Wear your crown | Brave your soul | Shine brightly.
“Don't let the idea that you may feel like you're 'showing-off' hold you back, it's pure freedom of expression. Share your soul through whatever medium you choose. Use play as a channel for creative inspiration. Shine brightly, for each an every one of us has a burning light within which acts as an invitation for others to access their inner glow. Like beacons to each other, like the stars in the sky.’
We’ve been through the wringer.
I don’t know about you but it’s been an emotional time, of ups and downs, with tidal waves of all the feels, releases and rebirths, where shadows came to light. Heavy but powerful. Turbulent, raw and real. We’ve come through Cancer season with the watery element which was enhanced by the Eclipses’ and Retrogrades' and we can now welcome the change in cosmic season.
A brighter, lighter time ahead.
Leo greets us with a much lighter astro notes. We’ve done the heavy lifting and we can take a moment to shake off our manes and bathe in the beauty of the sun. Leo is in the Fire element and so is Summer (the wheel within the wheel has aligned). It’s a great time to look at what we’re growing metaphorically and perhaps what we’ve already grown that we’re now ready to share with the world, in the first harvest (Lughnasadh - August 1st - see Soul Circle in the events section). This time of the Lion (or Lioness!) represents all that you would probably imagine - courage, creativity, expression, excitement, fun and playfulness. It’s not a time to play it small. We can come out of ‘metaphorical’ hiding and show the world who we are (FYI: I don’t mean in the physical sense - I’m aware some of us may be wary of socialising etc with the Pandemic still circling so honour your feelings, you can still expand and express from the comfort of your home). The more each of us shines our light authentically and from our heart, the more this inspires others to do the same. Not only do we celebrate our own talents we can celebrate our 'prides', our friends and family, tell them how brilliant you think they are. Step wildly into your power, untamed and unapologetic, taking the stage. Resistance may come up but I promise it feels so good when you do this, energy moves and your soul will thank you for your courage and bravery.
Balance.
As always with the cycles it’s about the balancing act, too much of Leo and Summer fiery 'Yang' energy and we burn out, too much expansion and what’s left within? Journey home to your 'Yin' whenever you feel the need to re-fill the cup, charge up the batteries and replenish so you can continue to express from a place of ‘wholeness’.
My Mantras for this time:
Let your subconscious flow through art.
Express freely without judgement.
Embrace visibility: Be seen & heard.
Play Play Play, for this is the highest form of learning.
I’ve been musing a lot around art, creativity, telling stories and accessing confidence recently and the power it has. With the creative element of Leo there’s no better time for me to share this. I scribbled down these words:
“Art will be the healer for humanity. Art is the expression of our internal world in a physical form, it’s a medium, a way to translate what we can’t always understand through our logic.
Whether it’s a song, a performance, a poem, a lovingly-made loaf of bread, an inspired salad - these are all creations and they come from the great beyond through you. Through your unique spirit and your interpretation, art is alchemy in motion.
You don’t have to be an artist to create art. My belief is that we are all artists at heart and that art should be shared, why be gifted with a creation that doesn’t fly from your nest? (I’d love to hear if you agree/disagree on this). I think the mentality of ‘not being good at art’ comes from what we were told as children - ‘I’m a rubbish dancer/I’m tone deaf/I’ve not got a creative bone in my body'. Whereas in fact, think about all that we create or have created in our lives.
Here's a list of examples of art-forms and creativity-in-motion our lives:
Starting a family is a creative (literal) process
Making a beautiful meal
Idea's are inspired acts of creative thinking
Writing content for an instagram post and choosing or taking an image to curate your feed is artistic
Humming a made-up melody in the shower.
Dancing
Building a fire
It’s our duty as creative beings to touch base with our inner artists, how are we accessing this part of us, how are we sharing our creations? Putting it out there, even if you have a small circle (we all exist within our own circles) one person within that may resonate and feel something, to help them make sense of life and so the ripple continues. We're in Leo season, this is where we can harness this time to express fully, live passionately, roar boldly and show off our magnificence. Even if there’s resistance, fear of judgement, blocks - by sharing, it moves energy and we experience a relief when we share and it doesn’t feel so scary. And this, inevitably, shakes up others to do the same.
Storytime.
Storytelling is as old as time and we must continue to tell, re-share, make-up our stories. Stories are passed down from generation to generation, it’s the thread of our human race, the tapestry of humanity weaving more and more tales within. The future me’s and you’s will learn from art. There’s a universal language which we can all relate to. Art crosses barriers of language. It has a universal meaning, substance, intention with multiple and interpretations. Think about how so much of history is learnt through books, paintings, poetry. What do we want to leave behind?
Accessing your creativity can be assisted by different methods. For some people it’s showing up and allowing the flow to take over you. For others it could be a walk in nature or deep meditation. If you have fears that so much has already been created already, what's the point? I believe there’s infinite creative potential within the universe. And that there is a whole universe of untapped potential within each of us. Exploring the world through the lens of a child, curious and playful can also help. I think ‘learning through play’ is relevant not just to children but for adults. When do you enjoy guilt-free play?
There’s a deep-rooted mentality that creative expression and confidence, this outward movement of energy can sometimes make people feel uncomfortable or judgemental. It can be seen as showy, flamboyant, OTT and this can almost put you off sharing yourself because you don’t want to appear to be these things. I think sharing with authenticity and from your heart is the purest expression and inspires others to find this place within them and shine their own light in this way. We all have a shy, fearful part of us that worries what people think and procrastination and resistance can block our flow.
Art is observation, interpretation, empathy and embodiment. A way to find your own truth within the world. Experiencing universal feelings and interpreting these in your own unique way . Diving into the shadow and coming up for air with pockets full of wisdom. Sharing creates a cycle of resounding resonance, a relatability. E.g. A song you hear may feel like it was written about your own personal experience and that provides you with healing. We’re always learning, we’re always growing and I believe art is integral to all of our journeys. It's our way of guiding ourselves and each other home.
What I invite you to do (turn off any distracting tech):
1. Meditate - get to that pure state of peace, openess, space, grounded. For some this may be through stillness, on a silent walk, or by moving (Gabrielle Roths 5 Rhythms gets me to that place if I'm feeling the need to move).
2. Tune into a feeling, something that’s whirling within you that you’re trying to make sense of, an observation of a situation, something in the world. Immerse yourself in that feeling and bring it into your meditation. What does it bring up? What do you see/feel?
THEN
3. Choose your creative method. Express that feeling you accessed through one of these methods. Freely. Without judgement.
Words - free-write anything that came up, list metaphors, describe visuals, splurge and see what comes.
Paint - free-paint with colours and patterns that interpret what you felt.
Record - make a piece of performance art through recording yourself dancing this feeling into your physical body.
Song - turn it into sound, record any melodies that come on a voicenotes app on your phone
Dance - without judgement, moving however you want to move. (I love the 5 Rhythms - created by my late friend, the beautiful mama Raven, Gabrielle Roth.)
Build a fire - creating a fire is a wonderful exercise in conscious creativity. My mother always says it represents the way you live your life.
(any others)
THEN
4. Step away, shake it off. Take a break.
5. Come back to your piece and congratulate yourself. You showed up. You can tweak things, edit, explore it further - just be careful to do this without judgement and with only love (avoid self-sabotaging). If you feel called to, share it with someone or your circle, or share it with me - I would love to celebrate your creative expression or hear how this resonated with you, you may have your own methods that I'd love to hear about.
Book recommendations:
The War Of Art by Stephen Pressfield
The Artists Way by Julia Cameron
Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes
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