound-snap! Ka-bow! sh-zing! of Mars’ exit from your cozy airbnb. You’re reminded that you should be charging premiums for your ability to stay level-headed when the Gods and Goddesses war in the Heavens, and on Earth. You enjoy a good ritual bath, but to stay out of hot waters, this crab needs a cool-down. This Capricorn Moon is just what the doctor ordered, and something about the good medicine flowing through you can’t help but seep into certain streams where the mojo is most needed. This is an excellent time for you to pause in your personal space and take a moment to feel the beauty of your domain.

My soundtrack of life is a high luxury five star bathhouse of the Spirits. I’ve been Spirited Away to lands of emotional remembrance. The roots of my ancestors have spoken to me, and I have heard their instructions. I need not fear the judgments of others, because I am a sacred part of creation. I will not allow negative voices to infiltrate my consciousness, but instead, I will choose to believe that my work has been blessed by the Cosmic Super Computer and shall continue to have its content prioritized. In this space of trust, I allow myself to turn my consciousness to what I’ve relegated as “frivolous artistic pursuits”. I find the time and space to make something just because. When I experience this energy releasing through the act of creation, I realize why it mattered in the first place. 

Leo: 

The grass is pretty green in your patch. Both career aspirations and spiritual wealth appear to be presenting itself to you in all new fashions. You may literally be feeling called to new ways to express yourself externally, and this exploration of your presentation to the world helps you heal. You’ve been feeling called to healing in general, feeling like it may be a good time to start a new way of moving, or to add a healing ritual to your daily experience. If you happen to use stone medicine, Turquoise will be especially healing in nature during the transit of Mars through Leo, and can be just the cooling mechanism you need to keep your Roar without the bite.

Sometimes I’m just feeling high octane. When I find the right stomping grounds to release my charge I am able to do so safely through friendly communication strategies, good topics of conversation, interesting objects within my spacial periphery, and calming colors. It’s ok to turn the volume all the way up, but when the outside world adjusts its tone to match, I can switch to a different groove. I’m in awe of my co-creative power to engage my environment and use my influence therein to bring forth collective healing experiences.

Virgo: 

Something about this moon in Capricorn feels familiar to you, and perhaps it's the quiet watch you’ve held & the prayers of your heart being answered. Your physical being is finding ways to heal through your insights to your movements in daily life. As your mind/body/spirit awareness grows, you find new ways of expressing yourself. This ability to shift and transform might seem like deja vu, but it's your memories finding their way to the surface. When our minds give us abstract feelings and visions, we can move mountainous emotions safely within our systems, without harming ourselves or others. Breathe deeply and find a place to scream loudly if you need that release.

I have crossed some barren deserts, but I have not died of thirst. I am blessed with the life I have co-created in the spiritual planes of my intelligent manifestations. My awareness of the barren corners of life have given me compassionate reflective capacity and a recognition of my gifts by those whose opinions matter to me. I am enjoying the small moments of joy and call them precious to me. I forgive myself for any moments where I’ve expected too much of myself while I was grieving a loss. My heart is tender, and my spirit gentle. I wish to live in harmony with myself and others. 

Libra:

This Capricorn moon you are more annoyed than usual at laundry, other people’s messes, and scapegoating. Your sensitivity to physical objects is heightened under this Full Moon and it may feel overwhelming to be in the midst of the messes others leave for you to clean up. It’s more than frustrating when you acknowledge how your time/energy has been appropriated. Instead of letting loose the fire brigade when the bridge seems to be burning, walk away from the moments today that feel like a temptation. Make sure to find objects that reflect healthy energy back to you, and sit amidst a tiny oasis of your creation, and pay no attention to chaos of the Gods. You deserve a Full Battery, and the spirits are conspiring to recharge your battery banks this lunation.

I gather strength from my service to my community. When I have been unbalanced in the past, I allow my weight to ground in all directions through the sacred communions of my own secret tabernacles of the human experience. I make new covenants with myself and the way I speak and treat myself, so that I no longer need to suffer under the weight of the past. I don’t need to feel any guilt in laying down my load, and don’t need any permission to do so. When I feel safe, I will allow those who I trust to provide the respite necessary for me to heal my visions of my life and expand into an abundant awareness of how truly loved I am for being myself, and how needed my cosmic ray of intellect is to this world. 

Scorpio:

Known for your secrets and depth, you’ve been hiding like the Cosmic Sphinx between the pillars of the temple gates. You’ve been allowed to watch the clashes of the Giants unscathed, and your insight will outlast this passing phase of planetary tensions. You’ve been sending alien text messages to Neptune’s work phone, and the intel has been legit. Your attraction to Art, Color, Shape, Form, Music, and Theatre are encouraging you to make insightful investments in your own dreams. This Full Moon beckons you to create with abandon and let the waves of inspiration quench your desire for pleasure. 

I feel like the whole choir singing in one unison. I weave through the soundwaves, key changes, and rhythm switch-ups as I keep time with the sacred union of celestial sounds. I am aware that the tunes of the planet herself offer me a sacred respite from the cacophony of the cosmic movements. When I ground myself into the soothing waters of my spiritual essence I define for myself how my energy is used for the goodness of my own healing. 

Sagittarius: 

It feels like you’ve been getting along pretty well with the planetary forces, and everyone secretly enjoys the protection that your bow provides for the tribe. You may be feeling a bit cramped in the yellow submarine of the pandemic, dare we say you could have cabin fever? The Trines, Sextiles, and satellite signals of the skies indicate that you can find a special type of relief from the feelings of squished with mandalas, botanical drawings, and spirographs. When you take the time to let your mind journey in these ways, it lets your hunter’s mind relax for the next best chance. And no worries, you’ve got plenty of chances ahead, Sagittarius. 

Life is good. I do my hair toss, check my nails - baby how you doing? Hey, life is good. He’s got his eye on the sparrow and I guess that’s me? I’m playing with the chemistry... cause that’s how I be? When I look into the mirror I see a babe, a real dude of the neighborhood - my sister, mothers, daddy, and the community. I guess when I see you, I see me. And when I’m in that light in me, and you are in that light in you. There is only one of us: namaste my bissssssch 

Capricorn: 

This Full Moon in Capricorn you endeavour to ask outloud: “What Giant’s Bones Have We Built Ourselves Upon?” Your Full Lunation is opposing the Sun in Cancer, shining a shadow on our collective exoskeleton. This Full Moon feels like an archeological discovery when proverbial bones rattle out of the closet to give us a hoodoo prayer’s chance for self liberation. You’ve been waiting for a moment like this, and it's OK if you’re not ready to take that leap of faith. But should you choose, the moon lights up an emotional healing around the concept of “home”. You really want to know if you’re believing the right thing from one moment to the next, but keeping your head out of the secret sauce is key to giving your subconscious the space it needs right now to send out signals to the future. Soon enough you’ll be receiving confirmations of cosmic flavors right into your spiritual inbox.

I called Stephen Hawking and he called me back. My voicemail said: “Hey friend. I know this is a hard time on planet earth. I think people are doing better than they believe they are. It’s hard to be a human. I remember the constraints of the body, and I understand when you want to just fly away somewhere. I believe in you. Capricorns get a bad rap sometimes. I can see your progress, and I hope you take the time to see it too. By the way, we always have the time to say how much we matter to each other. Thanks for being, and enjoy this life, you deserve it”. 

Aquarius: 

There have been a lot of light bulbs going off in your spiritual laboratory. This Full Moon when the light shifts, your awareness of the dimensionality of the objects and purpose of your life is heightened. You may be experiencing some grief and loss around feelings of closeness with others. Recently you’ve been asked to hold a deep stability for the collective’s growth. Your actions haven’t gone unnoticed, and you’ve been receiving opportunities for advancement in your career. However, you are feeling uncomfortable with commitment while under a deep pressure to perform. These archetypal struggles are up for healing on the altar of the Full Moon. Your magic fairy dust works the best when you sprinkle it on yourself. You are learning the ways of Illuminated Prosperity.

My voice is a symphony of grace within a cacophony of sound. I breathe in the knowledge that my very existence is a miracle of my own embracing. I find myself at home in my surroundings and know I belong. Whoever “They” are, I know I can be myself around “Them”. I trust that my instincts are perfected beyond doubt. I’ve taken all the tests and quizzes and my insights are showing precision on whichever experiments have survived my tests of time and spirit. When I tune into my highest self it's because I’m recognizing my ability to be in that place no matter what surrounds me. Even when my circumstances deny me, I do not deny myself. I believe that I am worthy of the life I am living, and anticipate my surroundings shifting to match the unique vibrational fingerprint that I offer planet Earth. 

Pisces: 

You’ve been holding down some major spiritual territory during the recent seasonal shifts. The light of the meregoat acts as a lighthouse beacon for the whales and whistleblowers of your waters. You’re not particularly interested in that island, and prefer to spend this Lunation in Capricorn Gardening, Cleaning Out the Car, Writing about your art, Feeding the fairies, Calling in positivity, Releasing the Past, Testing New Grounds, and let’s just say it: looking pretty guuuuuuud while doing it. So good. You might want to tune into some whale call noises, or turn on a beachy video. The seas are definitely calling your name, and your inner explorer could watch Moana a few times through the eyes of the grandmother, the eyes of Moana, and the eyes of Te Fiti. 

I am a sound rising on the waves of creation. I turn my eyes to the heavens and I’m in the medicine nation. I forgive myself for all my wavering, I know my power lies in my cravings. I can wish upon the starry skies, and watch the birds where e’er they fly. I’m curious to know the names of all the fairies, and their games. I want to know what games I’ll win when I’m laughing with a cheshire grin. I know what gods have sent me here, I know which path I’m meant to clear. And when the waters run to quickly, or the bushes get too prickly - I can lay my spirit down. My minds’a palace, my head a crown. You could call me king or queen, but my magics’still unseen. I’m so much bigger than my titles, or whichever ones I didn’t get. I’ve given all at my recitals, and I’m my own best bet.