I used to think crystals were bullsh*t. I really did, even after I had attended shaman school. I really don’t “believe” in something unless I’ve personally experienced the phenomenon, which I'm realizing is a rare attribute in my industry. That said, one day I picked up a crystal and felt an immediate “zing” of energy through my system, as though I had stuck my finger in a painless, energy-giving electrical outlet. It was a revelation, and I instantly dove head first into learning everything I could about crystals. I purchased a copy of the most hilariously titled and illustrated book ever: Love is in the Earth: a Kaleidoscope of Crystals written by a woman whose name is simply “Melody”, s

I have avoided addressing this topic in a newsletter or blog for the better part of a decade. I get questions about demons, curses, attachments and negative entities literally every day, but I work hard to find creative ways to diffuse stress, dispel myth, and constructively deescalate the conversation without falling down a very deep- and dark- rabbit hole. First, let me address my industry honestly: many fortune tellers, card readers and even energy workers are just effective con artists. Generally, their grift is based on stoking a latent fear or superstition you may have, explaining away any challenges you may be experiencing as a direct result of a "curse" or "demon" or "dark energy"

What is courage? It’s been on my mind a lot lately, and being a former French student (with a terrible Chicago accent) I remembered that “coeur” means “heart” in French. I was curious, so I looked deeper into the etymology of the word courage and found: “The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage meant ‘To speak one's mind by telling all of one's heart.’ Over time, this definition has changed, and today, we typically associate courage with heroic and brave deeds.” When I saw this definition, I was struck by an intense, existential question: what if the ultimate heroic deed in our current society IS the telling all of one’

Wow. This last week was intense, wasn't it? Everyone seemed to be feeling it: unexplained fatigue, roving, non-specific aches and pains, sensitivity to smell, taste, sound and light, and the overwhelming urge to take a vacation in a sensory deprivation tank. So what was this all about? Are we all having some kind of collective ocular migraine or something? Not really, but there are certainly intense energies at play, all of which seem to be coming together to create a veritable stew of personal alchemy: the transmutation of self into something better, faster, stronger. In other words: if you've been feeling banged up and exhausted, don't let it get you down! This is ultimately a good thin

I needed magic. I work to cultivate gratitude on a daily basis, fighting my overactive "monkey brain" to try to stay present and satisfied with what I do have. But even the most practiced of us have our "blah" and "meh" moments, feeling the cumulative strain of fear, instability, restriction and volatility. Things have been feeling very uninspiring and heavy, if not downright depressing for a lot of people. And while I have access to tools and resources to help, the last several months have worn me down a bit, too. So I started searching for a remedy, scheduling remote energy work, getting a massage, and I even took a few days to myself to just walk the dog, cook food, and try to relax. A

Creating a new ritual. Many of you may not know this, but several years ago I had a series of Transient Ischemic Attacks (TIAs), otherwise referred to as "mini strokes". I was blind in my right eye for a few days, but a series of very expensive MRI's didn't show any clot or brain or serious nerve damage, so I came out of the event fairly unscathed...and very lucky. I was physically in good health at the time, at least when looking from the outside. I exercised, did yoga, ran, walked the dog, ate well, meditated, and wasn't in a situation where I was treating my body poorly with drugs or alcohol. Or so I thought. Stress is not just "the mind killer"- stress is the body killer. The negative