The Now Age

This edition of The Now Age podcast features a conversation about sex and self-worth, and is a sample of a new, magazine format show, that will be available to Numinous subscribers going forward.

Ruby gives an overview of Scorpio themes of energetic investments, vulnerability, and intimacy, sharing how she became disconnected from her own sense of soul-worth as a result of a sexually and emotionally abusive relationship—as so many of us experience. She is then joined by intuition coach Betsy LeFae and astrologer Bess Matassa, who open up the conversation to discuss how we can connect with the message of Scorpio-Taurus axis to reclaim our bodies and our wholeness.

Details for how to sign up for the new monthly subscribers' edition of The Now Age podcast coming soon.

The last in the current series, published July 4 2019, this is an incredibly fitting episode to end on. It features an in-depth interview with Janet MacGillivray and Eryn Wise of Seeding Sovereignty, an organization that rose out of the encampments at Standing Rock with a mission to amplify the voices and the stories of indigenous American youth.

Janet, and environmental lawyer formerly affiliated with the EPA, begins by sharing the origin story of Seeding Sovereignty, and why this was a call to find truly impactful and sustainable ways to do her work in the world. We then move into a wide-ranging conversation about the true meaning of healing, looking at how modern wellness communities and practices are often doing more harm than good—and how to address this.

In this episode Eryn and Ruby also discuss:

• Why it is time to work in partnership with indigenous peoples to tackle environmental issues

• What it means to be a spiritual activist

• The power of storytelling and deep listening as tools for healing

• Why decolonization begins with the individual—and means acknowledging the atrocities of the past

• How to engage respectfully with indigenous healing traditions

• How social media feeds narcissistic thinking that says some people are better than others

• Ways listeners can support the work of Seeding Sovereignty

Discover more about Seeding Sovereignty and their work HERE and follow them on Instagram @seedingsovereignty

When Adama Sesay of Lilith Astrology reached out about contributing to The Numinous, she also posed a question: why is mainstream astrology so white? Meaning, why do the biggest media outlets feature so few readers of color? Which is a really good and important question! Our ensuing conversation about this led to this post on the site—and formed the basis for the discussion in this episode.

Adama shares her own story of building her practice as a black woman, as well as the positive implications and healing opportunity in bringing more diversity to the modern astrology space. In this episode we also discuss:

-Astrology as a tool of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and personal growth

-Gender fluidity in the astrological archetypes

-The importance of diversity in the spiritual wellness space in general

-The role of the Pluto in Scorpio generation (born Nov 1983—Nov 1995) in transforming outdated paradigms

-The Lilith archetype, and why it is so relevant in the post #metoo era

Discover more about Adama and her work and book a reading HERE and follow her on Instagram @lilithastrology

As the Sun moves into Cancer it's time for our monthly Astrocast , with resident Numinous astrologers Bess and Sandy. Key themes that we'll be swimming through in the coming weeks, include: How to move more deeply into our feelings, "stay with" the sensations, and use our feelings as a navigational force; Learning to disarm ourselves and "come undone," and when and how to self protect; Feeling into the rhythms that are unfolding in our lives and learning to "go with" instead of against; How our self-image is a reflection of our internal landscape; Family patterning; and finding the balance between structure and flow.

Dates for your diary:
6/21 - Sun Enters Cancer + Neptune retrograde
6/26 - Mercury Enters Leo
7/7 - Mercury Retrograde in Leo, 7/19 Mercury Retrograde Enters Cancer
7/1 - Mars Enters Leo
7/2 - Cancer New Moon Total Solar Eclipse
7/3 - Venus Enters Cancer
7/8 - Chiron Retrograde in Aries
7/16 - Capricorn Full Moon

Discover more about Bess and book a reading HERE and learn about Sandy's upcoming offerings HERE.

This episode features an interview with diversity & inclusion expert Aaron Rose and gets deep into the weeds of our collective healing process around divisiveness and hate – the root of which, Aaron argues, lies in the of pain of separation and resulting fear of “otherness.”

Something of a “millennial Marianne Williamson,” Aaron’s work focusses largely on explaining how this pain / fear manifests in our reality as political scaremongering, media stereotyping, institutionalized racism, and exploitative capitalism - and that, in seeking to address any of the above, we must first look at how these systems have taken hold and become embedded within ourselves.

In this episode, Aaron and Ruby also discuss (among other extremely important topics!):

-Aaron’s own journey as a queer person healing from the conditioning of the Catholic Church

-Identity and embodiment through the lens of quantum physics

-Why amends-making is an essential part of our collective healing, and how to do it

-Why we are the “generational clean-up crew” tasked with undoing the wrongs of our ancestors

-Why in the Now Age it is vital that we bring our spirituality to our politics

-How to use your voice for the highest good of all

Discover more about Aaron and his work HERE and follow him on Instagram @aaronxrose

In May 2019 (perfectly timed for Gemini season!) "burnout" was officially recognized as a syndrome by the World Health Organization—and in this episode Ruby talks to entrepreneur and activist Samantha Moyo about the high risk of burnout among social entrepreneurs.

When a passion project comes with an added layer of social responsibility, taking any time out can feel like it's not an option. As well as the "buck-stops-with-me" mentality and personal attachment that comes with running your own business, time off can lead to feelings of guilt and a sense of "letting others down"—leading to burnout, or even breakdown.

In this VERY IMPORTANT EPISODE, Ruby and Samantha also discuss:

-Samantha's own breakdown after exiting her last company—and how she recovered

-The inner and outer instability that comes with "being the change"

-Why slowing down and doing less is modeling a necessary societal shift

-Samatha's work with leading climate change initiative, Extinction Rebellion

-Self-care tips for social entrepreneurs and activists

Discover more about Samantha HERE, follow her on Instagram, and learn about the work she does with social entrepreneurs at Tamuka.co

This week's episode features a conversation with Brazilian healer, philanthropist and activist Vivien Vilela, who is also the co-founder of the annual Aniwa Gathering of indigenous elders (June 5—9 2019). Having confronted her own demons with a deep immersion into ancient shamanic practices, Vivien shares how this led to her dedicating her life to her spiritual studies, and to the preservation of indigenous culture and wisdom.

We have so much to learn from these cultures, whose people have been subjected to unforgivable exploitation in the name of Western capitalist gains—and while we have so much to learn from them, it is vital that we engage respectfully with their teachings and traditions. Vivien shares her views on this, as well as offering a profoundly hopeful vision for a world in which indigenous Earth magic is embraced as a balm for environmental dis-ease.

In this episode Vivien and Ruby also discuss:

-How we can merge ancient wisdom with modern technology to benefit everyone

-Vivien's experiences + learnings from a 28-day shamanic vision quest

-Why our fear of nature is at the root of the harm being done to the natural world

-Why indigenous elders are the personification and the voice of nature

-Tools, rituals, and practices for helping to heal the Earth we can implement in our lives every day

The 2019 Aniwa Gathering takes place June 5—9 AT Camp Timber Trails, MA. Reserve your spot to sit and learn from 40 indigenous elders from all over the world HERE—and use the code NOWAGE15 for 15% off your ticket

Numinous resident astrologers Bess and Sandy are back, with a deep dive into the astrological transits for Gemini Season 2019. Themes discussed in this episode cover:

-Cultivating a beginner's mind and being satisfied with knowing what you know, without needing to grasp beyond that in an attempt to have all the answers.

-Letting what wants to reveal itself do so in its own time. Being available to synchronicity and learning to cultivate faith that you cannot "miss" anything that is truly meant for you.

The Gemini New Moon period
-What kind of witch are you?! Being open to your personal flavor of magic, working as a channel to let what wants to come through you come through you. What can you shift and transmute—what kind of alchemist are you?

Sagittarius Full Moon period
-What is this quest that you're on? Working with your past without having to purge or "fix" it. Understanding the relationship between where you've been and where you're heading. Consciously integrating your stories and letting all your feelings inform your future choices.

Key dates for your diary:

5/21 - Sun and Mercury move into Gemini

6/3 - Gemini New Moon

6/4 - Mercury moves into Cancer

6/17 - Sagittarius Full Moon

6/21 - Neptune moves retrograde

For this week's episode, I invited our resident Tarotscopes reader Brandon Alter to interview Cassandra Snow, author of new book, Queering The Tarot. When Cassandra's reps first reached out, I knew this was a subject I wanted to cover on The Numinous. The Judeo-Christian underpinnings of the tarot have lent the practice a hetero- and cis-normativity bias that's alienating for queer readers—something that's being addressed in more modern, evolved decks.

Besides, as Cassandra writes in the intro to her book: "tarot, with its infinite capacity for reframing, reinterpretation, and retelling, is a perfect medium for sharing and exploring queer stories and experiences," and Brandon, gets deep into this subject with her in his interview.

In this episode, Brandon and Cassandra also discuss ...

-What it means to "queer" the tarot

-Rewriting the heroes journey of the major arcana for queer and other marginalized communities

-Looking at the suit of pentacles beyond the capitalist model of "wealth"

-Meeting your chosen family in the tarot

-Specific cards that can be powerfully interpreted through a queer lens

-Using the tarot for self-love and sex- and body-positivity

To discover more about Cassandra Snow and her work, visit cassandra-snow.com, get your copy of Queering The Tarot, and follow her on Instagram. You can also hear more from Brandon on his podcast, The Spiritual Gayz.

In this episode, intuition coach Betsy LeFae talks all about how to bring our intuition to our most intimate relationships. We can think about our intuition as an internal GPS system that's permanently set to "home." When we go off course, it's often because our ego / thinking mind believes it knows a better route or a shortcut—based on the external programming we have received from parents and the wider society from the moment we were born.

And in no area does this external conditioning get more of a say than in our intimate relationships. When it comes to love, sex, dating, family dynamics, and close friendships, external beliefs about how these should look are often so ingrained we find ourselves operating on autopilot without even realizing it—leading to all kinds of dysfunction, frustration, and heartache.

In this episode, Betsy and Ruby also discuss:

-How to hear and trust the voice of our intuition over all the external noise

-Why it's so hard to trust our intuition when it comes to love + sex

-How to use dating apps to practice intuitive intimacy + learn the art of trust

-Why being vulnerable in our friendships is the first step to attracting the partner we want

-Why emotional intelligence is the first step to living a more intuitive life

-How alcohol and other substances can separate us from our intuition

To learn more about Betsy and her work, and to book a 1-2-1 coaching session, visit Betsylefae.com and follow her on Instagram @betsylefae

How to reconcile life in the material world with our spiritual beliefs is at the heart of any Now Age conversation - and nowhere is the inherent push-pull between the material and the mystical more apparent than in our relationship to MONEY (as represented by the Taurus / Scorpio axis in astrology).

Whether we're aware of it or not, most of us in the West have internalized capitalist values that place profit and progress above all—often including our own wellbeing, as well as the health of our communities and our planet. This is often at odds with wanting to truly be of service in the world, as marketing our services and profiting from people we are trying to "help" can also begin to feel exploitative and icky.

In this super enlightening conversation, Ruby and guest Abby Allen get into the true meaning of "conscious entrepreneurship"—with a deep dive into topics such as:

-Why raising our consciousness also means questioning any internalized capitalist values.

-The Buddhist perspective on good business practice.

-How to market ourselves and our work from a place of service.

-Why money is not the route of all evil - greed and exploitation are.

-How to rewrite money stories that keep us locked in a lack mentality.

-How we can enact equity in ways that go beyond the monetary.

You can discover more about Abby and her work at Neonbutterfly.com and follow her on Instagram @abbymallen and @livingneon

Our monthly Astrocast is back, with a look ahead at the astrology of Taurus Season 2019. Numinous resident astrologers Bess Matassa and Sandy Sitron go deep into the themes and flavors of the month to come, which are all about helping us focus on the resources we have on had as we find new sources of sustenance.

Taurus season is always about our relationship to our bodies - what feels good, how it feels to remember we are part of nature, and what we can "fill up" on. Key transits Bess and Sandy discuss in this episode are:

-Sun in Taurus + Venus in Aries: a time for rethinking the influence of Venus beyond relationship as a reflection of our own desires and tastes.

-Pluto and Saturn retrograde: themes of power and control, becoming your own authority, and any generational healing we need to do around this.

-New Moon in Taurus: clearing the way for new growth, and treating any "losses" like finds that help us uncover hidden layers.

-Mercury in Taurus, Venus in Taurus, and Mars in Cancer: helping us lean back into supports and find safety at a soul level.

-Full Moon in Scorpio: more clearing space and learning what truly fills us before we grasp for the first thing in front of us.

Keep following us on Instagram @The_Numinous for daily astro oracles, and subscribe to our newsletter for weekly horoscopes and astro mantras direct to your inbox!

Social media—how we use it, how it makes us feel, and the way it has infiltrated all our lives—is a topic that comes up in pretty much every conversation these days. And for anybody building a boutique business or personal brand, it is often seen as a necessary "evil"—with way too many hours spent critiquing selfies and working out how to beat "the algorythm."

But what if we could see our social media channels as an extension of our personal development? A place to practice self-awareness, authentic communicate, and energetic mastery? This is the work of Ksenia Avdulova, founder of @breakfastcriminals, host of podcast @wokeandwired, and conscious social media coach.

In this episode, she shares tons of tips for engaging with social media in a conscious AND impactful way, and we also dive into:

-Why there is no one-size-fits-all strategy for social media "success."

-How to marry our outer technology with our inner technology (or intuition).

-Why focussing on intention over frequency of posting is the key to growing your audience authentically.

-Why social media is a tool for self-awareness, helping us understand our triggers.

-How to respond to callouts, criticism, and weird comments in a positive way.

Like the sound of Ksenia's approach? Her 8-week Conscious Social Media course is open for enrollment through April 14 2019—and you can get 15% off when you use the code THENUMINOUS. Click HERE for more details and to sign up.

So many of us are reclaiming our spirituality on our own terms, and in doing so tapping into our innate creativity, and discovering our own intuitive and healing gifts. The dream? To leave the corporate world behind and make this our full time work—and when she left her high-profile role as UK marketing director for fashion brand Kate Space to found her healing business, The Calmery, Sushma Sagar did exactly that.

Sushma had been practicing reiki and the shamanic arts on the side for 15 years, afraid that if she came clean about her healing work she'd be seen as "woowoo", or not fully committed to her competitive career. In this super frank and helpful interview, she walks us through the circumstances that led to her making the leap—and how she has made it work. In this episode we also discuss:

-Coping with the identity crisis of leaving a high stakes career behind.

-Deprogramming from parental pressures and cultural conditioning around the meaning of "success."

-The importance of doing your own healing work before you start working with others.

-Spiritual appropriation and how to engage with indigenous healing traditions with integrity.

-Why is is our destiny to each become our own healers, and in doing so help to heal humanity.

You can check out Sushma's article on Coming out of The Spiritual Closet HERE and her piece on Why 2017 Was The Year I Un-brainwashed Myself HERE. You can also follow her on Instagram @thecalmery and learn more about her work at Thecalmery.com.

This week's episode features artist, writer, healer, and transformational coach, Alexandra Roxo. One of my very favorite people, Alexandra began contributing to The Numinous in 2013 and we've been in close collaborationship ever since—meaning we are friends, colleagues, and co-creators, as well as each others' biggest growth-accelerators!

In this conversation, we discuss how this unique relationship has helped us both to grow exponentially, in business and in life, offering insights into how to bring this level of intentionality to partnerships of all kinds. As co-founders of women's empowerment collective Moon Club, we also walk listeners through how we navigated me exiting the business with integrity and grace—leaving our collaborationship (and our friendship!) full in-tact.

In this episode we also discuss:

-How hiding behind a mask of "coolness" can prevent you from going deep—in relationships, with your creative life, and with your spiritual practice.

-Why women trigger each other and how to deal.

-How to make space in your life for inspiration and visionary ideas that are unique to you.

-The importance of being really (really, really) real with ourselves and with each other.

-Why mixing business with feelings is an essential part of MANIFESTING THE MATRIARCHY and making way for more feminine approaches to business and leadership.

You can discover more about our upcoming Mother's Day retreat HERE, and learn more about Alexandra and her work HERE. You can also follow her on Instagram and check out Moon Club to get access to monthly online rituals and group coaching with Alexandra.

We're back with the latest installment of The Astrocast, with Numinous resident astrologers Bess Matassa and Sandy Sitron. Aries Season (3/20—4/19) marks the beginning of the astrological year, and is infused with the energy of new beginnings. There's a "clean slate" vibe in the air, and Bess and Sandy dive deep into the key theme for the coming weeks: Showing up for yourself; learning through friction; breaking cycles; simplifying things; and a commitment to backing yourself 100%.

It is a JUICY month with tons of cosmic action. In this episode you will also hear about the key transits + diary dates for the coming weeks, including:

• The Spring Equinox and the Sun's move into Aries (3/20): A time to commit to beginning again, picking a direction to move forward in, and letting any discomfort just be.

• This month's two Libra Full Moons (3/20 and 4/19): A time for becoming your own champion, and for clearing yourself of painful dramas that are ready to go.

• The Aries New Moon (4/5): A time for discovering what is essential, sloughing off excess, becoming emotionally “aerodynamic”; and committing with your whole body.

• Venus in Pisces (3/26) and Mercury moving direct in Pisces (3/28): A time for embracing and giving a voice your fantasies and true desires.

• Mars in Gemini (3/31): A time for speaking your goals into being while remaining open to the curious journey. For adapting and adjusting.

• Pluto in Capricorn opposite north node cancer (starting 3/31) and Sun square Pluto and Saturn in cap (4/10)
  Taking responsibility for yourself. No more messing around. Showing up to do what you came here to do.

• Jupiter Retrograde (4/10): A time for reconnecting to your sources of internal inspo and being your own “coach.”

We hope you love this episode! I also share the very first HINT as some super exciting developments from us to help you learn astrology for yourself. Make sure you're following on Instagram and all signed up for our newsletter to be the first to hear more!

This week's episode is timed for International Women's Day 2019, and features a conversation with British Syrian queer poet, essayist, and performer, Lisa Luxx. The video for Lisa's new single, Girl Gang, features footage collected from sisterhoods from the UK, Nambia, California, Beirut, across Canada, mainland Europe, Australia and beyond.

An ode to intersectional feminism and the emotional bonds which unite womxn everywhere, this conversation contains beautiful truths about the power of collaboration, empathy, and listening, when it comes to creating a world where everybody - regardless of gender expression - feels safer to be themselves. Ruby and Lisa also discuss:

Why the ancient art of poetry is the perfect medium for the Instagram age

The relevance of International Women's Day in 2019

Intersectional feminism vs. a fractured feminism

Cultivating sisterhood on an emotional and spiritual level

Why overcoming our insecurities is how we become, and create, safe space in the world

Why taking time to listen to others is the ultimate act against the patriarchy

When the Girl Gang single premieres on Friday March 8 at 3pm Lisa will be holding a sisterhood salon on the YouTube chat. Where women are welcome to come and share their art, poems, songs, stories and discuss who they are and what they need from each other. Click HERE and set the reminder to join the forum, all womxn and non binary people welcome.

You can follow Lisa on Instagram @luxxy_luxx and learn more about her work and upcoming tour dates HERE.

In this week’s episode, Janelle Corpuz Hethcoat shares how sound healing helped her clear the generational trauma that she believes was preventing her from becoming pregnant. So many seemingly healthy women experience fertility issues in the Now Age. Whether this is put down to stress, lifestyle, or the toxicity of our environment, often Western medicine struggles to provide any real answers—while the IVF business is booming.

Having experienced the emotional turmoil of two miscarriages and two failed rounds of IVF, Janelle decided to take matters into her own hands. Embracing sound healing as her methodology of choice, she went on to uncover a family tragedy that she soon took as her responsibility to heal once and for all—with astonishing results! Janelle story is vivid, and raw, and important, and the message is so much bigger than that of one woman’s fertility journey. In this episode you will hear about:

How to use sound as a tool to heal yourself

The lasting impact of past life events

How generational pain is passed down through the lineage

The power of creating our own rituals and rites of passage

Why we are part of a generation of “pattern breakers”

The “new souls” that are waiting to come through and create a new Earth

Janelle offers personal and group sound healing sessions as Jupiter Soundscape. Discover more about her and her work HERE.

Will Siu MD first contributed to The Numinous after appearing on a panel at one of Ruby's Club SÖDA NYC events in fall 2018. Educated at UCLA, Harvard, and Oxford University, Will is at the forefront of research in psychedelic-assisted therapies—and you can read more on his views on this HERE.

Will also believes that, due to the breakdown of family and community in modern Western society, we have created the need for mental health professionals. And that by cultivating empathy and learning how to feel ALL our feelings, we each have the potential to become our own healers—which is the message at the heart of this platform! In this episode you will also hear about:

-The role of capitalism and toxic masculinity in our current mental healthcare model.

-The six core emotional states we need to know how to feel.

-How our addictions and disorders are often symptoms of unexamined emotional trauma.

-Acting with integrity as key to building trust in a social media world.

-Cultivating empathy as an "evocative" therapy.

-The role of alcohol and cannabis in suppressing our emotions.

-The importance of "psychedelic" states (including REM sleep!) for our overall wellbeing.

Will also shares vulnerable insights into his own healing path, along with details of his current projects with psychedelic therapies. You can learn more about Will and his work HERE.

It's time for the next installment of our monthly Astrocast podcast with Bess Matassa and Sandy Sitron. The Sun moves into Pisces on Monday February 18, and Bess and Sandy begin this episode with a look back at the lessons of Aquarius Season. How have the themes of community, inspiration, and innovation been firing for you these past few weeks?

With Pisces season (2/18—3/20) we move into the close of the astrological year—a time for allowing, non-judgement and increased compassion, of letting go (Bess has an amazing new way to frame this) and letting things “recede” in their own time. In this episode you will also learn about:

-How Pisces season 2019 coincides with the move of 'wounded healer' Chiron in Aries on 2/18.

-The themes of the Virgo full (2/19) and Pisces new moons (3/6): How to sit with challenging feelings and create space for it all. Creating a safe container for exploring sensitivity. Working with boundaries without shutting things out.

-How to use Venus in Aquarius (3/1-3/26) to find freedom in relationships.

-Mercury going retrograde in Pisces (3/5—3/28) as an invitation to listen to emotions in new ways; to attune to your intuition; to cultivate kinder self speech; and to find “romance” and mystery in everyday life.

We also do a shout-out for feedback from YOU on what you want to learn more about in astrology. We're shaking things up in 2019, and as we craft our content going forward we want to make sure we're giving you more of the Astro content you want! Email [email protected] to let us know what you are most astrologically curious about ...