Astrological Events Archives - Page 3 of 4

The Night of the Harvest Moon

September 21, 2018

by Deborah King Astrological Events Energy Healing Featured Lunar

INDULGE IN THE HEALING LUNAR ENERGY

Weather permitting, don’t miss your chance to experience an amazing annual event that takes place tonight. Just after sunset the moon will be magically transformed into a giant ball of glorious orange gracing the night sky.

Lunar Energy is a powerful source of energy healing, and a full moon is a perfect opportunity to activate your chakras. This Harvest Moon may well be the best of all.

With its unique properties, the moon has been endowed with names to capture its monthly lunar transition. For me, nothing quite compares to the Harvest Moon. I hope you’ll take advantage of this rare and wondrous opportunity to join me in meditation under its glow.

A Time to Recharge and Reflect

Harvest Moon is the name given the full moon that is closest to the Autumnal Equinox that occurred just a couple of days ago, this past Saturday. Year to year, it can be up to two weeks before or after, and while the Harvest Moon typically is in September, it can also happen in early October.

What’s unique is that unlike any other time of year, for a few special nights the moon rises earlier than usual, just after sunset, giving you a perfect evening of moon gazing.

We’re treated to a visual feast and a spiritual reawakening all in one.

For a spiritual teacher, it’s hard to ask for more.

Why the Harvest Moon is Special

This is the night sky at its most romantic and dramatic, affording us a connection with the fullness of the season and the bounties of the earth. Since ancient times, the Harvest Moon has been revered and central to our celebration of the seasonal harvest traditions timelessly binding our cultural and spiritual fabric.

This annual celestial event is one of nature’s great visual displays but what we see only hints at the role it has played in different cultures around the world.

Celebrated Since Ancient Times

In the Northern Hemisphere, it signals the beginning of autumn. Many believe the origins of the Harvest Moon date back to Europe in the 700s. In the centuries since, observances and cultural traditions have been recounted around the world. Two are particularly intriguing.

In China the Harvest Moon is celebrated with a festival where games are played and delicious treats, ‘mooncakes’, are enjoyed. Due to calendar differences, the Chinese call it the ‘August’ Moon.

In America, the Algonquin Indians, among other indigenous tribes, not only celebrated the Harvest Moon but put its unusual brightness to work. Like Mother Nature’s flashlight, they used its light to harvest crops well into the night.

One of Nature’s Optical Illusions

What we see is bigger and bolder than usual, and the moon’s surface appears warmer and a vibrant orange. An optical illusion that is the result of the moon’s positioning, the Harvest Moon’s remarkable brightness occurs because we’re viewing it through the lower, and thicker, part of atmosphere.

While the moon’s color is inarguably more intense, and it appears larger and warmer, as it rises through the night, the moon will appear smaller and cooler.

Upcoming Lunar Events

For those of you who like to plan ahead, a truly rare event is when the Harvest Moon falls on the night of the Autumnal Equinox. This wont won’t again until 2029, but let’s start planning now!

Next up, however, and usually in October as it is this year, is the Hunter’s Moon; the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. It also features unique color, this time red, not orange, and it’s known as a Blood or Sanguine Moon.

Get Out and Experience It

Wherever you are, I urge you to get outside, even if just for a few minutes, and bask in the lunar energy on display and become part of a celestial event celebrated around the world for millennia.

And no worries of you miss it tonight – there are encore performances for a few nights after that are nearly as spectacular.

Worldwide traditions transcending our differences and bringing us together like these should be cherished, so I offer three words of advice:

Sit. Meditate. Enjoy.

That’s what I’ll be doing.

Separated by the miles, we’ll be together in spirit.

Deborah

Let April’s Pink Moon Shine for You!

April 24, 2018

by Deborah King Astrological Events Featured Lunar

You may have heard that April showers bring May flowers. That’s a lovely positive affirmation when spring is taking a little too long to arrive and the storms won’t stop rolling through with showers that are white and icy! That is probably how we got the Native American’s traditional name for the April full moon. The Pink Moon of April usually coincided with the appearance of blooming ground phlox, a stunning pink carpet of tiny flowers. Ah, Spring at last! This year’s full Pink Moon appears on April 29, and with a little reflection, it might bring you a very special spiritual bouquet!

Think about how sweet it is to spot the first flowers of spring—whether they are crocuses peeking through the snow or daffodils, tulips, or hyacinth pushing up through the soil in your garden. The ground phlox that inspired the Pink Moon’s name is a North American native whose meaning in flower lore is “harmony” and “sweet dreams.” The first-blooming flowers of spring do bring a feeling of hope, sweetness, and the excitement of new possibilities. Which one is your favorite?

Bring yourself into the spirit of the Pink Moon with a nature walk in a spot you love. While you walk, let your eyes take it the details of the setting that make it unique. Are there any plants, trees, flowers, or rocks that you have noted in passing but not truly studied? Take time to look closely and focus on the light, the color, the shape, or the feeling of one or two familiar features. If you can find a flower, look inside—like modern artist Georgia O’Keeffe loved to do. (Watch out for bees and bless them for their vital work in pollinating the plant kingdom.) Try to really examine your flower’s form and consider the complexity, artistry, and beauty you see. Are there any birds or small animals to observe? Could they be present with you right now for a purpose?

Take a deep breath as you enjoy the natural surroundings you have chosen to visit. Remember to give thanks for your senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste which allow you to experience the natural world on multiple levels. You are part of the natural world, too, part of the work of the creative universe. During the last few days before the full Pink Moon, think about ways in which you can make your life more joyful and purposeful. Each cycle of the moon marks the passage of time, and this Pink Moon marks the beginning of a new month and a new beginning for any dream or endeavor or developmental step you have been thinking about.

Here are three questions to consider as you prepare for the next step:

What do you know?
Do you know yourself deeply and truly? How would you describe yourself? What are your greatest strengths and abilities? Do you know the desires of your heart? Do you know what you really want to do? Do you feel that you know your life’s purpose? Where do you want to go? How do you want to feel? Who and what do you love? What do you believe? What are your values?

What do you want to know?
If you know your life’s purpose, do you want to know whether your present actions are taking you in the right direction? Or do you still need to discover your purpose? Do you want to know how to do something that interests you? Is there some knowledge or skill that you want to explore? What are the biggest questions in your life that you would like to answer? What are the biggest challenges in your life that you would like to face and find ways to overcome?

Who can you ask?
Where do you go to seek wisdom? How do you fill your need for spiritual guidance, fulfillment, and inner peace? Where do you turn in times of need? Who can you call? Do you seek help from the Divine—“Ask and it shall be given”? Do you rely on friends and family for solace? Do you have a tool kit of practices for comfort and healing? Do you call on the angels, guides from the spirit realm, spiritual teachers and counselors, sacred texts, or the energies of nature? From whence cometh your strength?

Exploring the answers to these questions helps you connect with your higher Self, and brings comforting knowledge of who you really are and why you are here. Self-discovery brings peace, joy, and a sense of what is possible for you in the new span of days opening before you.

May the full Pink Moon bring you a new awareness of the miracle of being you. And may you be blessed with the radiance of healing moonlight on the evening of April 29.

The annual spring equinox: a time of balance, rebirth, and rejuvenation

March 20th marks the vernal equinox and official first day of spring, and the weeks before and after this significant date are a time of balance, rebirth, and rejuvenation.

Equinoxes happen twice a year (in the spring and fall), giving you the opportunity to use the natural balance of solar-lunar energies to achieve balance in your own life. Working in alignment with nature’s vibrations boosts your spiritual efforts, and this time of reawakening is ripe for clearing and balancing your chakras and energy field. Harness this power of renewal to purge the unnecessary from your energetic closets and vacuum up any emotional residue. It’s time to spring clean your soul!

Clearing your chakras = cleaning debris out of your pipes

Your chakras are invisible (but vital!) energy centers that are designed to move energy between your personal field and the universal field, and, when spinning correctly and unencumbered, these chakras are the means by which you replenish your energy and restore your health. If you’ve been studying energy medicine with me, you know that your body is made from your energy field — and that anything that goes on (or in) your energy field has a direct impact on your body. So, if your chakras are blocked, energy is unable to flow freely in your field; eventually, the clog will result in physical symptoms, which can be anything from headaches to chronic disease.

One way to visualize your energy flow is to think about it in terms of the water pipes in your home (your energy = water / your chakras = pipes). Just like your chakras, if there is a clog somewhere in your home’s pipes, there will be water back-up…which eventually has to go somewhere and will likely cause damage to the pipes and structures around it. Just like that water, your energy has to go somewhere…and keeping your chakras clear and your energy flowing is the best way to keep your body from experiencing injury or illness as a result of clogged pipes.

Clear away old traumas and release built-up emotions

So, how can you keep your chakras clear?

Clogs and blockages in your chakras are caused by traumas that aren’t fully released or emotional build-up (that can be two days, two months, two years, or two decades old). And just as it’s never too late to tackle the often overlooked places in your house (like the chimney or under the couch cushions) that can go years without a thorough clean-up, it’s never too late to clear out old traumas with energy healing. Every bit of work you do toward improving the flow of energy in your field and body is going to make you feel better.

There are activities that will do a general job of clearing negativity from your field, like meditation, but there are also targeted methods for balancing each of your seven main chakras. To find out which of your chakras is dysfunctional, you can work with a spiritual teacher or energy healer, or have a friend check your chakras with a pendulum.

Spring Equinox: Energy Healing Rituals — Like the tiny purple crocuses that appear like clockwork every spring from the fertile soil, when your chakras are clear you are providing your entire an environment that encourages personal and spiritual growth.

Energy healing methods to clear and balance your chakras for the spring equinox:

Together, your chakras govern all areas of your life: relationships, weight loss, stress, career, self-esteem, love, spiritual progress, and everything else. When they are in balance, you are in balance, and your whole being is lighter, freer, healthier, and happier. So take advantage of the days getting longer and the blossoming of nature this spring, and rejuvenate your soul with the clearing, charging, and balancing of your chakras.

[icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#ffffff” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^32700|url^https://deborahking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Root-Chakra_400x400.gif|caption^null|alt^Blocked root chakra|title^Blocked root chakra|description^null” img_width=”200″ text_color=”#ffffff” bg_color=”#d32237″ block_title_back=”Your first chakra is all about security and feeling safe in your environment. To ground yourself and strengthen your connection to Mother Earth, try walking barefoot in freshly grown grass or on a sandy beach.” cont_align=”on”]

[icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#ffffff” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^32705|url^https://deborahking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Sexual-Chakra_400x400.gif|caption^null|alt^blocked second chakra|title^Blocked second chakra|description^null” img_width=”200″ text_color=”#ffffff” bg_color=”#eb953f” block_title_back=”Your second chakra governs how you experience pleasure, and a common issue for this chakra is shame. Water has cleansing and healing properties, so immerse yourself in water for 20 minutes — in the ocean or a clearing bath with sea salt and baking soda.” cont_align=”on”]

[icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#ffffff” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^32707|url^https://deborahking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Solar-Plexus-Chakra_400x400.gif|caption^null|alt^Blocked solar plexus chakra|title^Blocked solar plexus chakra|description^null” img_width=”200″ text_color=”#ffffff” bg_color=”#eac726″ block_title_back=”The third chakra is where your will and self-esteem resides, and physical movement, especially outside in the early morning sun or in the evening before sunset, really recharges this chakra.” cont_align=”on”]

[icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#ffffff” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^32709|url^https://deborahking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Heart-Chakra_400x400.gif|caption^null|alt^Blocked heart chakra|title^Blocked heart chakra|description^null” img_width=”200″ text_color=”#ffffff” bg_color=”#bdd860″ block_title_back=”Your fourth chakra is the heart chakra, and when it’s open, you can give and receive love easily and in a healthy way. Practicing love with a pet who loves unconditionally is a great way to heal your heart and become open to trusting love again.” cont_align=”on”]

[icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#ffffff” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^32710|url^https://deborahking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Throat-Chakra_400x400.gif|caption^null|alt^Blocked throat chakra|title^Blocked throat chakra|description^null” img_width=”200″ text_color=”#ffffff” bg_color=”#66c9d4″ block_title_back=”The fifth chakra is about speaking your truth, choosing to express the real you. Journaling with total honesty can clear and charge this chakra—and help process old traumas. Journaling is a major part of energy medicine and is incredibly freeing!” cont_align=”on”]

[icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#ffffff” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^32711|url^https://deborahking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Third-Eye-Chakra_400x400.gif|caption^null|alt^Blocked third eye chakra|title^Blocked third eye chakra|description^null” img_width=”200″ text_color=”#ffffff” bg_color=”#9e2064″ block_title_back=”Your sixth chakra, the “third eye,” is where your higher intellect and clarity of vision reside. Daily meditation—another essential part of energy healing—helps to awaken this chakra so you can increase your intuition and inner wisdom.” cont_align=”on”]

[icon_counter border_size=”2″ border_color=”#ffffff” icon_type=”custom” icon_img=”id^32712|url^https://deborahking.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Crown-Chakra_400x400.gif|caption^null|alt^Blocked crown chakra|title^Blocked crown chakra|description^null” img_width=”200″ text_color=”#000000″ bg_color=”#f2e8bd” block_title_back=”An open seventh chakra can be attained through meditation and prayer since the crown chakra is what connects you to spirit. Here you can ask your higher self for guidance.” cont_align=”on”]

Interested in learning more about your 7 chakras?

Download your printable Chakra Wisdom Chart PDF today (it’s free!).

Free Chakra Chart

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Winter Solstice Traditions from Around the Globe

December 20, 2017

by Deborah King Astrological Events Featured

The winter solstice has been celebrated for thousands of years by people from all over the globe. Every year in the Northern Hemisphere (on Dec. 21 or 22) and the Southern Hemisphere (on June 20 or 21), the sun appears to stand still at the Tropic of Capricorn, shinning directly overhead at 12 noon, before reversing its direction. At the winter solstice, the balance of dark and light tips, and the sun begins a return trip that promises such good things in the months ahead…new life, growth, warmer weather, and those beautiful spring flowers that push their way out of the soil like clockwork and bring a smile to your soul.

The days leading up to the winter solstice might be dark and cold, but this is actually nature’s way of helping us to come together as a community and focus on spiritual rebirth. It’s always easier to work with Mother Nature, so take advantage of these shorter days and dedicate time to feeding your spirit, nurturing your soul, and reflecting on your journey over the past year—you can then set your intentions for the year ahead and celebrate the return of the light.

People have been celebrating the winter solstice for thousands of years—and yet, while these winter solstice traditions and rituals are diverse and unique, each is centered around the universal theme around light and renewal. You may already have your own winter solstice rituals in place, so you can clear away past trauma, find strength in the present moment, and pave the way to the future of your dreams…but what if there’s a tradition from a far away ancient civilization or culture that can help you move to the next level in your spiritual journey? Keep reading for winter solstice traditions and rituals around the world and different ideas you can use to incorporate elements of the celebration into your own practice.

Winter solstice celebrations around the world

Winter solstice rituals from all over the world

The Labyrinth of Light in Vancouver, BC

Photo credit: Flickr

Every year, Vancouver residents and visitors join together to celebrate the winter solstice at the Labyrinth of Light, an evening of processions, music, and art performance. The event is organized by the Secret Lantern Society and attendees are invited to wander through intricate light mazes (created with 700+ beeswax candles!) for a meditative experience that fosters relaxation and encourages self-reflection.

The concept of a “labyrinth of light” has long been used in cultures around the world for meditation and prayer on the winter solstice. Vancouver’s interpretation, with its self-guided ceremony, helps attendees to release old attachments and envision new possibilities for the future while the darkest night of the year gives birth to a new season filled with hope and light.

Labyrinth of Light celebration idea:

Create your own maze of lights
If you’re not able to make an impromptu trip to Canada, you can still capture some of the magic that happens at the official Labyrinth of Light by creating your own “mini” version at home. On the night of the winter solstice (Dec. 21), setup rows of beeswax candles throughout your home or backyard; if you have young children, or are nervous about having so many candles burning simultaneously, pick up some flameless candles at your local craft store or Amazon.

Winter solstice at Stonehenge in England

Stonehenge is synonymous with the summer and winter solstices because of the ancient structure’s precise alignment with the sun’s movement, as well as the fact that it is a bucket list item for so many.

Every year, thousands of revelers make the journey to this sacred place of worship to witness the mid-winter sun set perfectly between the two upright stones of the Great Trilithon at dusk. For those lucky enough to witness the magic of Stonehenge in-person during the winter solstice, there will be lots of activities going on around you: dancing, singing, Druic ceremonies, and Pagan celebrations, to name a few. The grounds open at first light the next morning (December 22) to allow thousands of druids, pagans, and other devotees to celebrate the sunrise in a spiritual, respectful manner (which does not involve activities like drinking alcohol, playing loud music, or using fireworks).

Stonehenge-inspired winter solstice celebration idea:

Say a little prayer (for you and for the Earth)
The weather outside might be frightful, but that doesn’t mean that there’s nothing going on below. Think about your own life and what might be lying dormant at the moment, and then envision what may bloom a few months from now.

A Prayer to You and the Earth at Yule
Cold and dark, this time of year,
the earth lies dormant, awaiting the return
of the sun, and with it, life.
Far beneath the frozen surface,
a heartbeat waits,
until the moment is right,
to spring.

The Dōngzhì Festival in China

The Chinese winter solstice Dōngzhì festival is a major winter solstice and holiday in East Asian culture, dating back thousands of years to the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). Dōngzhì festival revelers celebrate the time when winter’s darkness begins to give way to light by gathering together with family for celebratory meals and trips to temples to honor ancestors.

The concept of balance is integral to East Asian philosophy of Yin (positive) and Yang (negative) and its influence can been seen in the Dōngzhì festival: at the Winter Solstice, Yin is at its peak and will gradually disappear, while Yang will become stronger from that day forward.

Dōngzhì festival celebration idea:

Cook: family meals are central to Chinese winter solstice celebrations, so cook up (or order from a specialty store) a hearty, nourishing meal to share with family and loved ones. Traditional foods served during the Dōngzhì festival include tang yuan (glutinous rice dumplings) and lamb dumplings.

Yalda Night in Iran

Yalda, or Šab-e Yaldā, is an Iranian festival held on the “longest and darkest night of the year” – the winter solstice. Yalda means “birth,” and Yalda Night is viewed as the birthday of the sun god Mithra and the victory of light over dark.

During this ancient festival, which originated prior to the advent of Islam and at a time when the majority of Persians were followers of Zoroastrianism, people were advised to stay awake most of the night and gather in the safety of groups, while sharing the last remaining fruits of summer. The same Yalda winter solstice customs are carried today, with families gathering together, eating, drinking and reading poetry (Hafez) throughout the evening to pass the darkest night of the year with laughter and joy. Iranians believe that those who begin winter by eating summer fruits (especially pomegranate and watermelon as the red in these two fruits symbolizes the crimson hues of dawn and the glow of life) will not fall ill during the cold season.

Yalda is also celebrated in parts of Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan.

Yalda Night celebration idea:

Read: Hafez was a 14th-century poet in Iran whose mystical love poems express the ecstasy of divine inspiration. Join people in Iran as they open the Divan of Hafez to a random page and read the poem on it, which is believed to be an indication of things that will happen in the future. If you can’t locate a copy of the Divan of Hafez in time for Yalda, don’t stress! In addition to the Kindle edition on Amazon, both Google and Apple have apps available in their stores.

Inti Raymi in Peru

Peru, located in the Southern Hemisphere, celebrates the winter solstice on June 24. Inti Raymi (Quechua for “sun festival”), which takes place on the solstice, is dedicated to honoring the Incan sun god, Inti.

Prior to the Spanish conquest and colonization—which had a devastating impact on the Indigenous Peoples of South America—the Incas would fast for the three days leading up to the winter solstice. Before dawn on the fourth day, they would travel to a ceremonial plaza in Cusco and wait to see the sun rise on the horizon. When the sun appeared, the Incas would crouch down before it, offering up golden cups of chicha (a sacred beer made from fermented corn) and hundreds of animals (mostly llamas) in sacrifice.

When preparing for the ceremony, the Incas would use a mirror to focus the sun’s rays and ignite a flame that would be kindled into a fire. Sadly, after Spain conquered the Incan civilization, Inti Raymi was banned. However, modern society has revived the ancient festival (sans the live animal sacrifices) and the yearly re-enactments bring thousands of people from all over the world to Cusco, the ancient Incan capital.

Inti Raymi winter solstice celebration idea:

Dance!
Traditional Incan music and dance are a big component of the Inti Raymi celebration, so why not watch the YouTube video below and try the moves out yourself?

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Toji in Japan

In Japan, the winter solstice is less a festival than a traditional practice centered around starting the new year with health and good luck.

During this sacred time of year, farmers welcome the return of the sun’s nourishing light after a long, dark winter. To encourage the sun’s return, people create massive bonfires that burn on Mount Fuji every December. In addition to ensuring the earth gets off to a healthy start, Japanese winter solstice participants also focus on healing their own bodies by taking warm baths scneted with yuzu, a citrus fruit that is believed to ward off colds and facilitate strong health. If you are lucky enough to be in Japan during Toji and you happen to stop by a public bath or hot spring, you’ll notice that yuzu has been thrown into the water; most-likely, you’ll also be served kabocha squash during a winter solstice meal in Japan, as it is thought to bring luck.

Toji winter solstice celebration idea:

Relax in a nice hot bath
After all the praying, reading, cooking, and dancing you’ve been doing in celebration of the winter solstice, perhaps it’s time to wind-down and help your body relax. The Japanese use yuzu in their baths during the winter solstice, but you can use whatever essential oil you find relaxes you (lavender is always a good choice when you want to rest). As you let your muscles relax in the warm bath, focus on letting go of anything negative that you’ve been carrying around all year…and when you’re ready to rejoin the world, pull up the bath plug and watch as all that heavy energy whisks away down the drain.

Additional materials for the winter solstice

Winter solstice journal questions

What would you do with a new chance to reinvent your life?
Do you need to let go of negative thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back?
How will you move forward in the months ahead?

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Stay Healthy During the Autumn Equinox

September 19, 2017

by Deborah King Astrological Events Energy Healing Featured

Early September is a time of deep transition. For those of us who love the sun and enjoy the feeling of its warm light on our bodies, September is our last call; it is the time of year where we find that if we have lingered outdoors for too long in the evening, we are met with a chilly darkness that ushers us indoors faster than anticipated. Others look to ground down, embracing new beginnings and looking forward to mugs of cinnamon spice tea enjoyed with loved ones in warmly lit living rooms.

As with any type of significant change, September is a time where we are at our most fragile and susceptible to both physical and mental ailments. As we move toward the Autumn Equinox, the days become shorter and nights longer. As much as some of us want to hold on to every last bit of summer, now is the time to focus on releasing the past and clearing out negative energies and lingering emotions so you can start new.

Keep reading for different things you can do to prepare yourself for the shifting temperatures and seasonal changes that will keep your entire being healthy — all while still enjoying those last vibrations of summer. ?

Ways to stay healthy during the Autumn Equinox

Equinoxes occur two times a year in the Spring and Fall and is the moment in which the plane of the Earth’s equator passes through the center of the Sun’s disk. The result? On an equinox, the day and night are of approximately equal duration all over the planet.

We are approaching the Autumn Equinox this week: September 22, 2017.

As with any major astronomical event, you — and your environment — will experience changes and shifts in energy. It’s important that both before, during, and after, the Autumn Equinox, you focus on achieving balance.

Journaling: Fertilize your mind

We live in a world where we’re constantly on the go, and it can be difficult to find the time you need to sit down and work through a painful experience. However, dedicating time to healing yourself should always be a priority, especially during a time of year when there are so many energy changes happening all around you. It’s not surprising that people struggle with fatigue, mental fogginess, a lack of time, and achiness before and after the Autumn Equinox (if not year-round) when they don’t dedicate time to healing themselves.

When you are writing, it is easy to simply document what you see in the world (which is often disorder and chaos). Try to go a step deeper and understand how the events unfolding in the world around you are impacting your psyche when journaling. Once you understand how you are being affected, you can then work on finding a solution! Remember, it’s important to give yourself time to reflect on the changes that you want to make. Focus specifically on what you will be releasing and what will take its place, as well as how these new energies will help you at this stage in your journey.

Think about your mind as a garden (and no, your garden doesn’t have to be a perfectly manicured one…it can be a vast mountainside or even a tiny windowsill terrarium). Whatever type of garden you are growing in your mind, there is one constant: if you don’t regularly attend to it, you will quickly be overgrown with weeds, which make it difficult for flowers to grow. With a regular journal practice, you are clearing out the thoughts and emotions in your mind that stifle your creativity and happiness.

Meditation: Find balance

In addition to journaling, regular meditation is crucial to the overall healing process and it will help you find balance during this chaotic time of year.

During the Autumn Equinox, your meditation practice should focus on finding balance and letting go of negative energies from the past that you may still be holding onto. When you don’t reconcile conflicting issues, chaos and sickness will move in and take over: which is why so many people find themselves getting sick during this time of year. The Autumn Equinox will only magnify your unresolved conflicts by adding its own intense energies into the mix.

During your meditation practices, try to release any energy that you have that is no longer serving you, so you can regain harmony within yourself and move toward completion. If you feel that there is something that remains unfinished, but you can’t put your finger on it, have patience and trust that it will unfold for you in divine timing.

While it is important to listen to your inner guide for reassurance, know that anything you are removing will be replaced with something better — even if it feels chaotic at the moment. It can certainly be difficult at times, but don’t allow yourself to be pulled back down with old emotions of fear and despair; Spirit has given you all the tools you need to make it through these uncertain times and find your balance once again. You are a lightworker, and there are hundreds of others working on the other side of the veil, to help you ground and release.

If you feel that there is something that remains unfinished, but you can’t put your finger on it, have patience and trust that it will unfold for you in divine timing.

Stay grounded — go outside!

If you have been tuning into my weekly Heal Thrive Grow shows, you know that I’ve spoken recently about the urgent need for us to protect our Mother Earth. Ignoring the fact that it is our only home and we are doing irreparable damage that needs to stop, the Earth (figuratively and literally) grounds us.

With the Autumn Equinox comes very powerful energies, and many of them will stir up feelings and emotions that aren’t all flowers and sunshine: we may feel confused, like we’re in the middle of a circus act with uncontrolled chaos swirling all around us; a feeling of unfinished affairs resulting from leftover energy; or even confusion and a fear that you’ll be dropped into an unpredictable situation with no way to escape.

One of the best ways to find your footing during the Autumn Equinox is simply to go outside and spend some time with Mother Nature. If you are lucky enough to live by the ocean, a lake, or a river, take a walk along its edge and when you find a peaceful spot, take a moment and appreciate the absolutely stunning surroundings that have been gifted to you in this very moment. If you live near a more suburban area, find a nearby park or hiking trail and spend some time there one day. And even city dwellers can take a walk up onto a patio, up to a rooftop, or simply open a window and feel the breeze blow outside.

Connecting with nature, no matter where you are in the world, will help you find stability and give you that reminder that we all need from time to time, that you are part of something bigger. As unpleasant as emotional instability, exhaustion, fogginess, and anxiety can be, nature will ground you and help you let go of what no longer serves you, allowing you watch as the wind carries it beyond the horizon.

When the Light is Brightest . . .

June 25, 2017

by Deborah King Astrological Events Divine Feminine Energy Healing Featured

At Stonehenge, the Solstice is the day when the Sun rises over the Heel Stone and lands smack in the center of the Altar Stone. It’s preceded by Midsummer’s Eve, when magic abounds and the little folk can be seen.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna describes the Summer Solstice as the way out of the physical world and into the spiritual realms. It’s a time when the veil is so thin that it separates you from non-physical reality, and can be easily pierced. And it stays that way for days before starting to slowly fade.

We are in the midst of it now!

The next six months will see a daily diminishing of the light, so ritual fires are lit. Great bonfires to hold the sun’s heat, to honor the power of the Sun, to reflect the fire in the sky…or a candle on your altar or hearth.

It’s a time to do rituals and ceremonies that celebrate your connection to the Great Father Spirit, and to take stock of where you are and what you want to accomplish in the months leading up to Winter Solstice. It’s at this time that there is the most light in the sky, so take advantage of its radiance and reflect light on whatever you need to transform in your life.

Fire transforms wood into ash, ice into water, water into steam. In your body, there are transformative processes — like digestion — which take the food you eat and burn it into life energy. The solar energy also is associated with the light within, the light of consciousness. So, look inside: the light is bright at this time of year. As St. Francis of Assisi has been quoted as saying, “A single sunbeam is enough to drive away many shadows.”

The Sun has traditionally been considered masculine (Father Sun as opposed to Mother Earth), so it’s a good time to look at any issues you may have with masculine energies.

Are you overly competitive?
Stuck in logical rational thinking to the exclusion of your intuition?
Are you courageous enough to speak your truth?
Are you willing to take action?

Male or female, you want your masculine and feminine attributes to be in balance. It’s not Mars vs. Venus, it’s both/and.

All ancient spiritual traditions venerated the Sun. In Egypt, the head of the Sphinx is crowned by the Sun on Summer Solstice. The ancients knew that the journey the Sun makes each year can be seen as the journey of enlightenment, with the Sun standing for the Spirit in each of us. The Winter Solstice sees the birth of the Sun (the Son); the Spring Equinox sees the solar hero’s death and resurrection; followed by ascension at the Summer Solstice, the highest point when the Son reunites with the Divine. (The Autumn Equinox is the plunge into the regenerative darkness that will nurture the rebirth of the Sun at the Winter Solstice.)

When you become aware of the power of the cycle of the Sun and the seasons, you can align yourself with cycle of natural energies that help you connect to your own radiant spirit.

So, swim with the sunrise, walk in forest glens, gaze into the fire outdoors at night, but remember to use the light to shine on and fire up your relationship to your brightest and best self.

The 12 Days of Healing: A Holiday Guide to Spiritual Growth

December 5, 2016

by Deborah King Astrological Events Featured

“Neglect not the gift that is in thee.” – 1 Timothy 4:14

The traditional gift-giving season has arrived, and that scary shopping days countdown clock is ticking. But, instead of buying into the frenzy, stop and take a breath. What do you really want to give and receive this December? Are the flashing lights and colors at the mall really the heart of matters?

All the days, months, and years of your life are precious gifts to be welcomed with joy and thanksgiving. Maybe you don’t get to spend every moment exactly as you want to—you might have to fix breakfast or shovel snow or finish that sales report—but who is to say that those tasks can’t be filled with love and deep appreciation? You have the choice to open your heart and grow in spirit every day. This December, why not make the closing of the year a soulful gift of celebration and love to yourself?

In the historic holiday song “The 12 Days of Christmas,” love gives colorful, material gifts such as golden rings, swimming swans, and a partridge in a pear tree. I’m sure you can think of other, better gifts that “love” could give. What about the gifts of healing, spiritual growth, compassion, and inner peace? Anyone who received these gifts could become a powerful giver of healing love to others. A gift that keeps on giving!

Honor this true spirit of gift-giving by creating your own 12 day celebration of soul-growth this month. Here are some ideas for your personal 12 Days of Healing:

1. Look Within – Begin your celebration of the soul by renewing your meditation practice. If ever you needed your soul connection, now is the time. Don’t let a hectic holiday schedule tempt you to pass up your daily meditation. Instead, give yourself this most essential gift of peace, comfort, and joy.

2. Seek the Wisdom of the Ages – Now is the time to follow your heart into spiritual study and practice. What traditional wisdom has to offer can inspire and ignite your soul’s gifts. I found my calling and discovered my spiritual gifts by pursuing knowledge of the sacred, and you can,too.

3. Invite Help from up High – Your angels, your spiritual guides, and your ancestors, all are bending near at the winter solstice. Ask for their help and their close attendance as you embark on the transition to a higher awareness this December.

4. Do Unto Others – The spirit of giving that is a pillar of holiday tradition is a cue for looking closer at your relationships with others. Are they really “others” or are they merely manifestations of the same Source that created you? Doing for others, in whatever way, inspires a feeling of unity, the underlying truth of our existence. Truth warms and heals.

5. Look Out the Window, Open the Door – After looking out at the wonders of the natural world, you’ll be called to open the door and walk forth into whatever setting awaits. It could be as simple as a walk up the street, paying special attention to the seasonal changes at play. Listen to the sounds of the wind or the birds. Watch the play of light and shadow. Feel the chill or the warmth on your face. Nature connects, grounds, and heals by putting you in touch with all the miracles of life of which you are part.

6. Tell Your Story – What could be more healing than letting your innermost thoughts and feelings flow onto the pages of your journal? Even if you feel you don’t have a single moment to reflect, make the time to record your experiences this season. The hectic days are those you most need to stop in their tracks and talk about. Your soul will thank you for paying attention.

7. Laugh – Feeling holiday stress? Make a point of seeking laughter to relax, refresh, and heal. Keep everything in perspective and laugh off the small stuff—those things that make you want to growl when you should be smiling. Gather the family for a viewing of the movie Elf and laugh your way to a happy ending.

8. Eat and Sleep Your Way to Heavenly Peace – Your body is a temple, and while the world seems to move faster and faster around you, you can decide to step back and take extra good care of yourself this season. It’s a perfect time to eat mindfully, choosing healthy and healing foods. And sleep? It’s your body’s natural rebuilding tool. Long cool winter nights invite you to rest and restore.

9. Gather Together – When I ask myself, “What creates healing?” the one answer I know for sure is connection. December is a traditional gathering time, and you can practice two healing strategies here. First, rise above negative feelings you may have for some people in your circle. And, second, contribute to the healing of our world by bringing someone new to the party. Who’s an outsider? Who is lonely? Gather them in.

10. Oh Be Thankful – Nothing heals like gratitude. Like manna for the soul, gratitude nourishes you in both obvious and untold ways as it reverberates through your energy field and out into the world. Reflect on all you have to be grateful for and pass your gratitude along in the form of kindness. A word of thanks to those who least expect it, is a gift you both give and receive.

11. Connect to Source – In addition to meditation, I believe that prayer is one of the best practices for increasing your light and keeping your soul healthy. Prayer can come in many forms—your personal request for closer connection with Source through any practice that feels right to you. Traditional worship services, music, art, yoga, walking in nature, or serving food to the homeless can be your personal form of prayer.

12. Do What You Love – Dedicate time this holiday season to doing something you love. Give yourself the gift of using your unique talents and abilities and you will be living your life purpose, fully engaged, filled with love and enthusiasm. The world needs your uplifting contribution and your soul delights in the experience of self-expression. Doing what you love is your soul’s praise song.

Try giving yourself 12 Days of Healing this December and amazing discoveries will unfold. As you heal yourself, you will bring healing energy and light to a world waiting for the power of your example!

Click here to explore this year’s Holiday Healing Guide >>>

The Holy Daze: The Energy Healer’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays

October 30, 2016

by Deborah King Astrological Events Featured

That time of year is here once more, my friends! Just over the horizon you can almost see the tidal wave of food, festivities, family drama, and frayed nerves that is about to sweep into your world. You probably promise yourself every year that this time it’s going to be different. Here’s the good news! Whatever holidays you celebrate between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, you can anticipate the season with joy rather than dread. You can make good on your promise to rise above, to love, to smile, to give, and to ENJOY the holy and sacred approach of the winter solstice. Read on for my “Energy Healer’s Guide to Surviving the Holidays.” Let me help you focus on the positive, the beautiful, and the light-filled way you’d love it to be!

For many, the holidays are way too full of unrealistic expectations and that nagging feeling that you owe yourself and your family the “perfect holiday” no matter what financial, emotional or family challenge you’re facing. Whether your fears include: “I can’t afford it,” “I don’t have time,” or “my family makes me crazy,” imagine stepping back and putting your own spiritual wellbeing first. What an amazing concept! Imagine bringing your highest self, your most balanced, serene, compassionate, loving, forgiving, and light-hearted self to the holiday party!

You can stay sane and centered in the midst holiday madness.

Remember that you always have the choice to step back from the world and find your own realm of peace and tranquility. In a world gone mad (and not just with seasonal chaos), you are called to keep the faith, the love, and a firm grasp on eternal truth for yourself and for others as well. Cherish your sense of humor, and let happy laughter keep you grounded.

You can be forgiving and loving even when your family and the in-laws arrive at your door.

Remember that you are always safe. Open yourself to the soul connection that is always present for you. You are in the comfort zone that Spirit has created—safe, secure, powerful, and indestructible. Your holidays can be filled with joy and laughter when you feel the connection that is freely offered by a loving Universe.

You can keep your heart open, your channels clear, and your days holy–even in the midst of worry, resentment, exhaustion, and an extra big pile of dirty dishes.

Remember that no heap of dirty dishes, or even Uncle Al’s announcement that he is staying for a month, is anything compared to the power of your own inner light. Your connection to the sacred is always with you—all the time and everywhere. In my work as an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I have learned how to nurture the connection to Spirit that is always available when you need it. And don’t you always need it? When you learn to see the sacred, the miraculous, around you at all times, celebration becomes a way of life.

Here are some simple things you can do each day to keep the sacred in your heart (and guarantee your survival) during the holidays:

Pray – Prayer is a part of most traditional religious celebrations during the holidays. This powerful form of communicating with Spirit can bring joy and peace any time and any place.
Meditate – Meditating each day is a healing practice that keeps you in touch with your soul and strengthens your ability to remain calm and balanced in all circumstances.
Journal — Spend time using your journal to acknowledge your feelings about the people and events that fill your holidays. If you have something to forgive, choose to do so. You’ll feel a sense of relief and lightness that will carry you through the season. Be sure to forgive yourself, too, for meeting the Holy Daze on your own terms this year.
Seek Nature – Giving yourself the gift of time in your favorite natural setting is guaranteed to help you appreciate the divine during the holiday season. Nature can be your cathedral. A fragrant pine tree covered with snow or a red cardinal sitting on an icy branch can bring feelings of joy that connect you to the sacred.
Sing (or Just Listen) – Singing traditional holiday songs, listening to the harmony of a choir, or taking part in any musical experience are opportunities that come with the holiday season. Listen, sing, and dance when Spirit offers.
Engage – When you gather with friends and family for the holidays, see if you can look at the scene with the eyes of Spirit, eyes of unconditional love and acceptance. Seeing those traditional gatherings through a lens of loving kindness can transform and heal.
Give – By giving to those in need, by donating your time, by finding ways to shift the focus from excess for some to plenty for all, you’ll discover the sacred act of giving thanks to a boundless Universe.

By taking care of yourself, making time for your own spiritual and health practices, you’ll keep your mind clear and your spirit light. When you give yourself loving permission to enjoy the season, you’ll be able to spread that joy to others around you, to extend a healing presence. Let the Energy Healer’s Guide help you honor your soul and meet the season with an abundance of joy and light!

Find out more about the role of the energy healer in nurturing your connection to the Divine, I hope you’ll join me for my December retreat, Sanctuary for the Mantle of Healing, December 1-4 in Ojai, CA. Click here for more details >>>

Winter Solstice Carries Angel Messages Meant Just for You

December 13, 2015

by Deborah King Angels Astrological Events Energy Healing Featured

One of America’s best-loved holiday traditions is settling in on a cold winter’s night to watch the classic TV special, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” When Linus recites the famous Bible passage from 2nd Luke, a magical transformation takes place.

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” —Luke 2, 13-14

We hear an angel choir singing and the Peanuts kids’ humble celebration turns holy. Aren’t we just like the beloved cartoon children? As the winter solstice approaches, we wait for the arrival of heavenly messengers and open our hearts to receive their gifts.

According to wisdom tradition, the winter solstice brings the realm of the angels closest to the human plane. Angels are “bending near the earth,” as the carol says. Just as the Northern Hemisphere of our planet reaches the shortest period of daylight and the longest night, the angelic realm leans in, ready to listen to our hopes and dreams and offer us the hope and healing we seek. When we reach the winter solstice on December 22, 2015, we’ll see the sun peak at its lowest point in the sky. The term solstice means “sun stands still,” and for a fleeting moment, the sun actually seems to pause in the sky – a signal to the world that the long night is over.

As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I encourage you to honor the winter solstice by taking advantage of this special season to listen for your angels. You can reach out to them during this time of rest and reflection and listen for their messages. Tune in to your “angel awareness.” Have you had an experience with an angel who offered life-changing advice? Was there someone who appeared to you during a difficult time and offered comforting words, support, or a fresh look at your situation? It could have been an angel helping to steer you down the path you are meant to travel. Recall the times in your life when you received a message of love and healing from an angel. Messages take all shapes and forms, but an angel is always there.

Angels are higher beings living on higher planes, and the more time you spend connecting with them and their angelic vibrations, the higher you travel on your own path of light. It is also true that the internal spiritual work you do, including healing courses and workshops, meditation, and processing your emotions, will help strengthen your ability to contact and interact with angels. An angel’s purpose is to spread love, and they do this by healing, protecting, guiding, and sharing divine love with you so you can experience the deep soul knowing that you are loved. You are loved beyond your wildest dreams, and you are loved unconditionally. Once you’ve experienced the high angelic realms where you can hear the heavenly choirs singing their celestial music, your heart will expand as it fills with love and your inner light will radiate kindness, and you will begin the process of becoming an ambassador of that light and love to others.

The winter solstice has always been a good time to deepen your meditation practice. You can diminish your personal darkness and increase your light as the world enters the annual return to longer, brighter days. Just as the ideal time for daily meditation is in the hours before dawn when the world is still, so is the deep of winter a time of stillness. Use this quiet time of reflection to soothe your spirit. Reach out to your angels during this sacred season. With knowledge of the future and your true heart’s desires, the angels provide accurate and incredibly helpful guidance that is always worth following. Although angels live in the higher planes where they are able to bask in the glow of God’s love at all times, we are lucky that they are willing and able to lean in and carry that love back down to earth, and into our hearts. Enjoy this mystical and hopeful time of year by listening for your angels!

The world in solemn stillness lay,

To hear the angels sing.

Learn more about connecting with your angels of energy healing during this special time of year.

Piercing the Veil: How to Connect to the Spirit Realm

October 20, 2014

by Deborah King Astrological Events Uncategorized

Open-Doors

Have you made successful contact with spirits from beyond? Now is the time to try! You do not need to be a medium in order to connect with spirits beyond the physical plane, but there are certain times of the year when it becomes easier. As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I can feel the spiritually significant shift in seasons occurring this month, which means it’s the ideal time for you to bridge the gap between the physical realm and the spirit realm for guidance, support, love, and reassurance about the immortal nature of your soul. Blurred Lines Between Worlds

Autumn is a time of transition, a time when the leaves change color from red to orange to yellow, when the clear skies of summer become filled with rolling clouds, and the days begin to get darker earlier. The winds of change are in the air, and these visible forms of transformation on display from Mother Nature are a good reminder that there are other blurred lines occurring right now as well: between the living and the dead, between your body and your soul, between HHHeaven and Earth.

Spirit Invitations

The end of October has been a spiritually significant time for centuries. Ancient people held rituals and harvest festivals at this time to mark the end of summer and begin the preparations for the colder months to come. What we now call Halloween has its roots in Celtic harvest festivals, particularly the Gaelic festival called Samhain, which means “summer’s end.” These cultures recognized that this date was the midpoint between the autumnal equinox and the winter solstice, which makes it a period of indistinct boundaries between physical and spiritual, and a powerful time for communion with spirits. As part of their celebrations, the Celts would honor the dead and invite them into their homes, make offerings of freshly tilled food, and communicate with loved ones who had passed to the other side.

New-Clouds

Transition Traditions

More recent and contemporary traditions still celebrate the thinning of the veil between worlds in similar fashion. The Mexican holiday Day of the Dead includes gatherings of friends and family to remember and celebrate loved ones who have passed on. People build altars and bring these along with the deceased’s favorite foods and drinks to the grave sites. Similar rituals take place around this time in many other countries as well. It seems the whole world is aware that the transition between seasons is also a time to pay tribute to the transition between life and death and connect with the spirit realm.

So how can you take advantage of this in-between time to increase your connection with the other side?

Honor the deceased.

Just as Day of the Dead or Samhain traditions included inviting the spirits of loved ones to visit by putting out favorite foods and drinks, you can set a place at the table for a loved one during this month as an invitation. You might bring valued possessions of the deceased to their gravesite, or set up an altar or light a candle in their name, or have a party to tell stories about their life and celebrate the time they spent on Earth. Honoring the dead can happen many ways—choose the method that feels right to you.

Once you have made room for a spirit in your environment, be aware for signs of their presence. A photograph of them may levitate or fall off a wall, or an object the loved one gave you that you lost might suddenly reappear. You may hear their voice or even see an apparition. During this month of easy cross-overs between worlds, you can expect a noticeable response from the spirit realm, so stay alert.

New-Candle

Pay attention to your dreams.

Spirits without bodies often prefer to make contact with you through your dreams. Sometimes a spirit will visit you to give you a warning of an impending event, or advise you about your health, or provide other helpful information or guidance. When you attend healing courses and have an active practice of energy healing and meditation, you become more open to the other side than many people are, so a spirit may visit you and ask you to pass on a message to someone else who is less receptive.

You can usually recognize a true visitation dream by a few tell-tale signs. The dream might feel much more “real” and vivid than other dreams; the spirit may reach out or hug you, and you still feel the contact when you wake; a deceased friend or family member will appear as a much younger version of themself; you may experience extremely intense emotions of forgiveness, anger, relief, and love; and lastly, there is likely to be a gut sense that it was that person “for real” and not just a memory or projection. As you’ve learned through energy healing, go ahead trust your third chakra, trust your intuition—it’s most likely telling you the truth.

Remember you are not solely a physical being.

When you make a true connection with a spirit from the other side, it will reinforce what you learn in energy medicine: you are not just your body. You are a soul housed in a body for this lifetime on Earth, but when your body dies, your soul does not; it simply transitions back into the spirit realm, back where it came from.

Spiritual-Tree

Once you have interacted with souls who no longer have bodies, you will have no doubts that spirits live on, or that you will continue to live after you leave your body. When the veil is permeable, it’s easier to recognize that the illusion is the physical world; the reality is that you were born in the spirit realm and you will return there. This life is a stepping stone in a long soul journey. This expanded perception of mortality gives you the strength to confront the fear of death, which just may be the greatest gift of piercing the veil and connecting with spirits in the beyond.

The upcoming winter solstice is the next time of year when the veil between worlds will be at its most permeable, so if you are interested in learning more about how to connect to the other side, I hope you’ll consider joining me in person or by live stream in December for my Piercing the Veil event, where my special guest, James Van Praagh, internationally renowned medium and spiritual teacher, and I will bridge the gap between this world and the next. Hope to see you there!

3 Ways to Take Advantage of the Lunar Eclipse

October 6, 2014

by Deborah King Astrological Events Uncategorized

An exciting celestial event is happening this Wednesday—a total lunar eclipse, also sometimes called a “blood moon.” An eclipse occurs when the earth comes between the sun and the moon, blocking the sun’s light from reaching the moon and covering the moon in Earth’s shadow. Partial lunar eclipses are relatively common, but a total lunar eclipse can only occur when the moon is full and is perfectly aligned with the sun and Earth, which doesn’t happen very often. You can imagine the energy radiating from such a cosmic arrangement!

One of the basic tenets of energy healing is that you are connected to the universal field, which is connected to everything in the entire universe, including the sun, the moon, and beyond. So when a planetary line-up like a total lunar eclipse occurs, you should sit up and take notice, because that energy affects you directly.

The Moon of Change

Ancient people were terrified of total lunar eclipses because, while the moon is technically in darkness, it rarely goes black. Instead, it usually turns a blood red color or a deep orange or even copper-colored, which is sunlight skimming off the earth’s atmosphere, the light of all the sunrises and sunsets ringing the earth. Before we had sufficient technology, people thought the red “blood” moon was a sign from the gods or an omen of war or disease. These kinds of fears were likely intensified by the power of the eclipse, since emotions are closely connected to the moon.

The Moon Influences More than Tides

Emotions tend to run high during all full moons, but this eclipse will likely cause feelings that have been simmering to boil over, and emotional eruptions wouldn’t be surprising from even the most mild-mannered folks. Lunar eclipses are also associated with change and decisions. They often signal an ending or a new beginning, especially within relationships of all types.

But don’t worry! These shifts and new starts, the emotional turmoil, it all leads to a place of discovery, truth, and awareness. The trick is to learn how to take advantage of the lunar eclipse’s transformational energy, and use it to heal yourself and your relationships. Of course, any energy medicine techniques you perform during this time will be amplified by the moon’s energy, as will your meditation, so be sure to do plenty of both for the best results. Here are three more ways to benefit from the lunar eclipse:

Embrace change.

Change is always a little scary, but it’s also the only way you can grow. Lunar eclipses are periods of “course corrections,” times in your life where you can change the direction you are traveling in order to live a more truthful, authentic life. Keeping up your daily meditation and attending energy healing courses can help you handle any adjustments, and once the new, better routines are in place you will be glad you embraced the shift. Just remember that the changes that arise from this celestial energy are necessary, and though they may be difficult, they are going to make you stronger and happier in the long term.

Let go of the old and bring in the new.

Now is the time to let go of anything that’s no longer working: habits or patterns of behavior, jobs, people, foods, anything that is no longer serving the authentic you. Sometimes habits begin as helpful crutches meant to carry you through a rough patch, but when they become problematic, you have to muster the strength to quit. Lunar eclipses especially force you to look at your relationships. Do any seem to hold you back or bring you down? Be prepared for a shift in the way you relate to someone or several someones, or the world, or even yourself during this time. This lunar eclipse will give you the extra courage you need to move on from anything that’s old and unneeded.

This moon’s energy also encourages following your dreams. When you let go of the old, it’s time to make room for the new. Be true to yourself, believe in yourself, and take an emotional risk. Take the dance or art class you’ve been considering. Contemplate moving or changing careers or becoming an energy healer! Really dig deep during this eclipse and see what you can give up and what you will gain as a result.

Reveal your truth.

This eclipse has a risk-taking aspect to it, an increase in courage, especially related to other people in your life. Is there someone close to you who you are hiding something from, or someone you feel like you can’t reveal a part of yourself to? Now is the time to act! Use the boost in bravery to stand up for yourself or your principles and admit your truth to the person who needs to hear it most. Use this lunar energy to say something you’ve been trying to but couldn’t find the strength.

Whatever you hold back can get caught in your energy field and chakras, slowing down the flow of energy to you and weakening your body and spirit. As an energy healer and spiritual teacher, I always encourage my students to journal or otherwise express their deepest emotions and personal truths because it helps keep the chakras clear and healthy. But this week, I want you to try to take a step further and express your truths to someone else. Use the lunar eclipse to spear-head change. I bet you will feel a great weight lifted from your heart chakra.

All change can be difficult at first, but it is also a great opportunity for growth. Exercise isn’t always fun, but you feel so good afterwards, and you feel proud of yourself for powering through, for accomplishing a goal through the sweat and resistance, so it’s worth it. That’s what it feels like to make necessary adjustments in your behaviors and relationships, to shake things up, to correct the course of your life. This lunar eclipse is the perfect time to “just do it!”

Supermoon Sunday: Tap into the Power of Lunar Energy

August 4, 2014

by Deborah King Astrological Events Energy Healing

How often do you go outside and look at the moon? You probably spend most of your waking hours enjoying the light of the sun, which is influential in its own right, but did you know that the energy of the moonlight holds its own special power?

What Is a Supermoon?

This Sunday a supermoon will rise into the night sky and bathe the world in its shimmering white light. A “supermoon” is a full moon that occurs when the moon’s orbit is closest to the earth, making the moon appear even bigger and brighter than normal. Lucky us!

A full moon is always a powerful time for meditation, energy healing, and recharging your energy field and chakras. That is why so many cultures have rituals and ceremonies that take place during full moons—the full moon shines down so much pure energy that anything it touches can’t help but feel its radiance and love. The supermoon effect amplifies that power and makes it even stronger.

Energy Medicine and the Full Moon

Energy healing during this potent time can yield incredible results. The illumination it provides is not only physical, but on the soul level as well, lighting up corners of your subconscious and giving you access to insights about your emotions, yourself, and your path, so you’ll definitely want to take advantage of this next week’s lunar energy!

Here are my top 7 ways to do just that:

1. Get in touch with your emotions.

Emotions are magnified during the full moon. Have you ever heard people say, “It must be a full moon,” when things start to go crazy? Since emotions are so easily accessible during this time, it’s a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and release them. This will help clear your chakras, and allow for the healing energy of the full moon to work its magic. Journaling is especially beneficial right now, and in addition to expressing your inner truths and feelings, it’s a good time to write out your intentions, make decisions about what you really want, and fully embrace your truest self.

2. Take a moon bath.

The moonlight is cleansing to your mind, body, and spirit, so spending time under its vibrant white glow is like a soothing bath without the water. Take a walk under the moon, preferably with some of your skin bared to the light. Gaze up at the brilliance of the moon for as long as you can, basking in its energy and love. What do you feel in your body and in your chakras? What messages is the moon lighting up inside of you? A moon bath steeps your body and spirit in purifying light, washing away negativity and leaving you fresh and renewed.

3. Manifest your desires.

Harness the positive energy of the moon by envisioning your goals and dreams. Spend some time picturing your life as you wish it to be. What are your intentions? The full moon will magnify any energy you send out, and help guide it into the welcoming embrace of the universe. Be clear and specific about what you wish to manifest and don’t be surprised when your intentions come true.

4. Release negativity.

The moon’s light is so strong, it’s hard for darkness to stand up in the face of its glory. The moon can reach the deepest parts of your soul and pull out the things you’ve been hiding or trying to ignore. The moon illuminates any negative emotions stored in your chakras or your body and reflects that knowledge back to you so that you can begin the process of clearing those blockages through meditation, healing courses, or other means.

5. Be creative.

What is your special talent or hobby? Do you paint or cook or act or sing? Maybe you enjoy decorating or gardening or a sport. The full moon is the time to do whatever creative activity makes you feel joyful! Any creations you make this next week will be imbued with the light and energy of the full moon, and can even act as special tokens or talismans that will allow you to recall the moon’s energy whenever you need it in the future.

6. Sleep outside.

I try to sleep outside all summer, and especially during the full moons. So this warm August night, why not give it a try? Grab a sleeping bag or blanket and head out under the canopy of sparkling stars and the glowing full moon and just bask in the light. Meditate or even say a little prayer, and let the peace and beauty of the moon soak into your body and soul while you sleep. You’ll wake up refreshed and rejuvenated.

7. Boost your feminine energy.

Women, take note: you in particular need the feminine lunar energy of the moon in order to keep your energy field vibrant and strong. This is not to discount the guys, because they need feminine energy as well—remember everything is about balance—but the female energy of the moon is absolutely essential for women to maintain the health of their field. Of course, all energy healing efforts are boosted by a full moon, but gals may find this time especially fruitful during.

I hope that you’ll try some or all of these techniques during this coming supermoon weekend. At the very least, make an effort to get outside this next weekend and enjoy the benefits of spending time lovingly enveloped in the soft white glow of the moon!

5 Surprising Truths About Easter

April 16, 2014

by Deborah King Astrological Events Uncategorized

Aren’t Easter festivities fun? What other holiday has an egg-laying mammal that comes to your house at night with goodies for children? Decorating eggs allows kids and adults to express some creativity, but who thought of dyeing eggs in the first place? How did the resurrection of Christ come to be connected to the Easter Bunny?

While Easter is officially a Christian holiday, contemporary Easter celebrations are a mash-up of stories, traditions, and practices from several cultures and religions that have evolved over centuries, including customs that predate Christianity. That’s right—some of the most popular Easter traditions are older that you think!

Even if the commercial aspect of the holiday is a little out of control—plastic grass and Peeps everywhere—the essential symbols and customs that have survived still bear traces of their original intent: to honor the miracles of resurrection and rebirth.

As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I find holidays with such cultural complexity fascinating, and I hope you’ll enjoy these five surprising truths about Easter.

1. “Easter” is Named After an Ancient Fertility Goddess

The word “Easter” comes from “Eastre” or “Eostre” who was a goddess of spring in the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxon tribes of Northern Europe. Each year at the vernal equinox—which is when the day and night are approximately the same length—the Anglo-Saxons honored Eastre by holding a festival to mark the beginning of spring and celebrate all the promise of rebirth in nature. Eastre is also a fertility goddess, as spring and fertility go hand in hand, and the celebrations were designed to honor renewal and rebirth, the cycle of life, and the promise of fruitfulness.

As Christianity spread across Europe, many missionaries adopted pagan rituals and traditions into the Christian faith and gave them a context within the religion. The Eastre festival of rebirth and fertility coincided with the time of the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, so these two holidays that commemorate renewal were blended into the beginnings of our contemporary Easter.

2. The Easter Bunny Came from Germany

It’s probably no surprise to you that the Easter bunny is not in the Bible, but do you know why the mascot for this resurrection holiday is a rabbit?

Pagans used the rabbit as a symbol of fertility and the abundance of life in because of the rabbit reputation for quick procreation and large litters. As pagan customs were absorbed into Christianity, the pagan bunny hopped along. The rabbit association is also likely connected to Eastre, who was often either represented as a hare or depicted as being accompanied by a hare.

Scholars believe the more recent version of the Easter Bunny as a creature that delivers candy was brought to the United States by German immigrants, who told stories of “Oschter Haws,” an egg-laying hare.

Oschter Haws was said to fill nests full of decorated eggs for children who were deemed “good”—much like Santa Claus filling stockings—and as the practice spread throughout America, the deliveries started to also include candy and chocolate. You can thank the Germans for the first chocolate bunnies as well, which evolved out of pastries and cakes shaped like Oschter Haws that they began making in the 1800s.

3. Eggs Mean Rebirth—Literally and Figuratively

Eggs have long been associated with new life and rebirth. After all, life literally hatches from eggs. Eggs are the vessel of new life about to be born—what more appropriate symbol is there? Ancient cultures across the globe have incorporated eggs into their springtime rituals and celebrations for centuries.

Decorating eggs is seen in many countries and seems to go all the way back to the 13^th century. Orthodox Christians in the Middle East and Greece painted or dyed their eggs shades of red to signify the blood Christ shed on the cross. German parents distributed green eggs as gifts, Austrians created patterns on eggs by boiling them with plants, and in Poland and Ukraine, eggs were often elaborately decorated with dye, wax, and silver and gold paint.

4. Eggs Were Not Originally Hardboiled for Fun

During Medieval times in Europe, the church forbade the eating of eggs during Lent. Any eggs that were laid during the forty days of Lent had to be preserved, and boiling was often used. Since Easter marks the end of Lent, these preserved—hardboiled—eggs were a big part of the Easter meals and a cherished gift for children. Parents would hide eggs as a game for children and kids would roll eggs down hills for fun.

Easter egg hunts and egg rolls seem to be the contemporary versions of these traditions, including the famous White House lawn egg roll that happens every year.

5. Easter Is a Great Time for Spiritual Awakening

Could your life use a spiritual awakening, or reawakening? As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I want to stress the importance of the rebirth aspect of this holiday. Spring is blossoming and signs are all around of life coming out of its shell, moving its face toward the light, and you can bloom, too!

Now is the perfect time to begin a practice of daily meditation, or recommit yourself to meditation if you’ve let your routine slide. Easter is also a good time to take stock of your chakras and the health of your energy field. To find out if your chakras are spinning correctly, you can take energy healing workshops or healing courses. An energy healer will be able to realign any imbalances in your energy field. A practitioner of energy medicine can also assist you in experiencing spiritual initiations which are steps toward higher consciousness. How’s that for spiritual renewal?

If you would like to learn more about energy healing, meditation, and how to read your chakras, be sure to check out my Hay House LifeForce Energy Healing Course, now live, that will teach you all about energy medicine and its incredible benefits, and how to heal yourself and others. Plus, the course certifies you in the exciting field of energy medicine!

Anticipating the Light

December 18, 2013

by Deborah King Astrological Events Energy Healing Energy Medicine

“In the depth of winter, I finally learned
that within me there lay an invincible summer.”
~ Albert Camus

As the seasons continue their relentless cycle, once again we find ourselves nearly at year-end, facing the darkest day of the year. December 21, 2013 marks the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, when we’ll experience the shortest day and longest night and see the sun peak at its lowest point in the sky. The term solstice means “sun stands still,” and for a fleeting moment the sun actually seems to pause in the sky – a signal to the world that the long night is over and we can look forward to the weeks to come when the days lengthen and the sun once again begins to work it’s magic here on earth!

For most of us today, the challenges of winter don’t go much beyond travel delays, ice on our windshields and the need to bundle up in warm coats, scarves and gloves. To others, the grey, gloomy days of winter can trigger Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) a mood change that’s associated with the change of the seasons. To ancient cultures, the winter solstice had much greater significance as each year citizens calculated their odds of living through the winter, dreading the approach of cold and darkness as they longed for spring to return.

The longest night of the year marks the return of the light in many cultures and has long been held as a sacred time of year. We can see evidence of these ancient tributes in places that were built to acknowledge this astronomical event, and in many of today’s winter holidays and rituals.

At Newgrange, a Stone Age passage tomb in Ireland, the sun shines down its long passageway into the central chamber at the first crack of light on the winter solstice. Each year, people gather at Newgrange on winter solstice to wait for the dawning of the light, and just as it did over 5,000 years ago, for seventeen minutes as the sun rises the whole chamber is illuminated. It’s an extraordinary experience to wait in the darkness for the longest night of the year to come to an end, as the old sun dies and the new sun is born. In 2007, for the first time, the illumination at the passage tomb was broadcast live so that people around the world could experience this magical moment in their own living rooms.

Gods have a way of appearing just as things are at their darkest! The infant Jesus, whose birth is celebrated right around the time of winter solstice, brought light back into the world. In the days of the Roman Empire, many of their gods were born near the time of the solstice: Apollo, Attis, Baal, Dionysus, Helios, Hercules, Horus, Mithra, Osiris, Perseus, and Theseus. In the third century, their festivals were combined into one “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun” on December 25th. In Japan, the sun goddess Amateratsu emerges from her cave at this time of year.

Simple rituals, ancient and modern, help us to shed our own light on the darkness. All over the world people gather together with loved ones, light candles, decorate their homes, share meals and/or exchange gifts. All these winter holidays—Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Saint Lucia Day, Dong Zhi (which literally means “the extreme of winter”), Diwali, Koleduvane (a festival in Belgium for the birth of the sun), Gody (in Poland), Shabe-Yalda (rebirth of the sun as celebrated in Iran) – are celebrating the return of the light during the darkest time of the year.

As a spiritual teacher and energy healer, I encourage you to remember that without darkness, there can be no light. To celebrate the seasonal cycle, why not develop your own personal rituals to mark the passing of darkness and the ascension into the light! Take a hike to a high outdoor peak, attend a meditation retreat or energy healing workshop, create a special journal entry to process any darkness that you have accumulated this season, or find a way to spread some light to others who are experiencing hardships or depression. Enjoy this mystical and hopeful time of year!

Sacred Sites Close to Home

July 8, 2013

by Deborah King Astrological Events Uncategorized

Summer is here, and you want to do something a little different for your two-week vacation, or for a long weekend. You’d prefer to go somewhere like the pyramids in Egypt, or Stonehenge in England, or Machu Picchu in Peru and connect with the ancient spiritual energies, but . . . well, that’s just not going to happen this year. Never fear, you can visit sacred sites right here in the U.S., and you can probably find ones right near where you live.

We don’t often think about the places in the U.S. that are considered sacred, yet there are many. But first, what is a sacred site? Some are places that are held holy by certain religions or cultural traditions; some are geological features like mountains, waterfalls, or caves; some have man-made structures on them. What all of these sacred sites have in common is an energy field that surrounds and saturates them. The invisible field of energy at certain places can have the ability to heal the body and awaken the soul. When a pilgrim enters that place of power and connects to it through meditation, prayer, or ritual, he or she can link up with the power of the place. As a spiritual teacher and a seeker, I’ve often connected to Source at sacred sites.

So where in the U.S. might you go?

If you live in or near the Ohio River Valley, for example, you are in the heart of the great ceremonial mound-building culture that developed along the Mississippi River and its tributaries. Over 10,000 mounds and earthworks once flourished in the area, built by ancestors of today’s American Indians. Many of these earthen hills are filled with burials and funerary objects, while other mounds were used mostly for ceremony. Of the many that once existed, 1,000 mounds are still visible. Others have been destroyed in the name of progress. You know, the “take Paradise, put up a parking lot” mentality. If you play golf at the Moundbuilders Country Club, for example, you could be teeing off on top of the Octagon Mound. But there are still fragments you can see of the Wright Earthworks or the Newark Earthworks. You can also visit the quarter-mile Great Serpent Mound (pictured) near Dayton, Ohio, the largest effigy mound in the U.S., which represents an underworld spirit being. The serpent’s head aligns to sunset on the day of the summer solstice.

In Illinois, the Cahokia Mounds are part of an ancient civilization of Mississippian peoples that was once one of the greatest cities in the world. Part of the complex, called the Monk’s Mound, is the largest manmade earthen mound in the Americas, with a base larger than the Great Pyramid at Giza.

Many of the places that are still sacred to the Native peoples are in the West, such as Crater Lake, Oregon, sacred to the Klamath people whose ancestors witnessed the eruption that formed the lake; Blue Lake, NM, sacred to the Taos Pueblo; The Black Hills of South Dakota, especially Bear Butte, sacred to the Lakota Cheyenne and Kiowa (the Lakota called it the “Heart of All Things,” and an astronaut on the space shuttle who photographed it from orbit said the outline of the mountains looks like a human heart); for the Snoqualmie people, the massive Snoqualmie Falls waterfall is their spiritual focal point, with the mists from the base believed to connect heaven and earth.

If you can’t get out of the city, visit any of the magnificent cathedrals and temples that you may have passed a thousand times without entering—such as Trinity Church in Boston; the Baltimore Basilica; St Patrick’s, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (the largest cathedral in the world), or Saint Thomas Church in New York—and spend some time meditating there.

From Mount Denali in Alaska to the Bighorn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming, from the Great Mother Mound in Mississippi to the Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota, from Mt. Kilauea in Maui (the home of the volcano goddess Pele) to the Badlands of South Dakota, there are incredible places to visit that don’t need a passport to get to. All across the U.S., there are thousands of sites sacred to the indigenous tribes and nations of this country, each with their own mythology and imbued spirituality. So whether you are aware of it or not, you could be living and working on or walking or driving over sacred land.

Do some research in your local area to discover what once existed there, or what may possibly still be available as a sacred site you can visit. Go online to one of the lists of U.S. sacred sites to see some of the places available in your state. Or come to an energy healing or life coaching course (/events-workshops//) and learn to connect to the sacred site of your own heart.

Sacred sites are everywhere!

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