#intention setting

part 5 is here and we're talking about visualization! now, before you roll your eyes and think "oh great, more vision board nonsense," hear me out. effective visualization is SO much more than just imagining pretty scenarios in your head.

i used to think visualization was kind of woo-woo until i learned how athletes use it to improve performance. turns out, when done correctly, visualization actually changes your brain and primes you for success. pretty cool, right?

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ why most visualization doesn't work ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

here's where most people go wrong with visualization:

⋄ they only focus on the end result ~ just imagining yourself having the thing, without visualizing the process of getting there ⋄ they don't engage their emotions ~ visualization without feeling is just daydreaming ⋄ they don't include challenges ~ only visualizing the good parts makes your brain unprepared for obstacles ⋄ they do it passively ~ effective visualization is active and detailed, not vague and dreamy

the goal isn't to escape reality guys!! it's to train your brain for the reality you want to create.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ the science behind why it works ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

okay, mini science lesson because i'm a nerd and this stuff is fascinating:

your brain can't really tell the difference between a vividly imagined experience and a real one. when you visualize something in detail, you're literally creating neural pathways as if you've already experienced it.

this is why athletes who visualize their performance alongside physical practice often outperform those who only do physical practice. their brains have already "experienced" success multiple times.

plus, visualization helps with something called the reticular activating system (RAS) basically, it helps your brain notice opportunities and resources that align with what you've been visualizing.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ my visualization technique ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

here's how i do visualization in a way that actually creates results:

step 1: get specific about the scene ~ not just "i have my dream job" but exactly where you are, what you're wearing, who you're with, what you're doing

step 2: engage all your senses ~ what do you see, hear, smell, feel, even taste? the more sensory details, the more real it feels to your brain

step 3: include the emotions ~ how does it FEEL to be living this reality? confident? grateful? excited? really lean into those emotions

step 4: visualize the process, not just the outcome ~ see yourself taking the actions that lead to your goal, handling challenges, growing through the journey

step 5: end with gratitude ~ thank your future self and the universe for this experience, as if it's already happened

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ my personal visualization story ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

when i was applying to college, i spent time every day visualizing not just getting accepted, but the entire experience. i visualized walking around campus, sitting in lectures, studying in the library, even having challenging conversations with professors.

i didn't JUST see myself succeeding !! i visualized myself working hard, sometimes struggling, asking for help when i needed it, and growing through the challenges.

when i actually got to college, so many moments felt familiar because i'd already "experienced" them in my visualizations. it made the transition smoother and helped me feel more confident navigating new situations.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ different types of visualization ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

outcome visualization ~ seeing yourself having achieved your goal process visualization ~ seeing yourself taking the steps to achieve your goal obstacle visualization ~ seeing yourself successfully handling challenges that might come up identity visualization ~ seeing yourself as the type of person who naturally has/does/is what you want

i like to rotate between these different types depending on what i need. if i'm feeling unmotivated, outcome visualization helps. if i'm feeling overwhelmed, process visualization breaks things down.

⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆ making visualization a habit ⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆

the key is consistency, not perfection. i do 5-10 minutes of visualization almost every morning, usually right after i wake up when my brain is still in that dreamy, receptive state.

some days my visualizations are super vivid and emotional. other days my mind wanders and it feels kind of meh. both are fine! the important thing is showing up consistently.

your visualization homework: pick one goal and spend 5 minutes every day this week visualizing it using the technique i outlined above. notice what comes up for you excitement, resistance, new ideas, whatever. all of it is valuable information.

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ: :･ﾟ✧:･ﾟ✧

xoxo, mindy ♡

• on a Venus day (Friday) when Venus is well aspected or in a good sign, like Pisces, Leo or Libra but granted they’re not in a harsh aspect transit, one can do a strong protective spell! I did one for my friends once when Venus was in Pisces earlier this year and it worked like a charm!!

• Venus days can also be a great time for glamour magic and self love spells, Aphrodite loves working with self love spells. For example, if Venus is in Leo make sure to put some fire ritual in that spell.

• Libra risings, natally or solar return libra risings, you have Pisces in the 6th house, you might be easily susceptible to being sick with malefic planets transits especially with Saturn and Neptune going back into Pisces soon. Not everyone will get sick but if there are things you’re neglecting about your health it’ll show up! Example, a friend had Libra for her SR chart and had a massive stellium in her 6th house, mild eczema was something new that came about for her skin condition. Yes there were malefic involved like Saturn and the north node.

• people ruled by Venus heavy or have Venus on their ascendants, I can’t stress this enough, affirmations about self confidence and taking care of yourself goes a LONG WAY! Venus loves to love herself first, she fills her own cup and gives back to others from the over flow.

the taurus new moon on may 16 hits at 25 degrees. late taurus. almost done. which means it is not asking you to start from zero. it is asking you to finish laying the ground.

here is what is specific about this one:

it is a supermoon. the moon is physically closer to earth than usual, which means the pull is stronger. new moons are already about intention, but a supermoon new moon is that energy with more weight behind it. what you commit to here lands differently.

it is conjunct mercury. your mind and your instincts are working together right now instead of against each other. the clarity you have been waiting for, the answer that has been sitting just out of reach? this is the window to receive it. if something makes sense on may 16, trust that.

it widely trines jupiter. there is quiet optimism here. not the kind that makes big promises, but the kind that lets you believe the work is worth it before you see the result. that is actually the harder faith to hold.

and then there is this: two days after the new moon, mars moves into taurus. which means the intentions you set on the 16th get activated on the 18th. taurus new moon says plant it. mars in taurus says now go tend it. deliberately. without rushing. without abandoning it the moment it gets slow.

but here is the tension worth sitting with: uranus just moved into gemini, right next door. taurus wants permanence. gemini wants options. uranus wants you to blow up the blueprint. so this new moon is not just about building. it is about building something flexible enough to survive change. not a structure so rigid that one unexpected shift cracks it, but a foundation that holds even when the form on top evolves.

so what does that look like practically? the thing you are building does not have to look like what you originally pictured for it to be working. you are allowed to let it take a shape you did not plan for, as long as the core of it is still yours.

late taurus energy is not about starting fresh. it is about honoring what is already in motion and deciding, clearly and quietly, that you are not quitting on it.

what is the thing you have already started that deserves your full commitment right now?