Photo by Jourdan Biziou

Every month I love to celebrate the New Moon as a time to stop and reflect on where I am and where I want to go. I hold a Women’s New Moon Circle and encourage the women to share dreams and intentions for the coming months.  We meditate, create powerful rituals and build community. After the New Year energy of Aquarius ( air sign), the New Moon in Pisces ( water sign) always encourages us to dive into the flow of the Universe to explore the world of feelings and intuition.

As my late friend  and amazing astrologer Elizabeth Rose Campbell shares in her book Intuitive Astrology, “Pisces encourages letting  go of who you think you are, so that you can remember who you are. As Pisces peels away the masks of identity, it reveals the face of compassion;it accesses the strength of benevolence. ” As we look beyond the masks that we wear, we can  make extraordinary discoveries.. When we can also see others for who they really are, we catch a glimpse of the spark of Divinity that connects us all.

This is a time to seek inspiration from your dreams, from Nature and from Spirit. Inspiration may come when we least expect it. Live your life as if it were a waking dream and know the Universe is always sending us messages. Stay open  to receiving the gifts that life has to offer .

Some helpers to open your intuition:

Psychic awareness: cedar, cinnamon, iris, lemongrass, mugwort, nutmeg, yarrow,bay

Dream Pillow: herkimer diamond, mugwort,  clary sage, calendula, jasmine, mimosa,

Focus Exercise:   Focus your attention on the center of your forehead. Tap this area while smiling ( tip from Tori Quisling-http://www.clairvoyantmeditation.com). This will activate your third eye. See this eye as beautiful and radiant. The more you can visualize this eye, the more your will awaken your intuition.

If you are in the NY area, join me Tuesday night for our Women’s New Moon Circle. http://www.joyofritual.com/workshops

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Every year in January millions of people make resolutions to change, yet only a small percentage of them actually create what they say they want. This year it is especially important to BE AUTHENTIC and focus on making 2012 a true expression of our spiritual gifts. The energy of the feminine is getting stronger and we are moving towards a re-balancing of the male/female energy to bring it into balance. In this way, we can have true partner with each other and with the Earth.

Here are some of the things that I do to stay on track.

#1. Treat yourself as precious: Self-care is crucial if you want to be creative and focused. We all need 7-8 hours of sleep, nourishing food, exercise and fun. When we give ourselves this gift of caring, we have more energy, are more open to collaboration, strengthen our intuition and gain clarity and focus.

#2. Strengthen your spiritual practice no matter what it is. Think of it as going to the Spiritual Gym. You start with 5 sit-ups and work your way up to 100. Start building in time for meditation, journaling and contemplation. Explore different kinds of practices until you find one that speaks to your soul.

#3 Check in with your guidance to see what you need to know and do. I like to take time in the morning to first center in my heart, and then I ask Spirit to guide me and give me information on what is the most important thing I need to know. I open my journal and just write until an answer comes. This is the more “feminine” practice.

#4. Write down your goals and break them up into small steps. This will take you from overwhelm to clear focus and will help build momentum towards achieving your goals. Commit to doing small action steps every day. This will strengthen the “male” aspect.

Most of all, allow the Universe to send you glorious surprises. Be flexible and open and watch the magic happen.

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THANKSGIVING RITUAL & MEDITATION

Slow down! We are all going too fast. Thanksgiving is a great time to really STOP and connect to the energy of gratitude. If you do this easy ritual/meditation before you start the festivities, it will shift you to a place of happiness, appreciation and joy. Then you will be more available to connecting with friends and family in a positive and nourishing way.

I offer you this FREE ritual to share with anyone you know. Spread the love! Happy, healthy and joyous Thanksgiving.

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My guest blog for The Gratitude Project just went LIVE! Check it out here! http://www.soulfulcoach.com/blog/2011/11/blog-summit-the-key-to-happiness

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11/11/11 Meditation with Barbara Biziou

As we move into the 11/11/11 portal, it is imperative for each of us to open to the healing power of this auspicious time. More and more people are experiencing challenges that seems to come out of no where. It is important at this time to be aware that we are being called to preserve our energy, pace ourselves and set healthy boundaries. Make sure you allow yourself enough quiet time to complete one phase before you rush to create something new.

Be aware of any areas in your life that are out of balance. Remember all work and no play does not create vital visions, joy and a sense of wonder. As we move into the end of 2011, see where you are being authentic and where you are giving away your power.

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Halloween is the 2nd most popular holiday in the US yet most people have no idea of its origin. Hallowmas or Samhain as it was called, used to be celebrated on the last night of the Celtic calendar and meant “end of summer”. It is a holy time when the veil between the worlds is very thin and they believed that we could connect to our ancestors and gain wisdom and healing from them. This is not a new idea. In fact, on November 2nd in Latino cultures, people go to the cemetery for Day of the Dead, to acknowledge and honor the ancestors. The indigenous belief is that the soul of the departed continue living in Mictlan, a special place to rest. In this place, the spirits rest until the day they can return to their homes to visit their relatives. Families sweep the graves and bring food for a feast. This is a happy and joyful celebration- a very different experience than most of us have with cemeteries.

We have forgotten that in the wheel of the year, this is the time of the Crone (the wise woman and healer). In modern times she has become the wicked witch flying on her broomstick. Yet, her cauldron is an ancient symbol of  rebirth.. In ancient times, people who feared the presence of hostile spirits would attempt to drive them away with ugly faces carved on pumpkins lit from within by a candle. In the Demeter/Persephone myth, it is the time when Demeter finds Persephone in the underworld and begins the long journey to bring her back. In another myth, Inanna has been dead for 3 days and soon will be released from the underworld. It is the beginning of the cycle of death and rebirth. In ancient Egypt, Isis begins her search for her husband Osiris. This is a time of acknowledging and celebrating the link between the living and the dead.

“According to the Egyptian religion, the soul could survive the body, and the body preserved could continue to “house” the soul in the world of the dead. The Egyptian Book of the Dead tells of the soul’s journey to the Otherworld and the precise rituals living relatives were expected to perform in order to assist the deceased in avoiding pitfalls along their way. An Egyptian’s soul, the ka, departing their body seeking a heavenly throne, would stop to have their heart weighed against a feather. If the heart were heavier than a feather, that soul would not be welcome to dwell among the gods.” – Alex Grey

People would leave offerings of food and drink for their loved ones, and set out candles to light their way home. Those traditions gave us many of our present day customs. Now we set out jack-o-lanterns and give offerings of candy to children—who are, if one believes in reincarnation, the ancestors in a new form..

Remember that the original trick or treat was started in Northern Europe with the intention of giving alms to the poor. Let’s not forget those less fortunate than us this year.

This is the ideal time to join us for the Women’s New Moon in Scorpio on the 26th of October where will celebrate Hallowmas as well as Diwali….and even better still, to join me and Tori Quisling as we visit ancient Egypt on our SPIRITUALITY AND THE CITY Tour Saturday Oct 29th. Discover ancient spiritual teachings and past life wisdom on the launch of this NEW exciting series starting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art here in NYC.

To learn more about the meaning of Halloween go to my You Tube Channel http://bit.ly/oHyNJy

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