Pluto Retrograde 2020: Rise Like the Phoenix

pluto pic1.jpg

By: Lavene Gass

I have a love affair with the cosmos. It’s a magical feeling that I get when I gaze at the sky and marvel at the beauty and mystique of the celestial bodies beaming with bold cosmic energy. My intense cosmic love heightens when there are planetary retrogrades.  Unfortunately, retrogrades are seen as a time of hysteria for some people - particularly Mercury Retrograde due to its impact on the particular areas that it governs.  However, I look at retrogrades as a time of deep reflection.

What is a retrograde?

When Earth passes a particular planet in its orbit, the passed planet is considered to be in retrograde. When looking through a telescope, the passed planet, looks as if it’s moving backwards; however, it’s not moving in a backward motion – it’s an illusion. Periodically, planets go into retrograde and is stationed in a particular zodiac sign during the retrograde. Pluto’s retrograde in Capricorn started on April 25, 2020 and will remain in Capricorn until October 4, 2020. Capricorn is ruled by Saturn, a planet associated with the following themes: dominance, structure, order, boundaries, ambition and practicality.  

Pluto Retrograde in Capricorn:

Each planet rules a particular zodiac sign and governs energetic properties. Pluto, in Greek Mythology, is the ruler of the underworld. Figuratively speaking, your “underworld” houses suppressed emotions and thoughts. During a Pluto Retrograde those suppressed emotions and thoughts may rise to the surface and you may feel a strong sense to deal with those issues head on. The “underworld” also deals with past experiences that you typically run from: trauma, pain, generational curses, regret, guilt, shame, secrets, family issues, etc. In an effort to resolve suppressed thoughts and feelings, therapy and healing maybe profound reoccurring themes during this retrograde. 

On the contrary, your “underworld” may not be a heavy load that you need to release. Instead, it might be a wake-up call for you to live an authentic, unapologetic life that is free from doubt and fear. Are you sleeping on a dream? Are you afraid to make your dream a reality? Do you find yourself making excuses as to why you cannot fulfill your life’s purpose? Are you encapsulated by fear rather than faith? If you’ve answered yes to any of the aforementioned questions, your “underworld” houses your goals and dreams. You are anchored to things that are preventing your goals and dreams from coming to the surface. During this retrograde, begin to unveil the pieces of yourself that are preventing you from taking a leap of faith. Release anything that is holding you captive to the “underworld.” Focus your attention on the following Chakras: Root, Solar Plexus and Throat.

Other themes that arise during a Pluto Retrograde include: transformation, rebirth, restoration, manipulation, control, and destruction. 

Pluto rules the Water sign, Scorpio. It governs overall power: personal power as well as power of people, places and things. Disclaimer: If you’re prone to being controlling or being controlled, take this time to reflect on how you feel or how you make others feel. The same applies to how you deal with manipulation – one of the many darker themes of this retrograde.

This retrograde is a period of DEEP reflection! Since Pluto rules Scorpio, the sign of death and regeneration, you may feel an intense sense to free yourself from people, places and things that are no longer good for you or things that you’ve outgrown.

Key components during this period:

·      Self-Reflection

·      Purging

·      Rebirth

·      Restoration

·      Transformation

·      Healing

·      Therapy

·      Shadow Work

·      Cleansing

·      Power

·      Control

·      Manipulation

·      Release

·      Freedom

Grounding and Chakra balance is key. Using crystal(s) while meditating, wearing them or placing them around your house as an aesthetic may foster a sense of peace and tranquility.

Some Crystals for this Retrograde:

  • Carnelian (grounding - Root, Sacral & Solar Plexus Chakras)

  • Blue Apatite (communication - Throat Chakra)

  • Blue Aventurine (communication - Throat Chakra)

  • Indigo Gabbaro (heightens mental focus – Third Eye Chakra)

  • Yellow Aventurine (personal power/confidence - Solar Plexus Chakra)

  • Pink Calcite (love/compassion - Heart Chakra)

  • Dalmatian Jasper (grounding - Root & Sacral Chakras)

  • Pyrite (guards against control & manipulation – All Chakras)

  • Tiger’s Eye (luck & good fortune – Root, Sacral & Solar Plexus Chakras)

  • Sodalite (self-awareness, communication & intuition – Throat Chakra)

For crystals: http://www.lavenegass.com/shop-synergy

Take this time to really tune into yourself: go inward and begin the healing process if needed. Tap into your personal power, release anchors to the “underworld” and rise like the Phoenix!  

Club Quarantine: A Global House Party

Photo Courtesy: D-Nice’s Instagram page

Photo Courtesy: D-Nice’s Instagram page

By: Lavene Gass

Like many Americans, I have been confined to my home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  However, a few days ago, I stumbled upon a magical place: Club Quarantine, hosted by the musical magician, the incomparable DJ D-Nice on his Instagram page. All were welcome. There was no cover charge; all you needed to do was go on his page and join in on his LIVE. 

Once you clicked LIVE, you entered a global house party that was attended by thousands of people. While everyone adhered to social distancing, we definitely were socializing with strangers, friends, family and celebrities via Instagram Chat. From copious emojis to musical requests from Spike Lee to Quincy Jones - yes, they were apart of this musical global community, positive vibes permeated for countless hours as DJ D-Nice worked the turntables.  Like a beautifully handmade quilt, D-Nice meticulously weaved decades of music seamlessly into a dynamic musical set that kept you yearning for more. 

As a meditation instructor, who hones in on Chakra balance, this was right up my alley. In each of my meditation classes, I focus on the importance of Chakra balance and ultimately feeling good. I often encourage my students to express themselves, dance, listen to music and move the body - with particular emphasis on one of my favorite Chakras - the Sacral Chakra, which deals with emotions, creativity and sexuality. 

While in Club Quarantine, the Sacral and Throat Chakras (expression and music) were definitely in full effect.  Music is good for the soul - especially in times like this and balance is key! Keep those Chakras balanced! Be mindful of your stress levels. Monitor your news intake; be informed, but be mindful of information overload. If you feel yourself becoming induced by fear and anxiety, take a break by turning off the news. Make a switch from the news to music. Dance! Let the music resonate within your soul. Move the body and get lost in the moment of feeling good. 

Lastly, stay tuned for the next global house party, spearheaded by DJ D-Nice. It was an epic movement that not only moved our bodies but also the people! 

Maximize on Time: Make Every Second Count

By: Lavene Gass

Time!

We are living in interesting times right now due to COVID-19. While everything is shutting down and we are being urged to stay indoors, what will you do with your time?

One thing that I will gingerly urge you NOT to do is panic. As a meditation instructor, I have encouraged my students, friends and family to use this time to go inward. Find time to tune into yourself.

Are there projects around your house/apartment that you’ve been putting off?
Declutter.
Reorganize.

Are there areas in your personal life that you haven’t been tending to?
Balance your finances.
Monitor what you’re eating.
Are you consuming too much junk food?
Are you consuming too much television?
Are you getting enough rest?

Are there entrepreneurial goals that you’ve been putting off? If so, start it.
Write the book.
Start the podcast.
Write the business plan.
Create marketing strategies.
If you’re a creator – create.

 Let your mind run free. Use your limitless capabilities to fulfill your wildest dreams.  

 Each day, especially under these grave circumstances, step away from everything and find your personal oasis and simply go within yourself via prayer, meditation, yoga or simply getting lost in a good book.

 As the adage states, This Too Shall Pass. We will get through this, but don’t let precious time pass YOU by.

 Take a moment each day to find time for yourself:

 ·      Pay close attention to your stress level(s)

·      Pray

·      Meditate

·      Do yoga

·      Drink a warm cup of tea.

·      Color – Yes, color (it’s a great way to destress).

·      Place your hands over your heart. Notice the rhythm of your heartbeat and tap into gratitude.

·      Journal

·      Balance Chakras

·      Pay close attention to self-talk.

·      Be kind to yourself.

·      Relax

·      Rest

·      Focus on self-love.

Meditation: The Journey Within - Take a Moment to Lovingly Tune Into Yourself

By: Lavene Gass

When you think of love, who do you think of?

 As the thought(s) ran across your mind, did YOU come to mind?  Self-love isn’t solely about expressing love for yourself; it’s also about demonstrating it too: setting healthy boundaries, resting, forgiving yourself, being kind to yourself, pampering yourself, finding time for yourself and the list goes on.

One way to truly tune into yourself is through meditation.  Each day, take a moment (approximately 5 minutes) to find time to journey within yourself. In this moment of solitude, gently close your eyes and place both hands on your heart. As you breathe in and out, connect with each beat of your heart. On the inhale, silently say LOVE to yourself and on the exhale, silently say LOVE to yourself as well.

 With each inhale and exhale, let this be your anchor – anchor yourself in love. With each breath and heartbeat, it’s a profound reminder that you’re alive. As you connect to your breathing and heartbeat, bask in an immense state of gratitude. Begin to think about things that you’re grateful for. Follow this by thinking about things that you love about yourself. With each thought, gently smile to yourself.

 During this process, other thoughts may appear, which is alright; simply note each thought as a thought and continue with the mediation.  As each second passes, try to get into an alignment of self-love and think about how grateful you are - hence, the beating of your heart and your breathing. This is a great exercise to not only reduce stress and practice mindfulness, but it also hones in on self-love and gratitude, which are two major components that will balance and/or maintain balance in your Heart Chakra.

 Your Heart Chakra is the fourth Chakra and is considered the “Bridge” between your lower and higher Chakras. Would you want to travel over a shaky bridge? Hopefully, not. When dealing with matters of the Heart, think about the Heart Chakra and ask yourself, if it’s shaky. The key to any Chakra is balance, but one must first understand what can lead to imbalance in each Chakra.

 By quieting the mind for a few moments each day and simply harnessing the power of gratitude and love – particularly self-love, you have the potential to open the gateway to an abundance of balanced emotions. These emotions can have a positive ripple effect on you and everyone that you come in contact with as you permeate an undeniable effervescent glow!

 

Lunar Vibes: New Moon in Pisces

By: Lavene Gass

We’re officially in Pisces’ season. On Sunday, February 23, the radiant Moon will be stationed in the constellation of Pisces as it enters the first lunar phase: The New Moon Phase. As the Moon orbits, it goes through eight unique and symbolic phases and passes through each zodiac sign – lasting in each sign for approximately 2 – 2 ½ days. As the glorious Moon gracefully glides through the night’s sky, it has the propensity to adapt to each zodiac sign’s energy.  You too may feel this as well.

Since the New Moon will transit in Pisces on this Sunday, you might notice a spike in intuition and creativity; these are a few of Pisces’ traits. Take advantage of this energy.  

 What is a New Moon?
It’s the first lunar phase, in which the Moon is situated between the Earth and the Sun – making the illuminated side of the Moon not face Earth. Symbolically, a New Moon phase represents new beginnings. To coincide with this, it’s a great time to start a new project, set goals, and or set intentions.

What do you want? Be very specific and create a strategic plan to manifest whatever your heart desires. If you’re into vision boards, this is a great time to get those goals in order by creating a vision board.

Need to clear out your space, get some sage and sage away. This is a time for new beginnings - so clear the air - literally & figuratively.

Remember, Mercury is still in retrograde. Mindfulness is key: pay attention to communication, travel and technology to avoid accidents and/or snafus.

Pisces is a water element and mutable sign (adaptable and associated with transitions). As we approach this New Moon energy, what transitions, if any, are you going through? Or, perhaps, this is a time where you need to transition...

Meditate on it...

 Things to Do During a New Moon:

  • Declutter

  • Yoga

  • Meditate

  • Journal

  • Unplug – Take a Social Media Break

  • Go on a First Date

  • Start a New Project

  • Pamper Yourself

  • Relax

Chakras to Balance and/or Maintain Balance:

  • Root Chakra – Get Grounded

  • Sacral Chakra – Pay Attention to Your Emotions & Fuel Your Passion(s)

  • Third Eye Chakra – Be Mindful of Your Intuition & Hone in on Your Goals



Mercury Retrograde: Rest, Reset & Reflect

By: Lavene Gass

There’s no escaping it...Mercury goes retrograde on this Sunday, February 16, 2020. It’s currently in its pre-shadow period. So, you might be experiencing some of its energy. Mercury, the planet closet to the Sun, is the ruling planet of Gemini and Virgo and controls travel, communication and technology.

Unfortunately, Mercury Retrograde gets a bad rap because of mishaps that can occur during this period. However, if you become mindful of this time period and how you communicate with yourself (pay attention to your mental chatter) and others as well as plan accordingly to events surrounding travel and technology, you’re in the driver’s seat.

Mercury Retrograde will end on Monday, March 9, 2020 but it won’t be completely over. There’s the wonderful post-shadow period that will last for about 2-3 weeks after the retrograde ends.

While this retrograde will begin in the air sign of Aquarius, the majority of the time, it will be stationed in the water sign of Pisces. Pay attention to any sudden sparks of creativity. Pisces is a dreamy, intuitive, creative sign. During this period, your creativity maybe enhanced. Tap into all of this energy and use it to not only brainstorm but to also create projects. Lastly, tune into your intuition - follow your gut-feelings. However, be mindful of those gut-feelings. This is the year of mindfulness. In each of my meditation classes, I will be honing in on mindfulness – the state of being in the present moment, without fear or judgment.

It’s imperative to understand the power of your chakras. For instance, if your Solar Plexus Chakra and Third Eye Chakra are imbalanced, trusting your gut, may not be optimal because imbalance in these particular chakras can lead to paranoia or over-confidence – skewing decision making.

What is Mercury Retrograde?
Approximately 3-4 times a year, Mercury appears to move backwards in its orbit. Key word: appears! It’s an illusion. The planet isn’t moving backwards; instead, it’s moving at a slower pace. During this slow pace, hick-ups and snafus centered around communication, travel and technology (each of these things are controlled by Mercury) tend to occur. Some people experience “Mercury Retrograde Hysteria” due to the malfunctions that may occur.

I, on the other hand, think that we can take a page out of Mercury’s book. If a planet can slow down. Why can’t we?  Rather than focusing on the “wrath” of Mercury Retrograde, let’s focus on what we can do to circumvent such occurrences, but more importantly, take this time to rest. During any planetary retrograde period, I encourage people to focus on the prefix “re.” So, reflect, refocus, rewire, reevaluate, rethink, etc.


Chakras to Work on During This Period:

  • Sacral Chakra (Creativity)

  • Solar Plexus Chakra (Gut-Feelings)

  • Throat Chakra (Communication)

  • Third Eye Chakra (Intuition)

Other things to do during Mercury Retrograde:

  • Practice the pause

  • Think before you speak

  • Balance your chakras

  • Communicate effectively

  • Slow down

  • Practice mindfulness

  • Journal

  • Brainstorm: Creativity Intensifies

  • Meditate

  • Do Yoga

  • Thoroughly prepare projects

  • Triple check work

 

The Power of Vision Boards

By: Lavene Gass

In 2014, I sat on my living room floor with a magazine spread, a glue stick and a nylon green poster board and commenced to forging ahead with a life of abundance by creating my first vision board, which is a board that displays images and/or motivational quotes that represent how one wants to feel and the goals that one wants to achieve. Since 2014, I have been checking off goals left and right. After being encouraged by a friend to create a vision board, watching the popularized movie, The Secret, reading the book, The Power, both the book and movie detailed The Law of Attraction, the belief that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life, I decided to focus on achieving my goals through this medium.

Within five months of creating my first vision board, the images pasted on it started to manifest right before my eyes. Some of these included: getting accepted into the Master of Business program at William Paterson University, selling out 300 seats for my first theater production, garnering media coverage for the aforementioned theater production, and being invited to be a guest on Steve Harvey’s television show.

After witnessing the power of the Law of Attraction, I made a conscious effort to create a new vision board at the beginning of each year. Fast forward to present day, the majority of my goals have manifested, some of which include: graduating with an advanced degree, becoming a motivational speaker, teaching meditation classes, traveling, receiving a job promotion, paying off debt, practicing yoga and providing enriching personal and professional development seminars. 

 With a passion to not only empower myself, but others, I have been training people through inspirational meditation seminars and vision board workshops on balancing chakras as well as becoming self-aware, fearless and confident.  As a result, my vision board workshop and meditation seminar attendees have incorporated a “Queen’s Mindset” and “King’s Mindset,” which is the reinforcement of high self-esteem and the belief that any goal is attainable as long as one believes in his or herself and executes a strategic plan to achieve the goal(s).

To date, I have taught countless classes. Like myself, many of my “students” have also manifested their goals, some of which include: pursuing college degrees, losing weight, getting married, traveling nationally and internationally, maintaining chakra balance, practicing mindfulness and self-love, launching businesses, improving credit, and purchasing homes, among other incredible things. 

Since creating my first vision board, I’ve realized that this process is powerful and I’ve tapped into my own power by not only creating the boards but by also actualizing a strategic plan to make the dream(s) become a reality. 

Tips for Creating a Vision Board & Setting Goals:

  • Ask: Form a clear intention of what you want.
    Once the intention(s) has been set, create S.M.A.R.T. goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic & Timely

  • Believe: Believe that you’re worthy of getting what you want and that whatever you want will manifest.
    Key: You must work towards the manifestation process.

  • Receive: Before the goal is accomplished, you must mentally prepare yourself for it.

  • Achieve: Execution is key.

Materials Needed to Create a Vision Board:

  • Paper/Poster Board

  • Magazines

  • Glue

  • Scissors

*Be sure to look at your vision board often as a source of positive reinforcement.

To book a vision board session, click the “Contact Us” tab.

“Since creating my first vision board, I’ve realized that this process is powerful and I’ve tapped into my own power by not only creating the boards but by also actualizing a strategic plan to make the dream(s) become a reality. ”
— Lavene Gass