The High Priestess: Tarot Mystic Guide

 

The Tarot, with its enigmatic symbols and archetypal imagery, serves as a profound tool for self-discovery and guidance. Among the traditional tarot deck's powerful cards, the High Priestess stands as a mystic guide, inviting us to delve into the realms of intuition, mystery, and the unconscious. In this exploration, we unravel the secrets behind the High Priestess tarot card and discover how its wisdom can be applied to enhance our lives.

The High Priestess Card: A Symbolic Journey

Represented by card number II in the Tarot's Major Arcana, the High Priestess is a symbol of deep intuition, spiritual insight, and the mysteries that lie beneath the surface. In most decks, she is depicted as a serene figure seated between two pillars, holding a scroll in her lap, adorned with the lunar crescent at her feet.

Key Symbolism:

  1. Dual Pillars: The pillars behind the High Priestess represent duality - light and darkness, masculine and feminine, conscious and unconscious. She stands as the bridge between these opposing forces, guiding us to find balance in our lives.

  2. Scroll: The scroll she holds signifies esoteric knowledge and hidden wisdom. It emphasizes the importance of turning inward and trusting our inner guidance, relying on the wisdom we carry within.

  3. Lunar Crescent: Positioned at her feet, the crescent moon symbolizes the cyclical nature of life, intuition, and the ever-changing aspects of the unconscious mind. The High Priestess is closely aligned with the lunar energy, emphasizing the power of receptivity and intuition.

Applying the High Priestess Wisdom to Our Lives:

Trust Your Intuition

The High Priestess encourages us to listen to our inner voice and trust our instincts. In a world filled with external noise, tapping into our intuition becomes a powerful tool for making authentic decisions aligned with our true selves.

Embrace the Unknown

Much like the mysteries shrouded in the High Priestess's scroll, life is filled with uncertainties. Embrace the unknown with a sense of curiosity and openness. The High Priestess teaches us that, within the mystery, there is potential for growth, transformation, and deeper self-awareness.

Cultivate Balance

The dual pillars behind the High Priestess symbolize the importance of finding balance in our lives. Whether it's balancing work and personal life or navigating the realms of light and shadow within ourselves, the High Priestess guides us to seek equilibrium.

Explore Your Spiritual Path

The High Priestess is a symbol of spiritual wisdom and connection. This card encourages us to explore our spiritual path, connect with our inner selves, and dive into the depths of our subconscious. It's a reminder that our spiritual journey is unique and deeply personal.

Honor Your Feminine Energy

In many tarot decks, the High Priestess embodies the feminine divine. Embrace and honor your feminine energy, recognizing its power, intuition, and nurturing qualities. The High Priestess encourages us to connect with the receptive, intuitive aspects of ourselves.

The High Priestess in tarot beckons us to embark on a journey of self-discovery, intuition, and spiritual growth. As we integrate the wisdom of this powerful card into our lives, we find a compass pointing us toward balance, trust, and a deeper connection with the mysteries that shape our existence. Embrace the guidance of the High Priestess and unlock the hidden realms within, for in the stillness of intuition, we discover the profound truths that guide us on our unique life path.

FEELING THE CALL OF THE PRIESTESS?

Join us for the Rising Women Leaders Way of the Priestess Program

 

Venus Rebirths as the Evening Star December 14, 2022

 

Did you know Venus has been hidden from Earth's view since September 3, 2022?

Venus is the planet of relationships, beauty, elegance, embodiment, harmony, feeling, desire, sensuality, love, material enjoyment, receptivity, gratitude, balance, and is often related to art, dance and music.

She is the second closest planet to the sun in our solar system. Her orbit around the sun creates a 5 petaled rose from the perspective of Earth. Her cycle takes 8 years to complete, during which there are periods where she is retrograde and direct, as well as periods where she is visible and non-visible. 

These phases have a direct impact on us here on Earth...

Venus began a new 8-year cycle in June 2020. It takes 19 months for Venus to complete a full cycle, and this happens 5 times over an 8 year period to create a five-petaled rose in the sky from Earth's perspective. What magic!

 

Venus Rose Path

 

We are at the end of a phase of inner transformation. After Venus was the morning star for 8 months (Jan - Sept) she was hidden from view, journeying through the underworld like the Sumerian goddess Inanna, the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, and wisdom.

The past three months have been a powerful time of initiation, a time to create a more solid foundation within ourselves, to come back to our practices and allow all that is not serving our highest alignment to be shed.

On Wednesday, Dec. 14 Venus will rebirth as the evening star and we will have our first glimpse of her after sunset. My feeling is this will be a time of abundance and grace, receiving the gifts of wisdom and power, the way we all do after moving through a transformation.

She’ll be visible as the evening star, shining in her brightness all the way until August, when she transitions again to the underworld on August 6, 2023 to be birthed as the morning star August 19, 2023,

This is a powerful time to reflect: 

What initiations have I gone through since September? 

What is transitioning in my life now?

How have I changed and grown? 

What am I taking with me?

What am I leaving behind?

If you're interested in diving more into astrological wisdom, goddess archetypes, ritual and ceremony, I invite you to consider joining us in this year's Way of the Priestess program

Our next cohort begins the day after the birth of Venus as the evening star, December 15th... there are still a few spaces to join us.

I've also opened my calendar to speak 1:1 with anyone considering the opportunity.

Book a free 30-min call and have the space to share about your dreams and visions and we can explore if it could be a good fit for you to join us on a path of beauty, devotion and service.

With love, 

Meredith


What does it mean to embody the Priestess in our everyday life?

It is to live a life connected to the divine in each moment. To bring devotion to our daily actions (cooking, cleaning, walking, writing, praying, meditating, talking) in remembrance of God/Goddess/all that is. It is to live in a state connected to breath and intuition, honoring the essence of the sacred feminine within. It is to allow what is, to forgive ourselves and others, and to see everyone around us as a soul, a higher consciousness living in a body.

To live as the Priestess is to see life happening for us, not to us. It is co-creating with life, and surrendering when God has a bigger plan.

It is becoming the vessel, emptying out in order to receive. It is communing with nature and the divine as one. It is becoming quiet enough inside to listen to the voice of intuition. It is to listen to others with compassion and hold space for letting go and new beginnings.

It is to express, feel, release, and honor the shadow that exists within and around us. It is to gaze at the stars, to write down our dreams, and honor the cycles of our body and the seasons of the year. It is to leave this world more beautiful than we found it. It is to midwife a shift in consciousness, to welcome a Golden Age, and emanate a frequency of love to all those around us on our path...

Lately for me it’s been waking up in the middle of the night to soothe my daughter. Playing with and caring for her in the early morning hours. Taking time each day to tune in and receive messages from the divine, to listen and strengthen that channel. Bringing food to new mothers. Holding space for clients to release deep rooted core beliefs from childhood trauma. Holding and speaking prayers for my friends. For this planet. For humanity. Singing to the bees.

Feeling my emotions and expressing them out in nature, letting my wild be expressed. Getting my hands in the earth. Tending to the roses. To the land I call home. Planting seeds and trees. Watering the gardens and witnessing new life.

Helping women heal the past life wounds they carry around being seen and sharing their voice. Showing up for my yoga practice, even when it feels hard. Even when some days it can only happen at 4 am. Feeling my pain.

Creating ritual with other women. Holding space for rites of passage. Resting when I bleed. Being by myself. Becoming more comfortable with my aloneness. Feeling my guides with me. Believing in their presence. Listening to the land. Taking action based on those messages. Communing with, singing to and blessing the waters. 

The role of the priestess is going to look different for each of us. For some, it’s simply about holding a frequency, a grid on our planet, an embodiment of divine love. For others it may be stepping into the role of healer, teacher, leader or guide. Either way, our presence is to become a vessel, and to be of service. What does the role of the priestess look like for you?

Enrollment is now open for the next cohort of the Way of the Priestess program.

I know so many of you sisters are already living this path... and if you long for support, community, sisterhood, and guidance along the way, I invite you to join us.

 

The Rebirth of Venus as the Evening Star on May 15, 2021

 
Moon And Stars .jpg

Did you know Venus has been hidden from Earth's view since February 1, 2021?

Venus is the planet of relationships, beauty, elegance, embodiment, harmony, feeling, desire, sensuality, love, material enjoyment, receptivity, gratitude, balance, and is often related to art, dance and music.

She is the second closest planet to the sun in our solar system. Her orbit around the sun creates a 5 petaled rose from the perspective of Earth. Her cycle takes 8 years to complete, during which there are periods where she is retrograde and direct, as well as periods where she is visible and non-visible. 

These phases have a direct impact on us here on Earth...

Last year on June 3, 2020 Venus began a new 8-year cycle. It takes 19 months for Venus to complete a full cycle, and this happens 5 times over an 8 year period to create a five-petaled rose in the sky from Earth's perspective. What magic!

 
Venus Rose Path

Venus Rose Path

 

We are at the end of a phase of inner transformation. After Venus was the morning star for 8 months (June - Feb) she was hidden from view, journeying through the underworld like the Sumerian goddess Inanna, the goddess of love, beauty, fertility, war, and wisdom.

This has been a powerful time of initiation, a time to create a more solid foundation within ourselves, to come back to our practices and allow all that is not serving our highest alignment to be shed.

This Saturday, on May 15 Venus will rebirth as the evening star and we will have our first glimpse of her after sunset. My feeling is this will be a time of abundance and grace, receiving the gifts of wisdom and power, the way we all do after moving through a transformation.

She’ll be visible as the evening star, shining in her brightness all the way until the end of the year, when she transitions again to the underworld on Jan 2, 2022.

This is a powerful time to reflect: 

What initiations have I gone through since February? 

What is transitioning in my life now?

How have I changed and grown? 

What am I taking with me?

What am I leaving behind?

If you're interested in diving more into astrological wisdom, goddess archetypes, ritual and ceremony, I invite you to consider joining us in this year's Way of the Priestess Program

Our next cohort begins June 10th and there are still a few spaces to join us.

I've also opened my calendar to speak 1:1 with anyone considering the opportunity.

Book a free 45-min call and have the space to share about your dreams and visions and we can explore if it could be a good fit for you to join us on a path of beauty, devotion and service.

With love, 

Meredith


What does it mean to embody the Priestess in our everyday life?

It is to live a life connected to the divine in each moment. To bring devotion to our daily actions (cooking, cleaning, walking, writing, praying, meditating, talking) in remembrance of God/Goddess/all that is. It is to live in a state connected to breath and intuition, honoring the essence of the sacred feminine within. It is to allow what is, to forgive ourselves and others, and to see everyone around us as a soul, a higher consciousness living in a body.

To live as the Priestess is to see life happening for us, not to us. It is co-creating with life, and surrendering when God has a bigger plan.

It is becoming the vessel, emptying out in order to receive. It is communing with nature and the divine as one. It is becoming quiet enough inside to listen to the voice of intuition. It is to listen to others with compassion and hold space for letting go and new beginnings.

It is to express, feel, release, and honor the shadow that exists within and around us. It is to gaze at the stars, to write down our dreams, and honor the cycles of our body and the seasons of the year. It is to leave this world more beautiful than we found it. It is to midwife a shift in consciousness, to welcome a Golden Age, and emanate a frequency of love to all those around us on our path...

Enrollment is now open for the next cohort of the Way of the Priestess program.

I know so many of you sisters are already living this path... and if you long for support, community, sisterhood, and guidance along the way, I invite you to join us.

 

Scorpio Full Moon Forgiveness Ritual

 
Canva - Full Moon in the Sky.jpg

May 7th, 2020 ~ SCORPIO FULL MOON :: TRANSFORMATION, DEATH & REBIRTH :: If you are feeling the energies of transformation, strong emotions, death and rebirth you are not alone. 

This Thursday May 7th we welcome a Scorpio full moon in the season of Taurus; a time of diving deep and being close to the Earth (like the Scorpion 🦂 ). This full moon is a call to go deep within, feel our pain, call upon our courage and welcome the Goddess to clear out what is no longer serving in order to be reborn anew.

If you are moving through a birth process right now, how can you use this potent moon energy to PURIFY and ACTIVATE what is most true for you? 

Questions to Contemplate:

Where have I been grasping or holding on to the past?

What do I need to release/let go?

What feelings need to be felt?

Who am I ready to forgive?

What new world do I wish to birth?

This full moon, we are invited to listen to the whispers of Mother Earth and our ancestors for what messages are needed most at this time... It is a potent time to listen to what is being asked of us.

Consider using this time to meditate, reflect, FEEL, release and offer forgiveness.

Full Moon Forgiveness Ritual

Consider someone in your life you are still holding resentment or anger towards. OR consider a way you may have crossed your own boundaries. Who is someone you want to forgive? Maybe this is yourself.

Remember that forgiveness is a way to FREE YOURSELF of past resentments and hurt.It does not mean you need to interact with that person anymore. You can still hold a boundary and forgive.

Write a letter to this person/to yourself.

Let out the judgments, the anger, the ways you felt repressed or not heard. Feel the pain, feel the hurt.

Write it all out. Get it on the page. Feel it all.

Bring the paper out under the full moon and say a prayer (out loud):

  1. Speak to Spirit about your grievances and the situation at hand 

  2. Take responsibility for any part you had in creating the situation

  3. Ask the guides for help / admit you are willing to not do this all on your own

  4. State out loud: "I declare, as soon as I destroy this piece of paper, any remaining energies, cords or attachments between myself and "blank" will be cut, cleared and rectified. What's mine returns to me. What's theirs returns to them. I release past resentments and offer this back into the hands of the divine."

  5. Destroy the letter. Submerge it in water. or Burn it (Safely). Or tear it up into tiny pieces. Or do all of the above!! Imagine releasing your past anger and hurt as you watch the paper be destroyed.

  6. What are your new commitments? What new boundaries do you wish to set? Speak these out loud

  7. Closing Prayer: listen to your intuition to speak and close your ritual, ending with, "It is DONE it is DONE it is DONE. By the Power of Three, a Holy Trinity, it is DONE."

How will you utilize the energy of this full moon? I’d love to hear in the comments.

 

New Moon and Earth Day in Taurus April 22, 2020

 
Image Source

Image Source

NEW MOON in TAURUS ~ April 22 ~ LOVE YOURSELF + OUR PLANET 🌖🌑🌔

Taurus is an earth sign ruled by Venus ~ all about beauty, connection to the natural world and the pleasures of life. Today we welcome this influence in our approach to love, healing and honoring our Earth Mother…as today is also the 50th anniversary of Earth day. 

I see today as an opportunity to honor ourselves and our planet as the beloved and to embrace our connection to the beauty of the natural world.

Here are some ideas on how to honor this Taurus new moon

  • Sit outside with the plants and simply BE

  • Offer your moon blood to the Earth with reverence, thanking her for all she offers to us

  • Plant a garden. Get your hands in the dirt.

  • Make an earth mandala and share your blessings for the Earth

  • Redesign your altar with items you find from the natural world, light a candle and sit in silence and connection with Mother Earth’s gifts

  • Connect with flowers and breathe in the sweet smells, just because

  • Take a bath (my favorite ☺️) add Epsom salts and rose petals for a feminine touch

  • Drink cacao and pray

  • Sing, laugh, cry

  • Drop in deeply with a good friend, share your heart with someone who loves you, let yourself be seen.

I’d love to hear how you plan to utilize the energies of this New moon in the comments below… may our Earth Mother feel all the blessings we shower upon her this week.

Warmly,
Meredith

 

Libra Pink Full Moon 2020

 
Image source

Image source

Blessed Libra Full Moon on April 7, 2020. This Full Pink Moon is the second full supermoon of 2020 (the first was in Virgo on February 19).

“A supermoon sits at the closest possible proximity (perigree) to Earth. Although it won’t necessarily look bigger or brighter, on a metaphysical level, its influence could be stronger.” ~ astro style

This time calls us forth into our greatness, as the injustices of the world have been so clearly brought to light. This is our time to speak up and stand for justice. What breaks your heart most about the world at this time?

Listen. Follow the golden thread. Ignite your passion to restore balance. To serve. To awaken.

And with every step, ask how can you create more beauty? Libra is ruled by Venus, the planet of femininity, sensuality, the arts, music, fertility and creativity. Right now we are being asked to restore balance in a way that honors our sacred feminine heart.

The Queen is one who knows she is powerful, and she says YES to that power to be in service to her people. She also knows she must take supreme care of herself and hold strong boundaries so she may fill up her own inner well and have that much more to give…

Questions to Contemplate:

Where have you been depleting yourself? What needs to be restored within?

What breaks your heart about what’s happening in the world?

How can you walk with even greater beauty, intention and devotion to your calling?

How can you use your unique gifts and talents to restore balance? To stand for justice?

May your Libra Full Moon lead to deep heart opening and the awakening. Each and every one of us is needed at this time of great change.

Blessed Be.

 

What is EFT Tapping? A Step-by-Step Guide to How it Works

 
Image via Mind Love

Image via Mind Love

I was first introduced to EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques on my first date with my partner Michael. He had just returned from an advanced EFT training with Sonya Sophia in Italy. I had just taught my first yoga class the night before, and as exciting as it was, I was terrified to do it again because of a deep-rooted fear I carried about public speaking.

He showed me the tapping points and over the next hour we tapped as I shared about my fear and my earliest memories related to when it began.

That moment set the foundation for my career as a yoga teacher, and my ability to lead workshops, webinars and events.

Later on, I worked with a mentor, Rob Nelson of Tapping the Matrix Academy to become certified to use tapping with my clients. It is now one of the #1 tools I use to help clients with emotional distress, healing fears, past trauma, phobias, and also for clearing limiting beliefs.

So What is EFT? and How Does it Work?

EFT is a fast and gentle way to discharge emotional distress, traumatic memories, and negative thoughts.

The History

Roger Callahan was a therapist who was very interested in the meridian system, he developed “Thought Field Therapy” and experimented with tapping on different meridian points. When working with one client he had her tap while talking about her extreme phobia of water, and by the end of the session it had completely disappeared! It is said she actually ran to an outdoor pool afterwards she was so excited. A man named Gary Craig later did a training with Callahan and eventually simplified Thought Field Therpay into what we know as EFT today.

How Does it Work?

EFT uses tapping on meridian points while talking about a specific problem. It works with the Amygdala part of the brain, which controls our stress response - fight, flight or freeze. The amygdala was developed before the spoken language, so words alone do not register with the amygdala, however, tapping has a direct and immediate effect of down regulating the amygdala’s reaction to real or imagined threat.

Stress is our natural response to a threat.

But for humans living in a modern world, threats may be simply worries and fears. In cave man days there were very real threats such as a mountain lion that could attack, and the stress response was very important to amp up adrenaline and get away from a very real threat. Have you ever notice how animals like the gazelle shakes after an experience where it was almost caught? This is the body’s natural way to release trauma and stress, however in our current day and age we’ve lost such instincts. However, tapping has the same effect.

Our stress response was designed as a short term survival strategy, however most of us are marinating in cortisol from imagined threats (fear and worry) all the time!

EFT helps turn off the amygdala’s intense reaction to specific problems.

Tapping communicates directly with the amygdala, the part of the brain that doesn’t understand language or rational thought. It helps us to get out of the stress response (fight or flight) and to think more logically again.

Energy & Emotions

EFT also works with disruptions in our energy system that were caused by unresolved emotional traumas and unexpressed emotions. All emotions have an important function and are here to be expressed and felt.

Emotion means energy in motion. Emotions are meant to flow through and be released. Emotions get stuck when we don’t let ourself feel them, for example, when it doesn’t feel safe to express them.

I can’t tell you how many people I’ve worked with who have childhood memories of being yelled at for crying. Many people learn to shut down their emotions because of these difficult memories where they did not feel safe. And with all that stuck emotion in the system, all kinds of problems, especially health-related challenges can surface.

Tapping tells the amygdala it’s safe to let emotions go.

In tapping, When an emotion starts to move, you might experience: 

  • Yawning 

  • Crying

  • Laughing

  • Burping 

  • Even farting (!)

This is just a way the body discharges energy being released. It’s a good sign and means energy is started to move. Tapping tells the brain is safe to feel this now.

So What are the Tapping Points?

Here’s an image from my teacher Rob Nelson about the EFT Tapping Points.

EFT-Meridian-Points.jpg

The Purpose of this work is to really feel the stuff that been unwilling to feel, and once we have felt it, we “add in” new possibilities for ourselves

The Basic Recipe: How to Use Tapping

State the problem (Be specific, why is this a problem for you?)

Measure your level of discomfort about this issue from 0 - 10. Ten being the worst and zero being no problem at all.

Use the Set-up Statement: Say out loud, “Even though “this problem” I still deeply love and completely accept myself” while tapping on the edge of the hand (the karate chop point).

Tap through the points while speaking about the problem. Let yourself get all the inner voices out. What is the worst thing about this problem? What are all the feelings associated with it. Get it all out while you tap through the points.

Re-measure the level 0-10 and assess what has shifted. Sometimes it goes up and sometimes it goes down. Often new information is revealed.

Tap again, and try introducing some new possibilities.

Measure the level 0-10 again and see where you’re at!

As a coach and guide I work with clients 1:1 to heal past trauma and release limiting beliefs with EFT. If you’ve been looking for someone to work with, sign up for a free introductory call to learn more about working together.

I hope this is helpful for you! In the comments I’d love to hear about your experience with EFT Tapping.

 

Scorpio New Moon: Fire & Destruction

 
moon.png

It’s a very strange feeling to be packing a bag not knowing how long you will have to leave your home, or even if you will have a home when you return.

What would you take with you?

It was amazing to feel how much of what I owned felt OK to leave behind.

Some clothes, jewelry, a folder with important documents, and most importantly my sound healing instruments - harmonium, crystal bowls, and didgeridoo were what I chose to take with me.

Sunday morning around 4 am many of those whom I know and love and I were woken up by SOS phone signals, texts and sirens outside alerting us we were now in a mandatory evacuation zone.

Luckily we did not have to leave in a panic, knowing the fires were 25 or more miles from our house. But i tell you, the whole scene still felt apocalyptic. When the sun rose, the winds outside looked like when the tornado was coming in the Wizard of Oz ~ the trees swaying and branches breaking with every violent gust. Cars drove down the road beeping their horns, disrupting an eery silence of the land as more and more people left their homes vacant.

I couldn’t help but wonder, “What is being asked of us?”

and “Of all the places in the world, why have I felt called to live here in Sonoma County?” a place that has been afflicted by wildfires in the last few years.

One thing that has continually come through for me, is that many who have felt called to live on this land are here to be Earth protectors, and one of our most important roles during uncertain times like this is to bear witness to our Earth Mother and all she is doing to call out for help, or to wake us up.

To witness her in her fiery call of destruction, to feel the pain and grief of the land, and to be one of those to speak out on her behalf.

We’re now seeing the effects of living for years in disharmony with the land.

Centuries ago the indigenous people who lived on these lands would lovingly tend to them, intentionally burning the land periodically to clear away underbrush, dead trees, enrich the soil and prevent massive wildfires like this one.

Those practices were put to a stop when European colonialists took the land away from them.

One hundred years of un-tended land, paired with extreme rains in the winter - creating even more new growth and underbrush, climate change, extra-long dry seasons pushing the first rains further and further back, and outdated PG&E equipment creating sparks, have created a kind of perfect storm for many living on the West Coast.

So what are we to do?

It doesn’t feel like an accident that these fires aligned perfectly with the beginning of Scorpio season in the astrological calendar.

If you have been feeling the energies of death, destruction, transformation, and strong emotions, you are not alone.

Scorpio season is a time of diving deep and being close to the Earth.

Today’s new moon in Scorpio is a call to go deep within, feel your pain, call upon your courage and welcome Kali Ma to burn away what is no longer serving in order to be born anew.

If you are moving through the intensity right now (from the fires or otherwise) I invite you to ask:

How can I use this new moon energy to PURIFY and ACTIVATE what is most true for me?

As the veils become thinner as we enter Samhain (October 31st), I feel we are being invited to listen to the whispers of Mother Earth and our ancestors… to listen to what messages are most needed at this time.

I will be spending the week visiting my last living grandmother in NY (it seems her time on the Earth plane is nearing the end) and processing the last few days of shock and grief after being evacuated and watching from afar what is/was happening to the lands we call home.

It is a potent time to bear witness to our Earth mother and listen to her fiery call for us to WAKE UP.

How will you honor this new moon? The energies of fire and destruction? Transformation and rebirth? I welcome your thoughts and shares as a reply to this email or on my latest instagram post.

Blessed Be.

 

The Secret to Finding a Four-Leaf Clover (and Manifesting Other Desires...)

 

I remember growing up and feeling envious of how my mom had a way with finding four leaf clovers.  

I sometimes spent hours in a patch of grass looking for those four leaves, perfectly bound together.  I would immediately grasp my fingers around anything that looked close. But I didn't find one.

It wasn't until one day I met a British man in India who told me the secret.

"The secret is you have to believe it's there waiting for you..."

He handed my friend a four leaf clover, then crouched down again and moments later stood up with another one for me. 

I later thought, "Isn't that the secret to life, and really anything we want to manifest?"  We have to believe with our whole heart that it is possible.  

We have to believe the universe is on our side, even conspiring in our favor to help us manifest what we want and need...

But months passed and I still didn't find one.

"I believe!" I told myself, but I continued to be disappointed.  

Then finally, I released the idea that I ever needed to find one. 


I found myself at the headwaters of Mt. Shasta a few weeks later sitting in a patch of grass.  I looked down, and there it was.

There was my first four-leaf clover waiting for me.

It was that moment I realized I needed to release all attachments to the outcome in order to manifest my desires.

I've learned this is an essential part of manifestation.  

When I believe, trust, and let go, I am met with exactly what I need.  

Again and again, I've seen this play out in my life.

I live for moments like finding that first four-leaf clover.  It is in these moments of pure synchronicity that I feel most connected.  

That's when I feel like there is a higher power...something greater at work that is guiding me and protecting me.

That is when I know I can offer up my fears, my need to control, and trust in the universe.

This is why I chose Synchronicity as the title of my book. The book tells the stories of the chain of events I experienced in India that linked together in an almost too perfect way.  

And it was those synchronicities that brought a deeper meaning to my life. 

I've spent the last few weeks revising my final manuscript to prepare for publishing.  I have some really exciting news to share (in about two weeks) and I can't wait to give you a chance to be one of the first people to get your hands on a copy so that you can experience this magic for yourself...

With love,
Meredith

P.S.  Click here to see the collection of four leaf clovers I have found since learning this secret...

 

Where the magic happens...

 
women signing-courage-self love-meredithrom

Do you ever miss staying up late at night talking with your friends at sleepovers when you were younger? I remember when one of my clients told me about her dream to have close girlfriends again.  She missed the connection she had in her relationships to other women when she was younger.  As she grew up, and had a child of her own, she saw it was getting harder and harder to find the time for those kinds of friendship and connection.

This client was doing amazing work to make changes in her life, in her relationship to food, in growing her business and in taking better care of herself.

She saw that often she would turn to food for comfort was when she felt a loss of connection and friendship, so she was ready to cultivate more women friends in her life.

She was taking time out of her day to get really clear on what she wanted and needed.  Together, we made a plan, and I gave her an assignment to start a conversation with a new woman at the gym, and reach out to an old friend who recently moved to her area.

The next time we talked, I asked, "So how did it go for you?"

She replied, "Meredith, you aren't going to believe what happened.  I swear, this manifestation stuff really works.  So, you know how I was telling you about how I wanted to be closer to women like I was when I was younger?  Having slumber parties and girl time?"

"Yes..." 

"Well, just this week on Monday night, all three of my clients cancelled their appointments.  I suddenly had an open schedule.  My son was staying with his father for the night, and I thought, 'I'll just have an evening to myself...'  Then out of no where, a friend I haven't talked to in years called me up and said, 'My husband's out of town, and I treated myself to a night at a beautiful lodge in Marin.  Would you like to join me here?'"

"Amazing!  So did you?"

"Yes! and suddenly I was swimming in a gorgeous pool, my friend was treating me to dinner, and we stayed up late slumber-party style holding hands in bed sharing our dreams and desires.  It was EXACTLY what I wanted!" 

We both laughed and laughed at the amazement of what happened, but deep down, I wasn't surprised.

Ask, "What does my heart want, above all else?"  Then begin loving yourself and watch the fears, self-doubt and negative beliefs clear away.

The magic happens where courage and self-love intersect.

She had taken the time to connect to what she really wanted, what that would feel like, she was loving herself first and clearing away her fears and suddenly, her desires were showing up on her doorstep.

If you're ready to figure out what YOU want, I invite you to join my #LiveYourVision free training that begins today!

The free training gives a taste of the upcoming online course I'm leading in February, Vision.

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Vision is an 8-week online course for women ready to shift their thoughts and manifest their desires (enrollment and more details open January 19).  The program includes weekly group coaching calls, training videos, audio lectures, handouts, and the personal 40-Day Vision meditation practice I use for manifestation.

Meditation has been a huge part of my life and I'll be sharing the most powerful tools I've learned to shift my beliefs and manifest my desires in the free training.

When you sign up, each day for 8 days you will receive a daily action, video, insight or story to guide you on your path to #LiveYourVision.  

My intention is that these 8 days provide tools for you to connect to an innate love within yourself and a relationship to your inner guide that will benefit you throughout your entire life. 

(Optional) You're also welcome to post your photos of the daily actions on instagram for a chance to win a free spot in Vision!

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Here's your first daily action:

The first challenge is to create an altar and take a picture of your sacred space!

Instagram Challenge Rules:

  • Sign up here
  • Follow me @meredithrom
  • Watch your email inbox or my instagram post each morning with your challenge for the day.
  • Post your photos with the hashtag #LiveYourVision and let me know with a shout-out to @meredithrom
  • After the 8 days I will choose one lucky woman to join us for a free spot in the upcoming online course, Vision.  Simple!

One lucky winner will win a free spot in Vision.

I'll be posting a new picture and action step everyday on instagram until January 18.~

I can’t wait to see your pictures!

With love, Meredith

 

A Day Inside the Rising Women Leaders Bali Retreat

 
woman on beach-bali-explore-self expression

For the last few weeks I have been busy reviewing applications and having phone calls with women excited about the retreat I will be leading in Bali next May.

I wanted to share with you a taste of what will be happening in the 7 days and 6 nights we will join together, so I wrote "A Day in Bali" an insider's look at the Rising Women Leaders Bali Retreat.

 Applications for early pricing ($200 off) are available until December 1.  If you're at all interested in joining us, I encourage you to apply now to be eligible for the discount.

A Day in Bali...

Imagine arriving at the airport with your new girlfriend (I'm helping women in the group connect in advance to make travel plans) and being met by a kind, Balinese driver.

The air is warm and you immediately notice ritual and spirituality are everywhere - people praying in temples, altars on the street, and there are even deities on your driver's dashboard.

You arrive at our retreat center Desa Seni,  (watch a video of the landscape here) and are immediately blown away by the kindness of the people who greet you.  I see you arriving, run up and give you a big hug, so excited to meet you in person after connecting on facebook and in our sisterhood coaching call before the retreat.

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I introduce you to your roommates, and even though you were a little nervous about meeting new people, you immediately feel at home.  These women are kind, sweet and sensitive, just like you, and share how they were just as nervous as you were to be with a whole group of new people.

When you see your room, your jaw drops - it's the canopy bed you have always dreamed of.  Traditional antique furniture, and finely hand carved adornments.

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For the next few hours you take time to rest (everyday includes several hours of free time to just be - visit the beach, read your book, lounge by the salt water pool).

We meet for our first dinner - the food is organic, grown on the property and you get to try delicious, traditional Balinesian dishes.  You find you have so much in common with the other women through your conversations, and you find yourself immediately stepping into your voice, sharing stories and enjoying the company of the other women.

You go to bed early and wake up with the sunrise.  You fill your mug with warm lemon water and begin the day with meditation in the garden.

We then meet for restorative yin yoga in the pavilion to ground to the Earth.  Michael Zeligs is there to play guitar and sing for us.  His angelic voice provides the perfect space to just be and melt away any stiffness from your flight.

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After breakfast, we meet for one of our morning workshops, this morning we begin with a satya circle.  Satya means truth - and it is a space to authentically share your truth.  It's also a space to improve your active listening and authentic communication skills.

Tears come up from several of the women in the group as they share from their heart, what led them to this retreat and any challenges they had been going through.  Your heart opens as you relate to the women who share, and feel more comfortable sharing from your heart.  After you share, you feel a weight lift from you and already feel intimately connected to the other women in this circle.

We move on to writing and partner sharing to identify limiting beliefs we have been carrying and I share my process of how to reframe them.

After lunch, the afternoon is yours to swim in the ocean, get a smoothie or lounge by the pool.

In the evening, we meet for an hour of opening the voice with kirtan before a luxurious dinner and bedtime.

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Throughout the week we step more and more into our authentic self-expression, courage and self-love through the workshops.  Some highlights include:

  • Morning Yin, Vinyasa and Restorative Yoga
  • Healing through Emotional Freedom Technique with Michael
  • Sacred Cacao Ceremony
  • Vision + Voice Workshop
  • Design Your Dream Life Workshop
  • Q + A on Courage + Self-love
  • Visit to the Sacred Tanah Lot Temple
  • New Moon Manifestation Ritual
  • Q + A on Love + Relationships
  • Self-expression through Dance with Michael
  • Closing Ceremony to Step into Your Authentic Voice

If this sounds like a dream you'd like to manifest for 2016, I invite you to apply now. 

With love, Meredith

P.S.  I've been sharing more details about the retreat on instagram and in a private facebook group I created for the women interested to connect with each other and hear more about the retreat.  If you're interested in joining the facebook group, request to join here. 

 

Lessons Learned From a Week in the Desert

 
Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015

I just came back from 8 days in the desert at Burning Man festival where 70,000 people joined together from around the world to try on new personalities, dress up in fun ways, learn from experts on consciousness, and practice living in community.

So much happened while I was there, and I'm now taking time to integrate all the lessons.  When I arrived home, I wrote in my journal.  I realized that underneath all the crazy costumes and non-stop dance music, there were some deep spiritual insights I took away from the experience.  I wanted to share them with you here.

Relationship to Water

When you enter a space with a finite amount of resources, it completely changes your relationship to them.  This is what happened to me with water.  I arrived with 12 gallons of water and knew that was all I had for the week.  As the week went on, I saw how little water I really needed to brush my teeth, shower and wash my dishes.  I realized when we have unlimited access to clean water, we don't value it in the same way.  I now find myself turning off the faucet between washing dishes and putting soap on my hands.  Every time I am using water now, I find myself feeling so grateful for it.

Unlimited clean water is such a gift.How could you treat water with more mindfulness?

Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015

Relationship to Money

As soon as I arrived, my wallet was tucked away in the pocket of my car and I didn't look at it again. My thoughts were no longer concerned about the numbers in my bank account.  It was liberating.

I was given crystals, sunglasses, and numerous other gifts from strangers on the playa.  When I was riding my bike far away from camp and ran out of water and lip balm, it was provided for me when I needed it most.

An old mindset of scarcity began to drop away.  I found myself being more generous with my resources, trusting that they would come back to me when I needed them again.

One night I was talking to my camp-mate about what I was learning about abundance and generosity.  He shared that in Native American traditions you are encouraged to give away your most valuable items. I thought of my most prized items waiting for me at home and wondered if I would be able to give them away...

Burning Man is a practice in non-attachment. It is a space to experiment giving items away to strangers and see how it makes you feel.

However, you don't have to go to Burning Man to try this experiment.  I've come back with a different relationship to material things.  I plan to continue the experiment by giving away some of my most valuable items and see how it affects my well-being.  I invite you to join me in this experiment.

New Vision

When I arrived at the playa, I turned my phone off.  There were no computers around.  It was a complete technology detox for eight days.

I think it is generally  difficult to be connected to inner guidance and radical creativity when we are constantly receiving information from computers and phones.  In the days following Burning Man, I received so many creative ideas and inspiration about my business that I don't know would have been there if I was constantly looking at my phone.

Have you ever gone on a camping trip or vacation where you totally unplugged for a set amount of time?  I find that's when I can clearly make important decisions and receive insight and guidance on my next steps without distractions from the outside world.

If you are feeling uninspired, or have trouble connecting to your intuition, try doing a digital detox. 

Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015

Manifestation and the Mirror 

Manifestation and synchronicity happened more quickly on the playa.  I found myself standing next to a woman I met in Thailand two years ago, receiving an important message from a woman who attended my workshop and meeting people that I felt like I just knew without ever having met them before.

In times where my mind was getting negative, the results would show up in my environment immediately.  When I was feeling more connected and willing to step outside my comfort zone, again, I would be immediately met with an exciting opportunity.

This was my second time at the festival, and I could clearly notice what a different state of mind I was in this time as opposed to when I went five years ago.  When you do the work to let go of limiting beliefs and shift your thoughts, it really does manifest in your physical environment.  

What negative thoughts or limiting beliefs still repeat in your mind?  How do they show up in your environment?  If you're having trouble shifting your thoughts, try one of my yoga or meditation videos here. If you're ready to create a new reality, shift your awareness from the inside, it will help you reflect a new environment on the outside.

Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015

Leave No Trace

Black Rock City has a "leave no trace" policy which simply means whatever you take in, you take out.  This includes all of your trash, recycling, compost, and grey water (the leftover water from washing dishes, showering and brushing your teeth).  When we were consciously making space to take home all of our waste, I became highly aware of how much waste I was really making.

In addition to taking home our waste, we also searched the ground for any signs of "moop" - anything that was not the dust of the playa.  When we left, I found myself picking up trash even if it wasn't mine in other environments because my awareness was more focused on the greater whole and the natural setting rather than on myself.

The Beauty Way

In our camp, we used a practice from Native American traditions called, "The Beauty Way."  Our friends Rachel and Ben taught us how to practice it - leave a space more beautiful than you found it.  I watched myself let go of blame for others and rather took responsibility when I saw a space less than tidy.  As we all practiced the Beauty Way, I saw how it affected our relationship to each other.

I left feeling passionate about this practice, knowing if we can all begin this, the world will quickly become a more beautiful place.

Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015

Sisterhood

I was camping with an amazing group of women over the week.  I was with the ups and downs of my mind, noticing thoughts of comparison or jealousy and consciously releasing them.   Living in such close proximity with other women was both humbling and enlightening.  I saw as we were able to let down our guards and connect to each other with vulnerability and openness.

I left the week feeling refreshed with more authenticity in these relationships.

Are you craving a deeper connection to your sisters?  Maybe you can go on retreat together, or plan a women's vacation to connect and unplug with each other.

Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015

More than anything else, the whole experience at Burning Man reinforced my own belief that:

"It takes moving outside your comfort zone in order to grow." tweet it

Sometimes it takes getting dusty in order to see how strong you really are...

With love, Meredith

Burning Man 2015
Burning Man 2015
 

The Power of Ritual

 
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Last September I sat in a yurt near Yosemite sitting at an altar in each of the four directions with the question, "How do I fully express myself? I was at Erica Jago's EARTH retreat where Erica had just taught us a powerful exercise from the Native American tradition about how to use the 4 directions to gain more clarity in our lives.

Through the exercise, I answered questions like, "What was I like as a child?"  "What am I grateful for?" "What wisdom have I gained?" "What brings me joy?" and "What are the new possibilities for my life?"  I drew a card from the tarot for each direction, sat, wrote, and meditated on these questions.

The whole process took about an hour, and afterwards I left with a map of exactly what I needed to do over the next year to fully express myself.

I knew I needed to sing, dance, write, and speak in front of large groups.  However, I had so much fear even just thinking about it.  Erica then placed an empty glass jar in the center of the room and said, "Now, write your fears on a piece of paper and place them in the jar.  On the Full moon we are going to burn them."

Through the exercise, I discovered I needed to meet monthly with other women on the full or new moons as a space to be vulnerable so that I could gather strength and courage.  I knew I needed to join the public speaking group I was avoiding because it would give me the space to practice, and I knew I needed to start singing, dancing and playing kirtan in front of others.

On the Full moon, Erica held a powerful ritual.  Each person shared the art they had created over the week, the insights they had gained and released their fears, and their art in the fire.

One by one, we shared the insights we had gained over the weekend - what we were releasing and what we were stepping into.

I had my harmonium with me, and I knew it was time to play it in front of the group.  I openly shared my fears and blocks I have had around self-expression.  As I did, tears streamed down my face as I imagined the little girl inside myself who had been closed down for so long.

Then, I sang the mantra, Aad Guray Nameh, The Mangala Charan, a mantra to help us all overcome self-doubt and create a protective field of light.

Everyone sang with me.

In that moment I was witnessed in releasing a deep rooted fear, and for the first time, was fully witnessed in sharing my singing voice.  That moment carried so much power and healing.

A ritual is a space to be witnessed in your truth and supported by your sisters.  It is a space to honor the rites of passage in your life.

Rituals infuse magic, intention and sacredness into our daily lives.  A ritual can turn a mundane act done without awareness into a sacred act with clarity and purpose.  Slowing down to say a blessing before a meal changes the experience.  Meditation, singing, or lighting a candle imbues a moment of peace and serenity into a busy day.

Ritual can also be this healing space where women come together to honor a specific purpose.   These rituals may honor transitions, letting go, grieving, the lunar cycle or the change of seasons. 

Participating in ritual has been one of the most healing ways to mark a big transition in my life.  Ritual has provided a space for me to be fully seen, acknowledged and supported.  After participating in ritual, I feel more confident and courageous to share myself with the world.

I had no idea the kind of transformation that would take place over the next year.  I went home, with a map in my hands, knowing exactly what I needed to do to fully express myself.

Without that ritual, I don't know if I would have had the courage to go on my first teaching and singing tour, to join a public speaking group, deliver toasts and speeches, dance without self-consciousness, and devote myself to writing and art.

Ritual helped me release my fears and feel supported in taking action towards my dreams.  It was a way to mark a new beginning and enter into a new way of living.

 

Now I'd love to hear:

What rites of passage have you gone through that you would like to honor?  

What fears are you ready to release and what new beginning are you stepping into?  Share with us in the comments.

I encourage you to create your own ritual, or join us in our Way of the Priestess program to create one with us there.

With love, Meredith

How I learned the real value of $20 (a lesson in abundance)

 
flowers-magic-money-power

Last week my partner went away for the weekend and I had the house to myself.  I found myself cleaning, making plans with girlfriends, catching up on emails and projects, and taking a closer look at my finances. As I dove into my bank accounts and credit card balances, I realized on my travels I was not as mindful about money as I usually am.  I bought what I needed as I was on my tour, but instead of tracking each expense against my income, I trusted it would all work out at the end of the month.

Years ago, this was my usual relationship to money, and I often found myself perplexed about where it all went at the end of the month.

Last year, I chose to get really honest with myself about my finances.  I read countless books about investing and personal finance and made a lot of changes in how I related to my money.

However, as I looked through my expenses, I realized I had gone back into my old habits and was feeling disconnected.

Then, I lost my wallet.  

I made a purchase online, and somehow between making that purchase and leaving my house for the farmer's market, my wallet had completely disappeared.  I knew it had to be in my house because that was the last place I used it, but I literally could not find it anywhere.

It felt like the universe was telling me, "You'd better pay attention before you spend any more money!"

I searched around the house and found a $20 bill that I had earned at one of my recent kirtan performances.   I was off to meet a friend at the farmer's market and thought, "This will have to do."  I knew my partner was away for three more days and I realized, "I may only have this $20 bill until he gets back - I need to make it last."

But I thought, "How am I going to manage with only $20?"

I knew I wanted to buy dinner, flowers for my solstice gathering, and to get fresh produce for my house as well.  I had to make the most with what I had.

Before making any purchases, I carefully surveyed each of the vendors, to determine what I could afford.

What happened next was magical.  I bought lemons and oranges for less than $2, a bouquet of flowers for $5, a large samosa for $5, strawberries for $4, I even felt I could donate $2 to the man giving away art on the side of the street.

And magically, I still had $2 leftover to save.  There was nothing else I wanted or needed at the end of the market.

I left that market feeling so abundant.  I had underestimated the value of $20 and was happily surprised about how far it could go when I was spending with awareness.

I saw, when $20 is all you have, you learn to work within your means... and you can still live abundantly!

Abundance is not based on the number of dollars in your wallet or bank account, it is a state of mind. {tweet this}

When I got home, I created a map of how I could spend within my means based on what I learned at the farmer's market.  I'd like to share it with you here:

Essentials (Food, living costs, gas, etc):  45%

Fun (Flowers, clothing, house items, going out, entertainment):  25%

Health/Well-Being (Essential oils, self-care items, supplements, yoga classes):  10%

Savings (Savings towards an emergency fund, travel, and bigger ticket items like a retreat or plane ticket):  10%

Donations & Gifts (Giving money to organizations I'm passionate about, donating to fundraisers, giving gifts, and in general money to feel generous with)  :  10%

That night, with a little more searching, I found my wallet.  I felt so much gratitude for the abundance at my fingertips, and had learned a powerful lesson about mindful spending.  Since then, I have been following my new map for the income I bring in, being mindful about where and how I spend.  The universe gave me a simple, yet powerful lesson that really showed me the value of what I used to take for granted.

Now I'd like to ask you:  How is your relationship to your finances? and Where are you lacking awareness?

I challenge you to make your own healthy spending map.  

Track how much income you earn each month in a spreadsheet and map out how much you would like to spend in each area of your life.

When you take the time to really look at your income and expenses, and choose to spend mindfully, abundance will soon follow.  Feel free to let me know how it goes in the comments below!

With love,

Meredith

 

 

My prayer for you this summer

 
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After a couple long days on the computer and phone this week, I was experiencing lower back pain and getting frustrated with technology glitches (that are bound to happen in Mercury retrograde).  I was putting a lot of pressure on myself, so when things weren't working, I fully surrendered. I dropped everything and went to Amma's ashram in San Ramon.  If you're unfamiliar with my work or stories about Amma, she is known as "hugging saint" - a guru from India who travels around the world giving people hugs.

Upon arrival, I immediately felt a shift within myself.  I felt the calming energy, I ate the food made with love, and I was met with smiling faces saying "Om namah shivaya."  (I bow to the divinity that resides within us all)

I meditated, sang, and stayed up until the early morning hours to receive a hug from the divine mother, the hugging saint, Amma.

While there, I received a massage that eased my lower back pain, I held my intention to join women from around the world in 40 days of sacred practice and devotion, I prayed for renewal, and to surrender to how spirit would have things go.  I fully let it go.

The next day, I went to our dear friend Tirza's yoga class.  She had invited Michael to sing for her class, and for the first time, I got to receive Michael's beautiful songs while participating (rather than being the teacher).

On our tour, there were many moments when students cried (his music really touches your heart). I was always moved, but held the space for what wanted to arise in others.

As a participant, moving through the poses, I had the thought, "I have been so hard on myself!" 

"For what?" I wondered.

I realized, any stress I feel in my life has been completely self-created. 

Tears streamed down my face as a new mantra entered my mind, "My life is already so beautiful. There's no need for more pressure. Let it be easy." 

Let it be easy! So simple. So true.

So today, I will continue to tune into my heart, and prioritize my practices and connection to spirit.

I know from experience, it takes courage to slow down, and prioritize our devotion and self-care practices.  It takes courage to face our fears, and follow our dreams in service to our calling, and a higher good...

This is what I want for you:

Permission to love yourself first and to follow your dreams and your heart, no matter what. 

To face your fears and take action, but to do it all with ease, grace, spaciousness and most importantly, faith. 

Since that day at Amma's, a rush of women have joined me in the VISION sisterhood to manifest their desires this summer, and there are now only a few spaces left.

If you feel called to make space for this new way of living this summer, I would love to have you as part of this sisterhood.   I invite you to join us here. 

Love, Meredith

 

I feel like a different person. Here's why ~

 
meredith rom-courage-magic-self-care-vision

I've been home for just over one week now after a month long teaching and singing tour on the West Coast and South West. Michael and I had our homecoming celebration concert in Sebastopol last weekend and... it kind of blew my mind. 

There must have been forty people in the room, all singing with us.  I had a very surreal moment at that show where I realized how much I have grown.  Over the last year, I have really become a different person.  

I used to be very shut down and afraid to share my voice.  The thought of it would make my chest constrict and it even felt difficult to breathe.

However, in just the last week, I have led four workshops, a private talk, a podcast interview and a concert.  Wow!  

Michael and I have facilitated eighteen events sharing yoga and singing across the country, and I'm about to give my third speech at my public speaking group this Thursday.

It's incredible for me.  Sometimes I look at myself and wonder, when did I become this person?

Through it all, I've learned, it's about baby steps, and practice.  It's about connecting to a larger VISION for the world, and surrendering my fears to a higher power.  And it is most definitely about receiving support.

I'm gearing up for my next VISION online coaching program that begins in less than two weeks.  If you sign up before June 10 you'll receive $100 off.  In this program, I will be providing love, support and encouragement to women from around the world to manifest their desires through a 40-day meditation practice.  

If you have any questions, or want to connect with me personally to see if this program is a good fit for you, contact me.

I also have a new meditation video interview with goddess energy healer Rachael Webb.

Each day over the next five days I will be releasing a new video interview with a new magical empowered woman.

In this video we explore:

  • Why meditation is important
  • How meditation changed Rachael's life
  • What she has struggled with around meditation
  • What meditation is like for her now
  • Tips for how to bring meditation into your daily life

Watch the video and check out some more of my updates below!

With love, Meredith

P.S. Storytime Q & A Teleclass is back! Grab a cup of tea or lemonade, put on your slippers and cozy up to listen to this Storytime Teleclass.  I'll be sharing some of my favorite stories about manifestation. **MONDAY, JUNE 8 AT 5 PM PST* Sign up and submit a question!

 
Storytime-qa
Storytime-qa

Last week on tour...and music for you!

 
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A few days ago I shared a story about forgiveness, and how key that was for me when I went through a difficult breakup four years ago. The strength I gained from that experience pushed me forward to find true forgiveness, freedom, independence, and love within myself.

As I let go, and focused on my dreams and visions, new love entered my life.

I have always seen relationships as a beautiful mirror - showing us what we need to see in ourselves.  For me, that reflection happened when I met a musician, Michael.

Music was always something I loved, but growing up, didn't always feel I could excel in myself.  I thought you were either born with a natural talent to sing and play instruments, or not.

But when Michael and I started dating, he consistently encouraged me to sing with him and use my voice.  I usually shied away from it, but last year, something shifted.  

I bought a harmonium and began learning to play mantras.  I brought the harmonium into my daily meditation practice, and alone in my room, began to sing.

I gave myself permission for it to not be perfect, and after a few short weeks, I was amazed to see the transformation and confidence I gained in my voice.

With Michael's guidance and encouragement, I began to share with friends, and accompanied him at performances.

When Michael and I planned our Vision & Voice tour, I expected to teach yoga, and only occasionally accompany him with the harmonium at our performances, however, that quickly shifted.

We've been on the road for four weeks now, through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and the California coast - and are on the last few days of our tour.  

We have events in Monterey, Santa Cruz, Mill Valley, Berkeley and Sebastopol this week.  (details below)

I know not all of you are able to make it to our events on the west coast, so I wanted to share a couple songs from one of our live performances in Ojai this week.

~ You can listen here. ~ With love, Meredith

Upcoming Events:

May 21: Monterey / Pacific Grove, CA, Kundalini Yoga + Kirtan, Chautauqua Hall  May 23: Santa Cruz, CA, Yoga with Live Music + Kirtan Divinitree Westside May 24: Mill Valley, CA, Homecoming KIrtan Celebration, Redwoods Retreat House May 25: Berkeley, CA, Singing Workshop, House Event May 29: Sebastopol, CA, Yoga with Live Music, The dhyana Center May 30: Sebastopol, CA, Homecoming Celebration Kirtan, The Root Collective

 

I'm going on tour!

 
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Two years ago I went on my boyfriend's music tour along the west coast.  I watched as he set up concerts all the way up to Washington.  I kept thinking on that tour, "Wouldn't it be great if I had the opportunity to teach yoga?" At the time, the thought of going on a teaching tour both terrified and excited me.  Voices came in my mind like, "You're too young, you're not ready," and "Will people really want to hear what you have to share?"

Then I remembered one of my essential teachings:

"When I am both afraid and excited, I know life is presenting me with an opportunity to grow."

 
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I'm very excited to share with you today, I am going on my first teaching tour!

I'll be traveling and sharing yoga and music workshops with Michael Zeligs in California, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona.

This project has been in the works for months now...  We have our workshops booked and are ready to go.  Check out the tour page here.

We'll be sharing two workshops:  Vision Yoga ~ a yoga class with live music to tune into your body's wisdom and manifest your highest visions for yourself and for the world and Free Your Voice ~ Sacred Kirtan Songweaving ~ a singing workshop to break through fears that so many of us carry around our voices.

If you have a dream, a vision, that you are ready to say yes to, I invite you to join us in one of our workshops.

Here's the Schedule:

If you live in one of these cities, I'd love to see you!  You can now click on the links above to reserve your space.

And, if you have friends in the cities we'll be visiting, please share this post so we can inspire even more of you to live your visions and share your voices.

With love, Meredith

Seven Signs You're A Modern Day Priestess

 
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When I was growing up and heard the word "priestess," I thought of boring sermons at church, wearing clothes I didn't feel comfortable in and being forced to sit quietly when I wanted to play outside. I didn't know much about what it meant to be one other than it was probably the female version of a "priest." As a playful young girl, the thought of becoming a female priest sounded pretty mundane.

Then one day, a friend wrote out my numerology. It was the number eleven, which also breaks down to two. In tarot, the eleven (or two) corresponds to the archetype of the High Priestess. She told me in ancient times, they were known for having a heightened contact to other realms through intuition and dreams. The community would seek counsel from them to know what actions to take in their lives.

I thought about my life and how I had always had a heightened sense of intuition; of being able to feel into a situation in order to make a decision. I thought of how friends were naturally drawn to me for guidance and consolation during difficult times.

Maybe I was a priestess after all.

Over a few months, I felt more and more connected to this archetype and dove into books and articles on the topic. I began to see: this modern day mystic lives anything but a mundane life. Her life is rich in dreams, intuition, ritual, feminine leadership and a connection to the divine.

Here are seven signs there is a modern day priestess awakening within you:

Your  Calling is to be of Service

To be a leader, you must first learn to serve. —Jennie Mira

The priestess is not a teacher or leader on a pedestal, but rather, she is of the highest service.  She is in service to her community and to her calling.  Being of service is not about placing anyone above or below, but rather creating a mutual relationship of respect between the initiate and the women she serves.

Her work is to become a channel, a vessel to serve the highest good of the divine.  She must maintain a practice of self-care to be the most present and abundant in her ability to serve and become this channel.

Many women fantasize about goddesses wearing flowing robes, crowns and using magical tools, but in reality to stand in this role, one must be prepared "to be the last one in the rented hall, scraping candle wax droppings with a razor blade."  ~ Ruth Barrett

You are Highly Intuitive

She uses practices such as writing, dancing, movement, meditation, self-care and alone time to hone her ability to listen to her intuition. Our intuition is like a muscle that heightens when we pay attention to it. The more we can quiet the busyness of the mind, the more access we will have to the guidance of the divine and be able to step into this role and be a channel for those in need.

You Seek Out Ritual in Your Daily Life

Rituals infuse magic, intention and sacredness into our daily lives. A ritual can turn a mundane act done without awareness into a sacred act with clarity and purpose. Slowing down to say a blessing before a meal changes the experience. Meditation, singing, or lighting a candle imbues a moment of peace and serenity into a busy day.

Ritual can also be a healing space where women come together to honor a specific purpose. These rituals may honor transitions, letting go, grieving, the lunar cycle or the change of seasons. Participating in ritual has been one of the most healing ways to mark a big transition in my life. Ritual has provided a space for me to be fully seen, acknowledged and supported by my sisters. After participating in ritual, I feel more confident and courageous to share myself with the world.

Your Internal Clock is Synced with the Moon

In ancient times, women slept in tribes, often under the stars and the moon. Their menstrual cycles were in sync with each other and with the lunar cycles: bleeding at the new moon and ovulating at the full moon.

You may begin to be more in tune to the natural world and notice energy levels rise and fall. Going out to socialize will make more sense with the heightened energy of the full moon and slowing down to nest will feel perfect at the new moon. For a modern day priestess, creativity, energy levels and social needs begin to flow in tandem with the moon and tides.

You Are Highly Sensitive

You may notice how you can feel the energies of a room and have a heightened ability to feel other people's emotions. This can be difficult for highly sensitive women because the world may sometimes feel like "too much."

In my last program, one of the women "came out" as a HSP (highly sensitive person) and nearly all the others spoke up to share how much they related to and supported her. As a highly sensitive person, you may feel alone in a world of extroverted and gregarious people, however we often forget that heightened sensitivity is a gift.  You can fuel your feelings and emotions into writing, singing, and listening with a deeper level of compassion for others.

You Have Prophetic Dreams

Have you ever dreamt something and realized it became your reality a week later? A feminine mystic often turns to her dreams for guidance. Dreams are a powerful place to explore questions in your life and to connect to the desires of your subconscious self.

One practice I use often is re-entering dreams. When you are unsure of how to decipher the symbols or occurrences of a dream, close your eyes and imagine yourself back in the space. Then go to characters and objects one at a time and ask, "What do you have to show me?" You will probably be surprised with the answers your subconscious comes up with.

You Are Naturally Drawn to Holding Space

The twenty-first century priestess becomes the container who helps create sacred space wherein women can connect with the Goddess within. —Ruth Barrett

An initiate can also be a space-holder. She creates the space for others to show up as they are. Have you noticed that people turn to you to guide them through an experience? Holding space is not about planning or knowing what to do or say. It is about becoming present to the moment. All that is needed is to tune into the energy of the person or the group; to listen and ask for guidance within.

Rising Women Leaders ~ Way of the Priestess Initiation Program

In the comments, I'd love to hear what a "priestess" means to you and how can you embody this role in your daily life?


Frequently Asked Questions:

 

What I've learned about intuition

 
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I see many people in our society numbing themselves out. Whether it be through alcohol, food, drugs, caffeine, painkillers or antidepressants – many of us are trying to distract ourselves from what is really going on.

This was the case for me for a long time.  When I felt sad, I went to sugar.  When I had pain in my body, I took an advil or had a glass of wine to distract myself.  When I had a project due that I didn't want to finish, I'd drink caffeine to push through it.

Our bodies are full with wisdom and they send us very clear signals when something needs to shift in our lives.

We develop pain, skin problems, or other symptoms when something is not right.  It is our job to listen to those signals instead of pushing them away.

I believe intuition is so important because it guides us closer to our purpose.  When we numb out the wisdom of our bodies, we lose our connection to divine guidance, we forget why we are here, and as a result can easily suffer from depression or feelings of meaninglessness.

However:

When we use our intuition, we are guided to our highest potential as beings and are able to live more meaningful, synchronous and connected lives.

What I’ve learned about intuition: 

1. Your intuition lives in your body 

That’s why we need practices like yoga, dance, active meditation, running, and movement to access it.  You need to form a connection to your body, take care of it through food, baths, showers, body butter, and be there with it during the difficult times too.

2. Your intuition can be very quiet 

It takes being with the busy mind and having a mindfulness practice to be still enough to listen to that inner voice.  The rational mind will come up with all kinds of reasons to do something, but a little inner voice or feeling will tell you when it’s not right.

3.  You need to stop inputting information to digest the information that is already there

When you’re on the phone, the computer, reading magazines, or even books, you are inputting new information into the brain.  However, in order to access the intuitive state, you need to stop inputting new information to digest the information that’s already there.

That’s why going to a yoga class, going on a run, being in nature, or meditating are the best ways to access your intuition.

Those are the times you turn off distractions and you are solely with your body, your thoughts and your spirit.

If you feel called to join us with a group of likeminded women to explore the power of your intuition, join us in this year’s Way of the Priestess Initiation Program.

Love & light, Meredith