A Precious World..

About three to four times a year we experience what is recognized as one of the most talked about astrological events on social media. From February 16th till March 10th, marks the first Mercury retrograde of this year. Though we are given articles on the astrological phenomenon on platforms such as, Nylon, Allure, and Cosmopolitan, there still lies the issue of the many misconceptions that surrounds its occurrence. Unfortunately, people believe Mercury retrograde is the three or so times of the year, where you can file your complaints to the heavens. Even though Mercury retrograde is not a time period where we should be disregarding accountability of our actions, it’s actually quite the opposite. 

During a Mercury retrograde the universe is asking us to re-examine and look at the details as to why we are in our current situations in life. James R. Lewis, the writer of the book “Astrology Encyclopedia”, explains the definition perfectly. He states, “The period of Mercury’s retrogradation may be fortunate for introverted activities like reflection and meditation but it is considered unfortunate for traveling and for making important decisions (e.g. signing contracts). Travel is sometimes delayed while Mercury is retrograde, and decisions made during such periods are often reversed after Mercury goes direct”.

However, the internet’s new age has given Mercury retrograde a completely new meaning. Many users of twitter, instagram, and facebook have been using Mercury retrograde as an excuse to complain about the issues occurring within their personal lives. 

“Here I go blaming mercury retrograde for my toxicity again”, a recent tweet under the current Mercury retrograde transit. 

“Blaming all my problems on Mercury retrograde”, said by another Twitter user. These are just a few examples of the many complaints surrounding the event. 

On facebook, there was a meme of Cinderella shaving her head, as a reference to Britney Spears’ mental breakdown in 2007. The photo was captioned “Happy Mercury Retrograde!” as a means to depict the chaos that is constantly  being associated with its meaning. This just goes to show how uneducated people are about its occurrence. 

 What I find most interesting about people’s reactions, is if you read about Mercury retrograde transits on platforms like Nylon, Allure, or Cosmopolitan none of them mention anything about being “toxic” or experiencing a mental breakdown. Which leads me to ask, If the information we are being given on the internet is accurate, what is causing today’s internet users to have a misunderstanding about its meaning?

Following the astrological transits are meant to help us not only keep track of whats occuring in the sky but how these astrological events will be affecting us individually. The astrological transits technically aren’t “doing” anything to anyone because ultimately these are just planets rotating in their own natural orbit. The whole point of keeping track of the transits is to see how these planets are orbiting within our own natal charts. 

The positioning of the planets during the time of our births aspect the current positioning of the planets of today. That being said, it’s not Mercury retrograde that is to blame for your life’s issues, because Mercury retrograde is only influencing the planets within your individual natal charts. The way that your chart is being affected does have an impact on you natal placements, but does not have an impact on how you choose to respond to it’s influence. How many complainers of social media choose to respond to their issues is by making a post about it’s effects rather than re-thinking and re-examining on a new solution to their problems.

So, to answer my question, the misunderstandings that many of today’s internet users have about  Mercury retrograde, actually comes from having a misunderstanding among themselves. In other words, those who fall short in grasping an understanding of its meaning, are the ones who lack an understanding of their situations. When you know who you are, you won’t feel the need to blame anything other than yourself for your own life experiences. The misconceptions surrounding Mercury retrograde are caused by internet users live tweeting their experiences under Mercury retrograde rather than “reflecting” and “meditating” on the issues occuring within their own lives. 

Mercury retrograde is an “inactive time”. When internet users tweet about their unfavorable experiences during Mercury retrograde without taking accountability, they are just proving they lack an understanding of its meaning, because there’s no better time to take accountability for actions than a Mercury retrograde–– in fact that’s its whole purpose. 

Uranus in the 11th house - Asteroid Angel

Fresh frequencies crackle like bolts from heaven and directly deliver intuitive ingenuity to Uranus in the 11th. Uranus is dignified in the home of Aquarius and makes friendships an important focus of life. There is a great love of people, laughter, and unity, and making connections. Throughout these unifying encounters the individual retains individuality and uniqueness of expression. The outlook is global, humanitarian and highly socially conscious. Concern arises out of injustice, greed, cruelty, and crimes against humanity. Friendship circles are typically wide ranging and incorporate all sorts of diverse people. When she is amongst the love of people, the Uranus transmission is tuned in loudly. It makes all sorts of visions from outer space and ideas whipped together with the cream of the milky way burst like a star into her vision. These ideas are filtered from a higher source and directed toward widespread social repair and producing the utopia vision. 

Group and unifying experiences inspire Uranus in the 11th. It’s typical for the individual to believe in good will, morality, and philanthropy. She can be acutely perceptive of spiritual connectivity and what is righteous for the soul of humanity. Distinguished astrologer Evangeline Adams was born with Uranus in 11th. She is known for successfully vindicating astrology in court, and in so blurred the worlds of sanctioned law with metaphysics. These are the rattles of Uranus shaking the determined institution. Evangeline Adams was also arrested numerous times for fortune telling and practicing astrology. This was a notable protest against the consensual regulations of the early 1900′s. The individual may feel like it’s her special duty it is to detonate and accelerate change. She can be brutally forthcoming about presenting facts so she can trigger a reaction and the attention the issue needs. There is a great appreciation for collective and friendship experiences like music festivals, social organisations, and special interest groups. The person may attract friends with obscure and eccentric interests who respect her inspiring self liberation. But Uranus is volatile and unexpected. Friendships may end abruptly, start suddenly, or begin online. She may become quickly bored of friends or decide to vanish without notice. She may be instantly attracted to group events but withdraw at the last minute. The individual is ultimately freedom loving. 

Uranus in the 11th house likes to inspire the muse. The individual encourages self expression without hesitation. She wants to speak what’s on her mind, share what’s inside her heart, and raise the issues she finds important. Dreams are lined in fairy lights across the sky with Uranus in the 11th. She dreams of the future, she dreams of elevating people, she dreams of the world when her visions come true. The individual may have a libertarian ideology and command her personal freedom. It’s typical for Uranus in the 11th to question the system and express high suspicions about government, media, and global events. Lightning intuition contacts intelligence and imagination to create an original thinker and and dreamer. She pops electric bubbles filled with cosmic prophecies and spreads her message to as many people she can reach. And like electricity, like a switch, she disappears. 

In order to get a really good understanding of Plutonian relationships, it’s best to examine the story of Persephone. In Greek mythology, Persephone was the innocent maiden stolen from her controlling and over-protective mother and taken into the underworld by Hades, the brother of Zeus. Long story short, Hades did not believe he was worthy of Persephone’s love as he feared she was too good for him, would realize her worth, and eventually abandon him. So in order to prevent his worst fear from becoming a reality, he decided that kidnapping Persephone would be his greatest bet. One day, while Persephone was out on her lonesome picking a narcissus flower, Hades (pluto)  came up from the underworld and kidnapped her before anyone could notice. 

The relationship between Hades and Persephone was intense, chaotic, and extreme. The legend states that Persephone was raped and coerced into violent sexual acts against her will while staying in the underworld. Luckily, Demeter (Persephone’s mother) fought viciously for the return of her daughter while Zeus (Jupiter) took a passive stance, not wanting to sour the connection between him and his brother. Thanks to Demeter’s hard work, Persephone was able to come back to earth with her mother, but only under the condition that she would spend half a year with Hades, every year. Thus, the Greek theory of Summer and Winter Solstice was born. Legend has it that the warm summer months are a result of Persephone being reunited with her mother, and thus, Demeter putting her regular care and consistency into harvesting and keeping the earth balanced. While the colder winter months are believed to be the period when Persephone was forced to stay with Hades in the underworld, resulting in Demeter neglecting her harvesting duties as she mourned for her daughter. 

In Plutonian relationships, we often find that one person ends up playing Persephone (typically the planet person) while the other ends up playing Hades (the pluto person). The pluto person feels an instant attraction to the planet person and must find a way to bond with them at all costs (it almost feels like their life depends on it). Based on the natal conditions of pluto in each of the natives charts, this connection can be magnetic or horrific. Those with a strong angular pluto (or a pluto that aspects many personal planets/ personal planets in the 8th house) will often welcome this kind of connection with little to no fear while those with a weaker pluto may be prone to attempting to avoid the connection at all costs. 

The early stages of the relationship are often intense. The first meeting can be strictly psychic. Eye contact between the lovers can feel so magnetic, the two may feel inclined to get physical within the first couple of unions. Those with  a strong saturn may play hard to get and may even have more discipline/endurance in terms of resisting the pluto person. This can make for an even more exiting bond as the pluto person will become obsessed with getting the saturn person to submit. The goal is to have sex with one another, as this is when the plutonian relationship really takes off as the energies finally merge.

Often times, after the first sexual encounter, the relationship shifts in a way that is felt by both parties. Subconscious fears and motives rise to the surface and suddenly become visible. The pluto person will often have the upper hand as they will have an easier time interpreting these rising energies. At the same time, the planet person is exposed to the pluto persons deepest fears: abandonment and betrayal. What pluto does not realize is that, if they use the information they acquire about their partner in attempt to control the relationship (think how Hades held Persephone hostage) they are only revealing their innermost fears and insecurities as a result. Eventually, the planet person grows to understand the fears of the pluto person and, at first, does their very best to be gentle and tender towards these vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, pluto’s insecurities often get the best of him/her and a battle between the two lovers often emerges. Persephone (the planet person) begins to realize that they are not psychologically safe with this person and must protect themselves (withdrawal often commences). Like a self-fulfilling prophecy, pluto realizes that the planet person is flaky and not to be trusted. 

In reality, these two want to be together very, VERY badly. But what they struggle to understand is that the relationship is pulling up subconscious baggage and asking each person to deal with it alongside one another. This is a very scary and vulnerable thing to ask of people. Imagine having to sit in a therapists office alongside a parent. The parent can hear your every thought, fear, and concern that perhaps you weren’t able to share with them so openly in the past. This is exactly what a plutonian relationship is doing in attempt to transform each native. The energy is playing therapist and the couple must work together to work through the baggage. However, there is a tendency to want to deal with demons in private, in secret, where it is safe. This is not because the two are looking to gain the upper hand psychologically (contrary to popular belief) but because each partner fears being abandoned by the other, and what quicker way to be abandoned than to reveal the uglier, unkempt parts of yourself to the one you cherish the most. Think of the last time you revealed something quite personal and heavy about yourself to someone you were interested in. The average person would run as fast as they could from such a display, while a plutonian relationship would thrive off of such an act of courage. 

In this relationship, both people are being asked to be brave enough to bare their souls. The key to healing lies in trusting one another, but innate insecurities lead to quite the opposite. The insecurities of the couple can often become so challenging that the relationship resorts to mind games, manipulation, and in worst case.. abuse. 

Let’s take a look at commont types of Plutonian Relationships and their effects on a couple. 

Pluto in Aspect to Partners Personal Planets-

Sun-Pluto: The Sun person is often strong, courageous, attractive, and powerful on their own. They attract Pluto with their radiant, jovial, and charismatic energy. When the Pluto person aspects the Sun person gently (sextilex/trines) the relationship is seen as a source of vitality. The sun person may feel unstoppable besides the pluto person and spend a vast amount of time uplifting the self esteem of the pluto person, who also feels strongest besides their sunshine. When the conjunction takes place, the two can become sources of energy for one another. The sun person may view pluto as a lucky charm while pluto may feel most powerful besides la sol. Consequently, when the two are apart, feelings of confusion and insecurity can take place.. causing on or both partners to fall into hermit mode until the other returns. With the harsher aspects (square and opposition) we can find an intense collision of egos. Perhaps the two feel like the connection is beneficial on a physical level. Sun and Pluto look very good together and garner the attention and respect they so desire. But behind the scenes, there can be a lot of disagreement, friction, and explosive arguments. With harsh aspects, each partner wants the other to submit. But because there is often tension or opposition, this will not come without a drastic cost.. and in worst cases, without losing the relationship for good. 

Moon-Pluto: The moon person is instantly attracted to the pluto person, though they understand early on what they are getting into. Moon see’s pluto as a protector and someone who can meet their deepest emotional desires. With the soft aspect, pluto willingly takes on this duty and puts great effort into bringing comfort and happiness to la lune. Pluto can easily handle the ever changing emotions of moons and even finds this sexy at times. The moon person welcomes pluto’s intensity with open arms and validation of all sorts. Things can grow a bit more intense with the conjunction. The moon realizes that pluto is looking for control and is somewhat willing to surrender as long as pluto can consistently meet moon’s emotional needs. This becomes a bit more challenging because it is not entirely possible to  consistently meet  the needs of another without neglecting oneself on some level. With the conjunction, pluto begins to realize the true power of the moon person and gains a lot of respect but a lot of mistrust towards the person. Covert attempts to get desires met can cause a lot of emotional unease between the two lovers. It is best to be frank about what you need from one another and be understanding if the other person is unable to meet your desires in the way you may be looking for. At the same time, extreme emotional growth can occur between these two parties once they learn to compromise, and an unbreakable bond emerges as a result. With the hard aspects (square/opposition) pluto realizes that they are in jeopardy of being abandoned by the moon if they cannot provide in the way that the moon expects. As a result, pluto becomes controlling, manipulative, and deceitful in attempt to psychologically tame the moon person. The moon person instantly senses pluto’s ulterior motives and puts up a shell to protect themselves from harm. Pluto person can grow frustrated from the emotional distance of moon and seek to dominate them with all their might. With the hard aspect, pluto is attempting to regain the power they lost through greed and abuse of power. The moon person can end up letting the pluto person in only to close off the minute they feel threatened. The pull and push of this connection could easily drive one or both parties to the point of insanity. 

Mercury-Pluto: Mercury is energetic, quick, and witty. Pluto is introspective, intelligent, and attentive. The psychological connection between these two can be profound. Pluto admires mercury’s lighthearted and youthful nature and can grow protective and very Jupiterian like. Pluto happily takes mercury under his/her wing and seeks to deepen their insight. With the soft aspect, mercury is very receptive and finds plutos insights to be fascinating and amusing. With the conjunction, the two can experience telepathy. They may find that they are able to read each others minds even when far away from each other. One person may think of the other only to receive a phone call moments later. The pluto person in particular is able to easily interpret the needs of the mercury person and can choose to meet them or exploit them depending on the maturity of the pluto person and the security of the connection. The mercury person is in jeopardy of being subtly influenced by the pluto person if they are not cautious. Pluto recognizes that mercury is flighty and does not have the best attention span. Mercury easily displays interests in other people, places, and things, and bores easily. Pluto cannot and will not stand for this as they must be the center of mercury’s focus. Pluto wants to be seen as superior to all of mercury’s others interests, and if mercury does not in fact view pluto in this light, pljuto will implant psychological seeds that will eventually tame the mind of mercury, as seen with the harsher aspects. Pluto can also see mercury as child like and take on a Saturnian role in this connection, parenting Mercury whether or not they need to be parented. 

Venus-Pluto: Venus is beautiful, creative, innocent, and charming. Pluto is sexy, alluring, mysterious, and tempting to Venus. This connection, more than any other contact, will reenact the story of Persephone and Hades. Venus is the lovely maiden who seeks to beautify all that she touches. Her heart is pure and she seeks harmony. Pluto is taken aback by Venus because she is quite the opposite of him. Pluto feels like he must merge with venus in order to experience her unconditional and effortless love. Venus recognizes pluto right away. She noticed how he was watching from the shadows and feels as if she knows just what needs to be done in order to heal Pluto’s lonesome heart (sextile/trine). But once pluto experiences her delicate touch, he becomes addicted and possessive. Pluto understands venus’ effects. He wee’s how others are smitten by her. How popular and loved she is. At the same time, Venus recognizes how hurt pluto is by the world. She recognizes his issues with trust. She see’s that he’s been disconnected from his inner child and passionately takes on the duty of reconnecting him (conjunction). These two exchange acts of love and healing, with pluto making venus feel incomparable and irreplaceable and venus making pluto feel desires, loved, and appreciated. Unfortunately, no amount of sheltering can prevent others from being drawn to venus. Pluto cannot handle venus’ admirers. He is sure that if he does not take action, he will lose her at the hands of another. Once pluto loses confidence in the connection, he does everything in his power to hold venus hostage as her love is only for him. Unfortunately, Venus rarely takes this well and begins resisting pluto’s control in attempt to return back to a life of ease, harmony, and beauty (square/oppsition).

Mars-Pluto: Mars and Pluto have an interesting relationship and may have the strongest connection of all. Mars understands pluto’s intensity and considers it to be noble and that of a warrior. Pluto respects mars’ tenacity and considers it to be a passion that cannot be matched by any other (harmonious aspects). These two often feel like two different sides of the same coin and are very interested in better understanding where differences lie. Eventually, Pluto begins to understand that mars is a no bullshit kind of energy. Pluto begins to realize that they cannot tame or control mars as easily as they may have tamed the others. Mars begins to realize that Pluto has an energy similar to its own and feels the need to defend their number 1 spot. For the first time, the two recognize a challenge in one another that they haven’t been able to find in other people (conjunction). They understand that they can completely be themselves with one another as nothing is off limits here. Unfortunately, Pluto is often more disciplined and has greater endurance than mars which can cause mars to feel insecure and inferior. As a result, mars begins to poke at pluto’s weaknesses in attempt to regain power and control and things can turn extremely aggressive between these two if pluto feels like mars is challenging them too often. Ego’s run high with the harsh aspects and both planets feel the need to prove their strength to the other, even at the cost of the stability and happiness of the relationship. Sex between these two is the best way to release the competitive energy. The sex can often be so magnetic that it can serve to patch up the many holes within the relationship, created by such massive egos. 

(Note, the more aspects a person’s pluto makes to the personal planets of another, the more intense the relationship will become. The Persephone effect mainly takes place when one person’s pluto fails to interact with the personal planets of their partner while the partner’s pluto effortlessly interacts with their personal planets. The Persephone person may struggle to find their power within the relationship. If both partners plutos aspect the personal planets of one another, the relationship can take on the role of Persephone’s transformation… when she accepted her duties as queen of the underworld and become a very powerful and respected ruler as well as a very loved and respected partner.) 

Personal Planets in Partners 8th House-

Sun in Partners 8th House: There is often confusion as to whether the planets person plays the role of Persephone as opposed to the house person. I’d like to look at it this way, picture the house as a cup and the planet as water. What does water fall into? The cup. Meaning the cup is receiving the water. Planets act as what while houses act as where. With the Sun falling in a partners 8th house, we find a person who feels the need to share their life with the 8th house person. The sun feels comfortable sharing stories both personal and private with the 8th house person because their is an innate feeling that the 8th house person welcomes and understands these things. The Sun person feels like they have won a lottery ticket as they have found a person who will provide them with undivided attention as well as the admiration they desire. The planet person can feel taken aback by the intensity at which the sun person approaches them. This connection can be as simple as the stranger who tells all their business to the person sharing the bench with them as they wait for the bus. 

Moon in Partners 8th House: The moon person, whether they are aware of it or not, finds the 8th house person to be therapeutic and can even resort to dumping on to the 8th person. Often times, the 8th house person is generous and does not mind. But it is not uncommon for the 8th house person to feel drained and seek time alone after intense emotions are shared with one another. The moon person helps the 8th house person to deal with traumatic and repressed emotions that may have been neglected and remain un-dealt with. This is a very powerful placement and there will be a strong psychic connection between these two. 

Mercury in Partners 8th House: These two can talk for hours without getting bored of one another. The Mercury person understands the subconscious mind of the 8th house person and creates a safe space for the 8th houser to open up and explore themselves a bit more comfortably. Meanwhile. Mercury also feels comfortable speaking openly and authentically with the 8th house person. Think of the stranger who gets drunk in a bar and ends up pouring their life story out to the person next to them. This is a Mercury-8th house connection. 

Venus in Partners 8th House: The Venus person feels sexy and desireable around the 8th house person and can easily become addicted to the validaton and attention. They also help the 8th house person to feel these things. Venus is very interested in merging with the 8th house person and may be interested in pursuing a relationship with them long before they let on. The 8th house person often appears mysterious to venus and venus is not quite sure if the 8th house is interested at first. These two express themselves quite differently but the attraction is often mutual. Venus can help the 8th house person to deal with fears if abandonment and betrayal in terms of love. Venus feels very connected to the vulnerabilities of the 8th house person and is determined to show them the meaning of true love. The 8th person can shy away as they tend to feel extremely exposed, vulnerable, and powerless besides venus. However, the connection is often so deep that no matter how far the two tread away from one another, they will almost always find their way back. 

Mars in Partners 8th House: The 8th house person is often uncomfortable with house sexy they find the mars person. The mars person recognizes the interest of the 8th house person and gains an immediate ego boost. However, the 8th house person is usually private and difficult to read, which pulls mars in and creates an attraction out of this world. The closer mars gets, the more they realize how truly enticing the 8th house person is. At first, mars may have solely been attracted to the attention and sexual admiration of the 8th house person. But if a connection is formed, the roles will often reverse as the mars person will be interested in conquering the 8th house person. 

(Note: The 8th house person is a more sublte manifestation of plutonian energy and will not be as proactive as pluto itself. Think of planets in the 8th house as an IV.. with the planet person being the IV and house person being the recipient. The 8th house person often takes on a more passive role than a pluto person, making them far more timid and far more cautious about expressing the plutonian energy. Most of the connection takes place energetically, when a persons planets fall into the 8th house of another.) 

But wait, what if both partners are plutonian natally but do not share many pluto/8th house contacts? This can be a fun relationship because whatever contacts are made between one another, there will be a plutonian twist! Think Gomez and Morticia Adams. The couple may very well have a lot of 7th house/venus-moon contacts in synastry and perhaps even composite (hence the harmony) but they both bring their own touch of pluto into the lives of one another. There may be even more room to help each other grow using the individual lessons each of you have acquired throughout your lifetimes. 

“You can’t lie to your soul”

Moon in Aries: To direct intense emotional energies into the mental body so fresh, intuitive ideas can be generated, like a flower springing from wintery darkness. The crisis is channeling confusing emotions into the mind. The moon is ultra spiritually active in Aries 

Moon in Taurus: Expressing pure creativity that satisfies material and spiritual desires. Personal emotions have admirable empathy and generate marvellous creativity that shapes the nature of Gods and Goddesses 

Moon in Gemini: The mental and altruistic awareness of emotions becomes a gateway for the creation of relationships. The mind is intensely spiritually alert and establishes new harmonic patterns between people 

Moon in Cancer: Turning back time, the individual remains partly in past lives. The goal is to materialise a cradle to protect, nourish, and nurture like the Mother Goddess. This is to use the illumination of the moon to radiate pure, unconditional love 

Moon in Leo: Self awareness and identity emanates from grandiose emotional activity. Feelings about themselves are based on their opportunity to give and receive love passionately and intensely 

Moon in Virgo: Christ inside, the individual is a sacred world server, spirit’s child. The individual activates all vibrations of love on behalf of whole humanity and all of earth’s minerals, plants, and animals 

Moon in Libra:  The creation, facilitation, and growth of love and relationships is the Moon in Libra’s soul plan. Bringing and reuniting souls on their journey together. Turns ego-driven need for relationships into spiritual love for all beings

Moon in Scorpio: To resist the ego’s need for isolation and separation. To generate the sacred, healing power of the spiritual self and dissolve destructive and karmic emotional activity and impulsive action. This facilitates soul level transformation

Moon in Sagittarius: The emotional nature is nourished and sustained by physical experience, to wander the temple of earth. The generation of ideas and vision that benefit the collective spirit and body. Submits the physical nature to something higher 

Moon in Capricorn: To direct and arrange personal vision and goals from being physically and materially based to wholly spiritual pursuits. To facilitate safety and spiritual nourishment for collective humanity 

Moon in Aquarius: Tremendous spiritual responsibility is born with Moon in Aquarius. Powerful, vibrational love is directed into the mind and as a matrix for wider humanity, immersing every soul like air droplets. To dissociate from the bias of human emotion and judgment to radiate the essence of higher beings, angels, pure unconditional love 

Moon in Pisces: Powerful soul work is activated with Moon in Pisces. The will of God is bought forth through the vessel of bright, loving illumination. Potent, universal compassion nourishes the soul of the world

1. Rest - we aren’t robots, we need rest. Getting at least 6 hours of sleep each night promotes healthy brain function. Making time to do nothing each day can also make us more creative.

2. Creativity - let the imagination run wild. When we explore the imagination through painting, drawing, singing, dancing or any other creative outlet we allow ourselves to express our true selves.

3. Meditation - hit the reset button. Our minds can become crowded with thoughts, memories and tasks throughout the day - meditation allows us to wipe the mental slate clean and drop the baggage weighing us down.

4. Exercise - working out our emotions. Emotions can become trapped in the body and manifest in poor mental and physical health - exercise is a great way to release the energy of these pent-up emotions.

5. Nature - peace & quiet. When we immerse ourselves in nature we are aligning ourselves with the natural vibration of the planet which cleanses us of the interference we can pick up in man-made environments.

6. Affirmations - reinforcing positive beliefs. Repeating positive affirmations such as “I am in the process of manifesting my dreams” can help us stay on track and persevere through tough times.

7. Self-talk - checking in with ourselves. Who else can we turn to when we need expert advice on ourselves? Only we will know exactly what we’ve experienced and how it’s affected us - this is why self-talk is a powerful form of self-love.

Loving your life starts with loving yourself.

“When you are a light (such as yourself), they say: ‘oooh! I like light. Come here into my dark cabin…’ You light up their dark cabin, but then they board up all the doors and windows, to keep you all to themselves. 'You can’t give your light to anyone but me.’ They snarl whenever you ask to leave the confines of this solitary place. They however, can slip out into the world and do as they please. Leaving you alone, with your light flickering out.”