Take a Moment to Relax

CranioSacral Therapy and Inner Reflection    Gerri Aiudi

As the daylight lengthens towards springtime, an image that comes to mind is that of a frond slowly unfurling from its curled up position. The light slowly increases; we are drawn away from our place of hibernation and invited to engage in the world around us again. What will that engagement look like for you? What would you like to create for yourself?

My way of addressing these questions is through CranioSacral therapy. CranioSacral therapy is my place to drop all else and to invite myself to witness my own inner process. It is my path to the rich inner life of thoughts, sensations, images, and sometimes their deeper meanings. For me, “touch brings presence home” (John O’Donohue, 1977).

This inner process that comes about through CranioSacral therapy is like a mindfulness exercise or meditation blended with physical touch, dialogue, and holding of space.

What comes forth from this place of quietly witnessing our bodies, sensations, and emotions is a reconnection with our core and a gentle release of physical or emotional discomforts.

Take five minutes right now to simply find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and find your breath. Noticing perhaps the rise and fall of your chest or belly, the rush of air through your nose or throat.

Just feel the gentle movement of your body as you are breathing. Bring your mind to your breath and give yourself over to being present with this sensation.

Then bring your curiosity on board. Notice sensations from a place of a silent witness, not judging or evaluation but just awareness of what is presently unfolding in your inner landscape.

Let go of your attachment to results and just be curious. Let your curiosity guide you from a place of “how interesting”.

There is no agenda in this exploration. Not all explorations of this sort are comfortable. Sometimes you may rest in a place of connection and revisit good sensations. Other times you may find yourself in a place of numbness, stuckness, a place of resistance. Often resistance has a purpose.

We are merely holding this area from a place of awareness. “You are simply there to be with that aspect of yourself. You are not doing anything to it. You’re not going to try to make it disappear. You are simply there with it.”(Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, 2017).

It is from this place of awareness of inner needs and processes that you can then address your priorities. How can you engage with this day, taking into consideration your inner process?

How can your place of inner reflection inform your activities and give your everyday life more meaning?

I invite you to practice this exploration as a prelude to CranioSacral work and as a balanced way to approach the busyness of these lengthening days.

By Gerri Aiudi © 2017

 

 Move Towards What You Want   Catherine Potter

In my practice as an astrologer and hypnotherapist people talk to me about changes they want to make. Even though there has been a vast amount of information over the last decade about manifesting and creating your reality people still often focus on getting away from what they don’t want.

When we are distressed about a situation or a reoccurring theme in our life it makes sense that we want to get away from it. However, when we focus our attention on “getting away from something or someone” we inevitably meet the same situation in our future.

One of my favorite stories is about a person who asks a village wise person what they will encounter if they move to a new village.

The wise person asked what the person had been experiencing in their current location and was told that there was tension with neighbors and stress with their spouse.

So the wise person told them that in the new village they would encounter the same thing.

The point of the story is until we change something in ourselves we can change location and people but over time the same patterns show up.

It is great to have a fresh start such as a new job, home, or relationship. But it is only a fresh start when we truly feel we have finished a pattern or released old emotional congestion.

Once that happens we can then focus on what we want to “move towards” and create it in our future.

Pay attention to your language when you are thinking or speaking about what you want and see if your focus is more on what you don’t want. Examples such as, I don’t want to have bad relationships anymore, I don’t want to be unhealthy, I don’t want to be financially stressed, is a great step in recognizing that you desire change.

The next step is to move towards what you do want in a step by step manner.

Using the above example of “I don’t want to be unhealthy” reframed as “I want a strong, healthy body is moving towards something”. It is easier then to track whether your daily choices support your goal.

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

Working consciously with the new moon helps you to be in harmony with nature and your own unique timing and flow.

DID YOU KNOW at the time of a new moon the sun and moon are conjunct meaning they are at the same degree in a particular sign. This is why new moon periods are considered ideal times for starting a project – imagine dynamic and magnetic energy fusing together.

 

 

The New Moon is on January 16, 2018, at 26°of Capricorn (7:17 pm MST).

The Full Moon (Lunar Eclipse) is on January 31, 2018, at 11° of Leo (6:27 am MST).

 

 

Want to learn more about astrology ?  It is now easier for out of town students to take the course. For more information go to www.northernstarcollege.com  www.catherinepotter.ca .

• The new moon is a good time to set intentions, look for resources and take actions that support growth in the area of your life the new moon falls in.
• Continue to focus and build energy around your projects until the full moon after that re-evaluate and look at where you are with whatever you seeded at the new moon. You should have greater clarity at this point as to what is working or what isn’t. Look at what changes you need to make – after the full moon, the energy begins to wane becoming more reflective.

How to work with the cycles:

If you don’t know your ascendant read the description based on your Sun sign (month you were born) please see Sun Sign dates at end of the article.

If you know your ascendant/rising sign read the description for the house the new moon falls in according to your ascendant. (to determine ascendant you need to know the time of day you were born).

Please remember this is not a complete picture of all the cycles taking place in your life. Have Fun!!!!!   Interested in  studying astrology or booking an astrological or hypnotherapy session call or email Catherine at 780 447-3667  catherinepotter@shaw.ca

Following is a list of where the January new moon falls and a few ideas on how to work with it.

Aries Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #10 

Taurus Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #9

Gemini Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #8     

Cancer Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #7

Leo Sun/ Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #6  

Virgo Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #5 

Libra Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #4 

Scorpio Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #3

Sagittarius Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for#2 

Capricorn Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #1

Aquarius Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #12  

Pisces Sun/Rising: Read keywords and suggestions for #11     

Read the following list for some of the basic house associations (areas of life). Once a year the sun and moon come together and activate a particular area of your chart. When the new moon falls in one of these areas it is a natural time to focus your attention on and make minor or if there are other cycles to support it major changes.

#1 Keywords: outer mask, personality, disposition, appearance, physical body, health, beginnings.

Suggestions: During this month you will experience your birthday (sun sign’s) which is your natural new year. Happy Solar Return! Take time to question whether your appearance, physical health and the mask you wear in the world is congruent with how you internally see yourself. The new moon is a good time to start making changes that allow you to feel more comfortable in your own skin.

#2 Keywords: values, self-value and worth, possessions, financial affairs, earning ability, debts, talents/gifts.

Suggestions: During the new moon cycle look at how you are managing your material resources. What changes can you make that will help you feel nourished and secure? What talent do you possess that if developed will bring you satisfaction and possible material gain? What do you consider valuable – what does this reflect back to you about self-worth and values?

#3 Keywords: all forms of communication (talking, listening, and writing) and communication tools, learning and taking in new ideas, perception, neighbourhood, siblings, means of transportation, short trips.

Suggestions: Now is the time to look at bringing in resources that further develop communication and encourage growth in your perception of you and your perception of the world. Take the time to quickly write down (don’t edit and over analyze) how you see the world and you may find that earlier childhood perceptions color it. On a mundane level this is a good time to have fun and buzz around town, Take a look at what you are reading, watching, listening to and what type of conversations you participate in – how do these activities make you feel?

#4 Keywords: physical home, parents, ancestral lineage, psychological roots, private life, real estate and property.

Suggestions: There is a focus on family which can be as simple as spending more time with them or on a deeper level exploring what qualities and beliefs you inherited from them. It is a good time to look at making changes in your home or making a move. Question, whether your home reflects who you are now. If you walked through and observed it through the eyes of a stranger what would it say about you?

#5 Keywords: creativity, romance, love, children, pregnancy, what you do for fun, hobbies, sports, speculation.

Suggestions: Look at what brings you joy and makes you feel open-hearted. Do you find time to play? What outlet do you have for creative expression? This is a good time to focus on children – spending time with them or depending on your age procreation. If you’ve been involved with activities that make you feel passionate, alive and overflowing with love, share it – if you haven’t, find some.

#6 Keywords: work, health, healthcare routines, responsibility, service, pets, employees.

Suggestions: This is the time to look at how well you take care of yourself and what your energy level is like. Do you feel strong, radiant, and vibrant? If not consider making adjustments to self-care routines. Look at your attitude towards work and service. Do you love what you do and enjoy continuing to grow in either a job, volunteer position etc? When we feel competent in some area of our life we often end up sharing our gift with others which is entirely different than resentfully doing something for others.

#7 Keywords: partnerships both business and romantic, marriage, divorce, partnership agreements, what may be weak and undeveloped in ourselves that we explore through a partner (consciously or unconsciously), dealing with the public.

Suggestions: This is the time to start, renew, or leave a partnership. Whether in a relationship or not, for a deeper understanding of this area of your life consider the following. When you are in a relationship, what is your level of commitment? Do you tend to project on your partner undeveloped or disowned parts of yourself? Do you understand the difference between dependence, independence and interdependence?

#8 Keywords: regeneration, transformation, surgery/health, death, sex, and financial/ physical/psychological support you receive from others, insurances, inheritances, research, investigation.

Suggestions: When the new moon falls in this house you have an opportunity to look beneath the surface and explore the following – Your beliefs regarding, death or any type of transformation –such as the ending of a job, relationship or entrenched values/patterns.

Your beliefs regarding sex, intimacy, and the understanding of sexual energy as a life force. Your beliefs regarding how much support you have in the world.

#9 Keywords: travel, education, religion, philosophy, ethics, natural laws, laws, visions, higher mind, foreigners, foreign dealings.

Suggestions: Whether for fun or to shake up your routine and limited beliefs there is an opportunity to explore and potentially expand your view of the world and personal ethics/philosophy through study, travel or just taking the time to experience different cultures.

#10 Keywords: profession, destiny, reputation (how the world sees you), status, fame, employer, government/authority, business activities.

Suggestions: Look at what role you play in your community (it will change at different periods of your life) for example parent, business mogul, baker, volunteer, outcast, actor, and question if it is a good fit. It can be easy to get locked into roles and positions that don’t fulfill who we are and our life purpose (yes we all have a purpose).

#11 Keywords: friends and our attitudes to them, clubs and social groups we align ourselves with, organizations, humanitarian interests, future directions and goals, circumstances beyond our control.

Suggestions: What goals and directions do you envision for your future? It is easier to accomplish goals when aligned with friends and/or groups that support and have similar dreams/visions for the future. That could be a recovery group, business organization, political party or a cooking club. If you have a goal, chances are someone else has a similar or at least compatible one –seek them out.

#12 Keywords: transcendence, spiritual and psychic experiences, escapism, karma, liberation, confinement, hospitals, institutions, hidden strengths and weaknesses.

Suggestions: When the new moon falls in this area of one’s life it is time to retreat and let go of the world and our place in it. Now is the time to dream, meditate, create and/or be in nature. Withdraw but don’t escape in unhealthy ways.

SUN SIGN DATES: Aries: March 19/ 20 – April 19, Taurus: April 19 – May 20, Gemini: May 20 – June 20, Cancer: June 20- July 22, Leo: July 22 – August 22, Virgo: August 22 – September 22, Libra: September 22- October 22, Scorpio: October 22- November 21, Sagittarius: November 21- December 21, Capricorn: December 21 – January 20, Aquarius: January 20, – February 18/19 Pisces: February 18/ 19 – March 19/ 20.

Catherine’s  Courses

February 2018

 

Astrology and Practical Mysticism

This is a 4-month intermediate level astrology course. For information click the link below and scroll down Astrology page till you reach Intermediate Courses Click For more information

 

 

   April 2018

 

Practical Mysticism

Applied Metaphysics Part 1 with Catherine Potter
Roll up your sleeves and get ready to test, apply and integrate metaphysics into your life.

In this course, we will explore the nature of reality, natural laws, karma, and more………for more information click

Coming soon

Practical Mysticism Part 2 – Developing Intuition through Inner Imagery

Practical Mysticism Part 3- Meditation and Mindfulness

 

 

Northern Star College Courses

 

Crystalline Gem Therapy Certificate certificate program starts September 2018.

Tarot Certificate program begins September 2018

Wise Woman Within Certificate program begins Autumn 2018