Now it’s May Day. In addition to appreciating nature, we must also give honor to the ancestors that allow new birth to occur.

“Healthy eating, daily yoga, a determined mental attitude and getting a lot of money off of wasted men on weekends is the key to success.”

Jobless, heartbroken and broke, new college graduate Laila Lucent packs up her car and drives alone across the country to her new life as a Las Vegas stripper. 

In an empowering, intelligent and hilarious memoir of self-discovery, 22-year-old Laila takes us deep inside the best, most infamous, strip club in Las Vegas, the Spearmint Rhino. 

From living with homeless drug addicts, to practicing yoga on the beaches of Costa Rica, from threesomes with wealthy foreigners, to dancing at the best music festivals in the world, The Yoga Stripper is a wickedly funny reverse fairy tale where morality is flexible, money is fast, and clothing is discouraged.

Wahoo! In my trip to Italy a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of devouring this book. I had gathered several memoirs to absorb during the editing of my own sexual searching empowering memoir.

This one was the best. I have been doling out 5 star reviews SO rarely, that the last review was in August 2012, over six months ago! It really means a lot.

Why I love this book:

1. It’s real.

It’s tempting to gloss over things in memoir. Like illegal stuff for instance. After treking across the country to Vegas with  no contacts and only a bit of money, Laila doesn’t hide smoking pot with her recovering heroine addict roommates, or the drugs she took at raves. She doesn’t gloss over the fact she accepted money to spend a day and night with a couple with relationship issues.

2. It’s revealing.

Laila not only has the courage to reveal herself,  but she casts a bright light on the people around her. The guys, the industry, the crazy paradox that men start out life on the breast only to have to pay to see them later. She doesn’t take shit, and she doesn’t hold back. It’s courageous, entertaining and I like it. I know that this takes guts!! It is so easy to get into a protective mode of other people, but when it come’s down to it, it’s her life and her story.

3. It’s empowering.

Laila’s story isn’t the story of a miserable girl choosing to strip in a deadend bar. She has a degree. She chose to live the life knowing it paid, and knowing it would be an adventure to talk about later. She quickly gets a job in one of the biggest places in Vegas, the Rhino. She describes her learning the stripping talent as one of a predator not a victim. And in her story, mostly those guys were asking for it.

4. It’s funny.

Laila is an entertainer in a number of ways. She writes well, with sarcasm and humor, and points out the ridiculous paradigms that keep women ashamed of their bodies in a way that I can’t help but laugh. Laughter is medicine for the soul.

Thank you Laila Lucent!

xx Sofia Wren

See Laila’s website
Buy the book

Creatrix: Laura Gallagher

 

Lately I have been doing a boatload of self-work. I have been practicing my Chakra Readings, massaging, continuing to learn more from my new intuitive teacher, and honing in on something essential to business and life success: SELF LOVE.

What does power have to do with Self Love? They are definitely two different things but for me they have been connected.

 In the past I have given away my self love and my power in exchange for connection with, love from, and protection by others.

But I finally did some examining on this one (Many thanks to Melissa’s RPT at Empower the Light Within)

I’m not the only one. Coming out into the world with fresh eyes I don’t even need to leave my apartment building to see evidence of other people making this same bargain.

Problem is no one knows what you need better than you do and as a group people will do all of those things badly. 

I can list so many times where I ended up distraught, disappointed, heart broken, ignored, shunted aside, and otherwise feeling like crap because someone I relied on did not give me what I deserve.

At the time I might not even have fully accepted that I deserved more. Without self-love, my self-worth was hanging on a thread and based mostly on what other people thought of me.

Sucky.

There is one little addendum to taking up your power. You have to start disappointing people! I’ve talked about this some, but it’s a spectrum. I’m finally putting myself in the queen seat, and if it doesn’t work for me, I’m not doin it.

What does it matter if I disappoint someone so hard they don’t like me? ‘Well they won’t offer me love and protection..probably. But there are other people. Because now that my self-love isn’t based on the reactions other people have to everything I do I can finally do my own thing, even if no one else likes it.

I don’t mean to say I don’t care about anyone. I do. Oh, I do. I want to please all the people ever forever. Believe me, that’s my autopilot mode, but god is it tiring and impossible to do.

I won’t say I don’t get upset when I get a voicemail that asks me to step beyond what I can do, and worry about the conversation. But I’m over the hill, I am learning the need to pull away.

That desire to please and that mean inner voice are unhelpful. Sure it’s still there. But it doesn’t have the power. I DO. We fight a little, but I trust my intuition not my fear.

In meditation I asked myself what I needed most to get my goals. The answer was loud and clear—Make your goals and self a priority in your life.

I quit another job….It’s my last part time job. It wasn’t easy. By late June I will be self employed officially, all the way and with no desire to ever go back. That is just not what is best for this Sofia. Hear hear.

Hey everybody, here’s another youtube video from me to you on the special topic of Intuition. I’m excited to share something you may not know about accessing your intuition for yourself. Have five minutes? Go for it!

Learn
What Intuition Is
How it Talks
What it’s Trying to Tell You
How to Strengthen It

Photo Source

Shielding is an important mindbodyspirit tool in the run up to the thinning of the veil between the living and the dead which occurs two weeks before and after May 1st or October 31st every year.

This post continues the series on Contacting Ancestors, which begins with Casting a Circle. This tool is an important second step, but it’s also important as a daily practice–especially if you are a sensitive, empathic or intuitive person of any kind.

Do you ever feel tense or distracted after hearing the news, a brutal story or just being around someone negative? Don’t visit the mall without shielding–being around crowds of people can be disruptive to an individual’s emotional balance, or energy field. Some people are more sensitive than others at observing the stimuli all around them, and creating a shield is amazing in that case because it tells your subconscious to cap all the stimulation you are taking in so you are not so easily overwhelmed.

Shielding is a little trickier than casting a circle because in my opinion people differ more than rooms do. Seriously, the point to create a personal practice that resonates with you on a mind body spirit level. Something that inspires you, and that create a shift in your body that you can notice.

 I don’t believe in a one fits all approach so I that’s why I created a full course on this topic called The Sacred Armor Program: Creating Better Shields So You Can Be You.

But here’s an idea I really like: Working with Elements to Shield

But let’s take a second and think about what elements make up your universe.

What inspires you? What fills your imagination with possibilities? Is it the sight of flickering candles? A place in the woods where only bird calls break the silence? Is it a dark cave with shimmering crystals? Is it the sight of molten gold pouring into a mold? Is it seaglass? Is it the scent of flowers? Is it rolls of cloth in a fabric store?

The key to what I call “your magic language” is finding what things light you up.

Shielding basically is using your imagination to surround yourself with protective forces.

Many people like to teach shielding as a bubble of air surrounding your whole body—but personally I don’t think bubbles are a synonym for protection. Childish happiness, joy, transformation, delight, sure. But it sure doesn’t make me secure to feel like I have a bubble around me. It could pop at any moment.

And that’s me. So if you’ve only tried someone else’s technique for shielding, then you may not find what you are looking for. You might think it’s all fluff and that it doesn’t work for you, but you could be mistaken.

Testing different methods is essential, and the best thing you could possibly is use the guidelines of other people as a jumping off point! Follow your heart to the elements that make you light up and safe and have fun. 

That’s the philosophy of my Sacred Armor Program: I share everything I know about shields and teach you how to tailor these ideas to suit yourself.

What Not to Do:

Techological shields (like imagining you are inside of a robot) are probably going to give you a strange vibe. Metal and stone are tricky as shields because they are so hard and durable that it tells your imagination to block out everything including good things, like love or compliments or the good influences from positive people in your life. When overwhelmed it’s tempting to over do it, but blocking out the world completely is a lonely and temporary solution. Try to use other elements instead to really give this a try.

So how does it work? Shielding uses your imagination, and creativity.

1. Pick an element that speaks to you right now. Feel free to experiment with things beyond the five elements like flowers, herbs, angels, a totem animal or crystals if you want.

2. Get in a  quiet place alone.

3. Breath deeply and clear your mind.

4. Connect yourself to your element in mind. You can do this by visualizing how it looks, imagining how it feels, smelling it, hearing it, going through memories of it.

5. Invite this element to surround you. Let this element wrap around you in your imagination in front of you, behind you, beneath you, above you. It may help to write this, say this or draw this.

6. Intend for this to protect you. Try writing or saying, “This shield of —– protects me from all harm, from other people’s emotions that will not serve me and all chaotic energy that does not benefit me. Only love (or positivity) can get through to me.

You’re done!

7 Practice daily for at least a week. Try to go a month with some variation of shield to get in the habit. For best results use daily especially when going out of the house!

Practicing shielding is how it can be thrown up in a second. Experiment with new kinds of shields until you are satisfied.

Shielding is usually done with other essential mindbody techniques like grounding or clearing, both of which are covered in the Sacred Armor Program, along with many other techniques for sensitive or empathic people. But I found for myself that shielding is really the most important thing to practice for everyday life. The benefits are keeping you feeling safe and comfortable, avoiding picking up other people’s junk and bad attitudes, and strengthing your willpower and intention. 

Shielding helps you speak up about what you really think and feel, always know what to do next, and make more money helping people so you have extra for fun things!

If you need help developing a personal shielding practice, please Contact Me or Sign up for The Sacred Armor Program!

Twice a year those following the paths of Wicca, and Paganism prepare for the “thinning of the veil.” It’s a special time when the worlds of the living and the dead grow closer.

Whatever your spiritual background and whether or not you have developed your intuitive abilities, you, too, can honor your ancestors and seek connection with them on the two weeks before or after Beltane (May First) or Samhain (Halloween).

This process is really meaningful to me, as I noted last October. I think everyone who has lost someone close to their heart should have access to this process. Discovering how to do this a few years ago really brought me peace and healing. I look forward to this deep experience every six months, and the opportunity to reach greater understanding with my loved ones who have crossed over.

I do believe that shortly after a death (within a year) it can sometimes be hard to reach a spirit as they may be in transition–this isn’t the same as reincarnation, it’s a gathering with other passed spirits to process their passing. Once completed, then spirits may be available for contacting. This is how I’ve come to understand it. In my learning from The Mighty Dead by Chrisopher Pensack an aspect of an ancestral spirit will remain for seven generations or more. 

There are several preparations I would suggest for contacting Ancestors, including Casting a Magic Circle, Shielding, Preparing an Altar or Token, Grounding, Centering, and Raising Your Vibration. That’s a lot to cover!

Let’s begin with Step One—-1. Casting a Magic Circle.

When opening yourself up to spirits, its easy to have fears concerning unwanted visitors. The first time I felt a connection afterwards I swore it felt like people were watching me all the time in my room!

Here’s how to ensure your space remains friends-only. Before attempting contact, stand in the center of the room and cast a Magic Circle. This can be done by pointing and turning while imagining a white line surrounding your space. The most important thing is your intention that this area is for the people you want to talk to or general friendly positive messengers if you wish to be more broad.

Magic doesn’t have to be super-structured: I make words up as I go, but I like magickal numbers. A little ditty I might say is “By the power of three, safety surrounds me, by the power of six, let it stick, by the power of nine, space and time. So mote it be.” Feel free to make up your own words or look up different ways to Cast a Circle. 

Note that sometimes Watchers are attracted to the edges of the circles. This is what freaked me out once upon a time but now that I understand, it’s pretty cool—Watchers are spirits experienced and interested in magic, so they just come to hang out and see what’s going on. You can speak to them or you could ask them to leave. They mean no harm.

Practice casting a circle so that when you are ready to connect with your ancestors, you feel safe and comfortable in your working space.

Doing work in a space often can set a room up with special energies. Some people clear it after making the circle. When complete my ceremony or exercise, I usually say, “the circle is open but never broken.” When leaving or entering one can use a pointer finger to cut a space for a temporary doorway that shuts behind. I like having this extra protection in my space as given that I am a HSP or Highly Sensitive Person.

I recommend a place that is quiet, alone, and private. If you don’t have a lock put a box in front of the door!

And the next step?

2. Learn how to shield. next Wednesday.

Enjoy the first step to your meaningful ceremony to contact ancestors this Beltane!
xx
Sofia

I’ve just returned from Italy, and from a terrible cold. Although I wish I had maintained perfect health, the time spent taking it easy is going me a great deal of good.

Somehow I got home and arrived back into my life at it’s best. I have a new product–Chakra Assessments and Recommendations for Balance–which I can conduct over the phone or in person. This exciting offer came to me through a reading with internationally renowned psychic Sonia Choquette after six months of product development. 

Book Now

Sonia told me I’d be good at sensing people’s energy. She was right. She was right about a lot of the things she told me about my life. 

My soul lesson is to receive.

Receiving. I’ve always given and so to receive is uncomfortable to me. I am all about being independent but it hasn’t always resulted in a boost in happiness since I can be hard on myself. But it’s exactly what my book is about.

Ciao! Viaggio ad Italia—I’m going to Italy.

Expect fewer social media posts, and blogs over the next two weeks.

Why not explore what I’ve already got on here— over 130 blog posts, and many fabulous facebook posts on books, magic, spirituality, plants, crafts, pretty places, science and anything I think is cool.

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