Money is life force energy. It's an exchange of energy between you and your clients or customers. How we use our life force energy matters. Who we share our life force energy with also matters. Your offerings, and the money you receive for them, are a way to be nourished, supported, fulfilled, safe, overflowing. When we don't price our offerings properly, we can end up malnourished. This malnourishment can show up as burnout, resentment, fatigue, numbing, disappointment, anger, grief, or simply not getting your needs met fully. Money as life force means that we need to honor our money like we do our life force energy, our body and its wisdom. I love money because it's a reflector, a mirror. Your money will always show you exactly how you feel, and the shadow emotions you may not be looking at. Pause for a moment and think about your offerings. Your goods, services, products, offerings, creations. How does it feel to share your gifts and wisdom with others? Do you feel like you are being compensated fully? Do you feel ease and joy receiving money for your offerings? Do you feel full and overflowing? If not, some adjustments need to be made so that your life force is being honored and supported. Often the biggest AHA I hear from clients comes when we adjust the structure of their offering to honor their body and its needs AND find pricing that both feels good to them and their body. I see far too many women who are unclear on their financial needs, and who undercut their own receiving. This is a very old patriarchal, misogynistic, and colonialistic mindset that keeps women in lack generation after generation. You do not need martyr yourself, over give, starve, or be depleted when sharing your dharmic gifts and wisdom. Your dharma and the money you receive from sharing your gifts, is a source of nourishment, support, creativity, safety, ease. Honoring the wisdom of your body is a powerful way to adjust your pricing and your nourishment. There is no one size fits all approach to pricing. I often hear business models and business approaches that do not take into consideration the body, its needs, the embodied wisdom you are expressing, nor the legacy you provide. Everyone's needs are different and we should approach pricing in the same way. Making more money does not make you a better person, or more enlightened. Pricing is an individual process that can support your growth, transformation and healing- if used properly. Remember that your pricing should support your overall wholeness and nourishment. Here are four considerations when pricing your offerings: - Your Value The gifts, wisdom and tools you share with the world have required immense time, energy, and willingness on your part. Likely it's taken years for you to have this level of embodied awareness. You've been through so many obstacles, transformations, and overcome so many challenges on your path. The education you've cultivated in your life has come mostly from lived experience. This is part of the value you offer and provide to others. Also consider how much of your embodied value- your inner knowing and inner wisdom- comes from your ancestors. Without the gifts that they have passed down to you epigenetically, you would have no dharma, no purpose, no unique offering. The ancestors are a vital part of your Value and must be acknowledged as part of the vast awareness you bring to this world. Your pricing should honor the value of your gifts, wisdom, ancestors, and all the learning you've gathered thus far in your life. Does your current pricing honor your full embodied value? How have your ancestors influenced your gifts, wisdom, and offerings? - Your Energy Your energy is your life force. It's your body wisdom and all the power and strength of who you are in this body and life. Your pricing should honor the energy you use with your offerings, as well as the energy required to take care of your body, wisdom and gifts. Your self care and spiritual practices are part of how you maintain your energy and gifts. When you are depleted and burned out, you will have nothing to offer, and no energy to share or connect in meaningful ways. Your pricing should reflect the time and energy you spend offering your gifts, as well as the time and energy it takes to maintain your body, emotions, mind, and spirit. In other words, your pricing should allow you to attend to your wholeness. Dharma is your wholeness, which means you can not offer from an empty cup and still be nourished. Receiving money for your offerings and gifts is part of your nourishment and supports your wholeness. Does your current pricing honor your whole body and all its needs? Are you receiving what you need in order to take care of your body, mind, emotions and spirit? - Your Needs Yes, your needs are part of your pricing strategy. Honoring what you need to live a comfortable, safe, healthy, and nourishing life is why you make money. Taking into consideration what you need- on all levels of your life- is part of how we create our pricing and dharmic offerings. Your needs must be part of the equation. Everyone has very different needs and so there can't be only one way to price your offerings. Every woman must know her numbers though. Being able to tangibly clarify what your financial needs are is vital for your pricing. Clarify your monthly expenses and what you need for savings, paying off debts, getting all your basic needs met, getting taxes paid on time. Based on this number, figure out your annual financial goal. Your monthly and annual goals can be used to figure out how many clients, products, packages, etc you need in order to get your needs met. Most of the women I meet don't know how much money they actually need to make for their needs to be met. Their current pricing doesn't fully support the needs they actually have and they find themselves in lack and ongoing malnourishment. You must know how much you need before we can even address your pricing strategy and growth strategies. Do you know how much money you actually need to make? Does your current pricing honor all of your needs- including your energy and your body? Do you find yourself underpricing so you can sell more or giving your gifts away for free? Are you afraid to ask for what you really need? - Your Legacy Legacy takes into consideration past, present and future. Much of your legacy comes from your ancestors. The majority of the embodied gifts you carry with you are given to you by the ancestors. This is part of who you are and what you offer the world. You've also gathered an immense amount of knowledge and wisdom on your path so far. This is part of your offering as well. The gifts, wisdom, tools, and knowledge you provide will support a ripple effect on this planet. Think about all the lives you will touch by offering your medicine. Every life you touch will touch countless other lives as well. You are planting seeds that may come into fruition many years to come. You are supporting souls in their growth and transformation process and that will impact their families, children, partners, friends, community and beyond. You are increasing the quality of life for your clients and offering resources that will prevent more struggle, suffering, and pain. How much is this worth- to you, your clients, the world? For the most part, the positive shifts we support our clients with are truly priceless. Considering your legacy impact in your pricing equation, however, must be honored. Does your current pricing truly honor your legacy and the lasting impact you provide? What is the legacy you want to provide for your clients and the world?
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August New MoonAs of Sunday, a two year Mars cycle has ended. He is making some unusual movements in the coming months, navigating openings and closings repeatedly. Mars is the planet of action, focus, courage- and his fiery ways support goals and accomplishments. He has newly entered Aries, sitting in the gap between endings and beginning for an extended stay. Normally, Mars transits are roughly two months in length, but Mars will retrograde in Aries on September 9th and re-enter Pisces on October 4th. During this retrograde cycle, he will retrace his steps through Pisces until the end of the year. Notice what themes have emerged for you over the past two months as you will be asked to re-visit these steps from October to December once again. There may be a lack of clarity and some uncertainty arriving with this cycle, so pay attention to what is feeling good and what needs to be released once and for all. Mars will go direct in Pisces on November 13th and will re-enter Aries on December 24th. During the coming months, he will usher in themes of opening and closing, loss and arrivals. Look for fresh starts, renewal, opening and beginnings once he enters Aries again as 2021 arrives. This unusual Mars transit will directly impact the Mars ruled signs of Aries and Scorpio the most. Those who are highly influenced by Mars in their natal chart, or running a Mars Maha Dasha, should pay close attention as well. Notice where Mars is located in your natal chart and what houses he will be moving through as he navigates Pisces and Aries throughout the rest of the year. Currently, all three gandantas, or sacred gaps, are open. These are junction points between water and fire in the zodiac. When a planet transits through these spiritual junction points, it experiences a major transformation and uprooting process. Often big life changes happen with these junctions. They are also considered extremely spiritual because they uproot blockages on the psycho-emotional body levels. Now that Mars has leaped into Aries, he is transiting the first of three gandantas in the zodiac. This ushers in fresh starts and rejuvenation. Sun and Mercury have also just moved to the second gandanta of the zodiac, Magha. This spiritual portion of the sky is directly connected to the ancestors, power, and ego. Pay attention to what needs to transform in relationship to your power, masculine and purpose. Ketu has been transiting the third gandanta, Mula, for over a year now. This 1.5 year transit ends on September 23rd when Ketu shifts into Scorpio and Rahu moves to Taurus. As a planet leaves a house, it tends to intensify. Mula nakshatra can clear the path for dharma, or present major obstacles that hinder the path. Are you moving closer to your soul purpose right now, or further away? With all three gandantas wide open right now, the coming weeks are especially vulnerable and delicate. It is not a good time to take unnecessary risks, however, it is an excellent time to do your inner work, transform shadow into light, and overcome obstacles on your spiritual path. Attend to your dharmic path and it will be time well spent. Register for my Jyotish Masterclass for Dharmic Clarity. Magha New MoonMoon completely empties on the 18th at 20:42 MT while transiting Leo and Magha nakshatra. Sun, Moon, and Mars are all in tight conjunction in Magha nakshatra at this time. The cycle ahead is asking you to be more vigilant with your power- how you use it, why you use it, what it means for you. Are you in right relationship with your masculine, power source, and inner strength? Magha nakshatra is considered a gandanta. One of three gaps in the zodiac between water and fire, notorious for uprooting the psycho-emotional bodies. Whatever unconscious entanglements are gripping you, it’s possible to loosen them and release them at this time. Be honest with your shadow work and diligently acknowledge personal mythology with your disempowerment, victim, use of strength and power in the cycle ahead. Pitr rules the domain of Magha which automatically connects this portion of the sky with the ancestors. There is a direct correlation with father and father’s lineage here as well. Over 50% of your karma and grief work is connected to your ancestors. Magha brings lineage grief to the surface and will ask you to face your power, karma, and lineage issues directly. This is an ideal time to pay homage and give gratitude to your ancestors. Feed them, bring offerings to your ancestor altar, notice symbols or message arriving directly from Spirit. Give your blessings to those who have come before, as well as the gifts they have shared with you. After all, you would not be here without them. Where do you feel connected to your ancestors and your lineage? Where do you feel disconnected? In what ways are you creating connections with your ancestors and building a relationship with them? How do the ancestors show up for you and what messages do they share? Here Are Six Ways to Feed Your Ancestors Wishing you a clear and aligned cycle ahead, Swati* Studying your jyotish chart is an essential tool for understanding your dharmic path.
Deepen Your Dharmic Clarity In My August Jyotish Masterclass My approach to dharma and Jyotish Astrology is body-centered. I consider the body to be the primary resource for cultivating a path of joy and nourishment. Using Jyotish in a body-centered way can help strengthen the depth, richness, and healing capacity of Vedic Astrology, while also helping create alignment with dharma more fully. Are You.... Searching for your purpose and life path clarity? Wanting spiritual answers and an expanded understanding of your self? Wishing you could trust your self and your path more fully? Disappointed & dissatisfied with the astrological resources you've found so far? Desiring more depth, feminine wisdom, and a holistic approach to Vedic Astrology? Jyotish Astrology Masterclass Clarify Your Life Path and Soul Purpose AUGUST 23RD @ 12PM MT *Recording available for all participants. REGISTER NOW LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!!! ONLY THREE SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE IN THIS CLASS. You must have EXACT birth time to register for this class. This is not a jyotish basics class. Please have a basic understanding of your jyotish chart for this class. GET THE DETAILS AND REGISTER April begins with a poignant new Moon that also opens the nine day and night celebration of the Divine Feminine, Navaratri. This is an important time in the Vedic Calendar that acknowledges the awakening taking place in Nature. Shakti is increasing and the power of the Divine Mothers is enlivening. It is a turning point, a transition- ripe with potential and possibility. Use this time wisely to start creating, growing, and stretching yourself in new ways. The Divine Feminine is with you! The new Moon occurs early on Friday, April 5th at 02:51 am MT while Moon is transiting Pisces and Revati nakshatra. Moon is at the edge of the zodiac, asking you to find closure, release and create a finale with the last cycle. Attending to grief, loss and hidden emotions will be important at this time. Be willing to look at your shadow and lift the stones of illusion keeping you stuck in the darkenss. Doors are closing. Are you honoring the process of letting go properly? Are you making space for the new? At the same time immense potential is available. Be intentional with what you are creating. Revati nakshatra is the last constellation of the zodiac. Its ruling deity, Pushan, helps make travels prosperous and nourishing. He supports the path and allows receiving, abundance, and offers resources for greater support and guidance. As an Aditya, he is a provider of prosperity on the material plane of existence. He helps those that are lost find their purpose and he will redirect you towards your path. He is the shepherd that finds the lost sheep and brings them back to the herd. He protects and nourishes all paths and will help you find the hidden treasures on the journey. Honor his wisdom and acknowledge his support for your path. He especially likes to be fed easily digestible foods like porridge. Bring some to your altar and ask for his blessings during the new Moon. This new Moon is an opening- awakening the power of the Divine Feminine and the nourishment of Navaratri. As the new Moon arrives, Navaratri begins. This year spring Navaratri (for the Northern Hemisphere) begins April 5th and completes on April 13th with Ram Navami, the celebrated birth day of Lord Ram. The Navaratri celebration is an expression of what is taking place within Nature, through the Laws that govern Nature, marking an important transition within us and around us. Align with Nature and Her powerful energy of change and transformation during Navaratri. Ritualize your connections with Nature and the ancestors- in order to land more closely to your own inner wisdom, to Her wisdom. Strengthen your connection to self and Spirit. Navaratri is a poignant time in the Vedic Calendar. This ancient calendar is one that is dedicated to Nature and her cycles and rhythms, the planets, and most importantly the Moon. In the Vedic Calendar, time is connected to what Nature and the cosmos are doing as these elements are intimately related. The main Navaratri celebrations occur twice a year- in the "gap" seasons of spring and fall. These times are considered sandhi times; delicate times that feel like you are neither here, nor there. We might call it the netherworld. This time, though delicate, is considered sacred. Use this time to nurture the seeds of your creations and desires. Activate and align with your dharmic path. Take steps that move you closer to your nourishment and inner wisdom. Connect with your ancestors and Spirit in intimate ways. Think big and allow your transformation to take place. Where are you settling and resisting change? The Divine Mothers are supporting your growth and transformation process. Nature is awakening her wisdom- within you and your life. Are you allowing this change process to take place? Are you actively engaging and participating in this awakening process? Don't keep sleeping. It's time to wake up! Read More About the Sacred Celebration of Navaratri. April promises extremes as Jupiter makes his funky dance through Sagittarius. Most of April Jupiter transits Mula nakshatra, ruled by the goddess of Adharma. She is notorious for creating unnecessary chaos and uprooting. Jupiter conjuncts Saturn and Ketu in this process which causes even more extremes and even more restructuring. At the same time, we are still getting used to Ketu and Rahu in new signs. Our shadows have moved and we are seeing ourselves and others in very different ways. Read More Here Midway through the month, Sun begins a brand new cycle through the zodiac, arriving in his exaltation sign, Aries, on April 14th. Venus also exalts this month on the 15th, increasing the possibility of excess with water and indulgences. Stay on path and don't fall off. Keep goals in sight and actively move towards them. To top it all off, both Jupiter and Saturn retrograde, promising some powerful returns, stops and starts. There are highs and lows with this month and this is your reminder to stay as grounded as possible. Keep life extremely simple- even though temptations for over-indulgence and excess may be pressuring you otherwise. Gather the resources, support and guidance you need to weather the extremes. Creative Ritual During Navaratri, the veil between the Spirit world and the Material world is thin. This is a powerful time to access the wisdom of Nature and the gifts of the ancestors. Be intentional with how you use your time, energy and creativity in the coming sacred nine days and nights. Spend time with your ancestors and use ritual to support this connection. Stay close to your body, breath and inner wisdom. This is an important time to create your vision and transform it into reality. Use this sacred celebration to clear, release, purge and let go of grief, limiting beliefs, blockages and shadows that are keeping you stuck. It's time to lighten up the path and declare your purpose! Use these resources to align with your ancestors and strengthen your connection to Spirit. 1) Here are six ways to feed the ancestors and create a deeper relationship with them through ritual. 2) Use my Ancestor Podcast to deepen your relationship with the ancestors and Spirit. Discover their messages and the ways they are supporting you. I am on a mission to help sensitive souls connect with their inner truth and inner wisdom. To connect with purpose and dharma. We need you now more than ever!
Every week I offer two *free* dharma coaching sessions to action takers who are ready for deep life change. Is this you?! Book Your Session: Send me a message to see if I have any openings: swatijrjyotish@gmail.com The March Full Moon occurs on the 20th at 19:42 MDT while Moon transits Uttaraphalguni and sidereal Virgo. This Full Moon coincides with the Vedic fertility festival of Holi, enlivening vitality, life force energy and creativity. Uttaraphalguni is a constellation that correlates to the ancestors. It gives powerful, creative life force energy and resources that support and sustain lineage. Aryaman rules this portion of the sky, offering resources like love, marriage, family, children, and that which perpetuates the ancestral line. Life force energy is enlivened here, which brings to life ones desires and helps them arrive into manifest form. What seeds are you planting right now? Rahu and Ketu have now changed signs for the next 1.5 years, causing massive shifts in our karma. The Vedic celebration of Holi, often roughly coincides with the vernal equinox and the arrival of spring (for the Northern Hemisphere and fall for the Southern Hemisphere). The Equinox arrives on March 20th this year with Holi the next day. Holi is a Vedic fertility celebration which sparks immense creative life force energy. Potential, possibility and creative power are enlivening. Step into your Divine Feminine power! Ask your ancestors to guide you with the process of creating and manifesting your desires. "On the equinox, night and day are nearly the same length – 12 hours – all over the world. This is the reason it's called an “equinox”, derived from Latin, meaning “equal night.” However, in reality, equinoxes don't have exactly 12 hours of daylight. Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.4° in relation to the ecliptic plane, the imaginary plane created by the Earth's path around the Sun. On any other day of the year, either the Southern Hemisphere or the Northern Hemisphere tilts a little towards the Sun. But on the two equinoxes, the tilt of the Earth's axis is perpendicular to the Sun's rays." - Time and Date No matter the hemisphere you are in, both spring and fall are considered "sandhi" times of year- or in between seasons. These are sacred times, when the veil is thin and sensitivity is heightened. From an Ayurvedic perspective, we attend to necessary physical rituals that help the body cleanse and purify. Holi comes at this sacred junction and is a time to "plant seeds" so to speak. It is a celebration of fertility, abundance and the awakening of Shakti within Nature. The full enlivening of the Divine Feminine, is celebrated during Vasant Navaratri- the nine days of Mother Divine- which begins on April 4th this year. Consider Holi the "kick off" celebration. Use this time to plant your seeds of desire. Honor the sense of spring and possibility, hope and awakening. Deep transformation and turmoil are taking place with this full Moon and in the cycle to come. This waning cycle offers more focus and precision. A new clarity is emerging, but you must create it. Pull up the weeds crowding your vision and uproot the parts of yourself that are holding you back from greater empowerment. You may have confusion about your power and purpose, but use this time to create a clear path and remove the rubble. Let go of the parts of yourself that hinder you from stepping into your power more fully. Dream big! Allow yourself to expand what you think is possible for yourself. Where are you limiting yourself? What stories have you been telling yourself that keep you stuck and playing small? What is holding you back from full manifestation of your goals, dreams and desires? The mental body stories stuck on repeat in your unconscious mind, must be brought to the light, released and transformed- in order for you to step into a more powerful future. Cut, clear and delete the stories that are keeping you from powerful action steps. Gains come when you radically release the addiction to scarcity consciousness and lack. You deserve more nourishment. Clear away the parts of yourself that don't yet feel deserving or capable of greater power. How long has this painful story been on repeat? How long will you keep playing it? Use the cycle ahead to get radical, clear, focused and determined. Confront your goals head on. What is in your way of accomplishment and greater power? Uproot the old weeds in your mind and plant new seeds of life and nourishment. Get creative! Expand the possibilities you see for yourself- but keep it simple. There is something within you that needs to be healed and released so you are free to move forward. Pay attention to your heart wisdom for insights. Creative Ritual My Creative Rituals are intended to support your transformation and healing process in the cycle to come. Each ritual is in alignment with the cosmic tides- in order to help you adjust, shift and move more fluidly in balance with Nature's rhythms. Recycle this ritual more than once for added benefits. Similar to exalted planets in that they are "full" and can't be "added to", a Full Moon (or Purnima) means that it is full to capacity, there is no more room for it to expand and grow; it is complete. In this way, we can interpret the Full Moon as a "New Moon" in that it marks the beginning of a new cycle of emptying itself and refilling itself (mirroring our internal process). Beginning a lunar month at the Purnima is called Suklanta and differs from starting the count from the New Moon (Amavasya) which is the point when the Moon is empty and is waiting to be filled by the Sun. Purnima is in the middle of the Lakshmi phase of the Moon cycle whereas Amavasya is the moment during the cycle where Kali and Durga meet. Clearly, the energy is quite different; mirrored in our internal experience as well. These different methods of starting the lunar calendar remind me of the saying "is your glass half empty or half full?!" When do we start our "New Moon" calendar and begin our new lunar month? When we are full and satisfied or when we are empty and needing to be nourished? It is with this question in mind that I came up with this week's Creative Engagement Activity. Read more about the importance of the Moon. Often for a New Moon or a Full Moon, I like to work with the image of a mandala. Mandalas help us to create and express fullness, to fill empty space, to work with what is. Mandalas are a container, filled, with our visions, creativity and desire- much like a metaphor for life. 1) With this idea of "creating within a container" as well as half the image of full/empty, I invite you to draw two large circle shapes on a piece of paper. Cover up one of the circles with a sheet of paper while you create within the other. 2) The theme for this first circle is "being filled". Fill in the first circle with what you desire for the cycle to come. What do you want to be filled with? 3) When you feel complete with the first circle, look at both circles on your paper. One is "full" and one is "empty". What thoughts come to you? What feelings? Then answer these statements under your first circle: I am, I want, I need 4) Next, begin working on the second circle. The theme for this circle is "being emptied". What are you releasing and letting go of as you move into the cycle to come? 5) When you feel complete, write a few notes down. What do you notice as you look at the entire piece? What thoughts come to you? What feelings? Then answer these statements under your first circle: I am, I want, I need 6) Finally, harvest your thoughts on this process. Circle ten words that leap out at you from the writing you've done. Form these words into a three to five line poem. (Adding extra words is ok). Share your poem below! * Extra credit for dancing (embodying) your images and poem at some point this week. Ask for the help you need- in order to truly transform your life!
I help sensitive, gifted women deepen their self trust and awaken their dharmic wisdom, so they can shine brightly in this world. Together, I believe we can transform this planet. Every week I offer two free dharma coaching sessions to women who are ready to strengthen their path and become the leaders of their life. Is this you? Email me to book your session: swatijrjyotish@gmail.com Deepen your connection to the ancestors and Spirit! In this class you will: - Learn how to connect with your ancestors and what that means. - Ways to feed the ancestors and build a relationship with them (even if you don't feel connected to them at all). - Places in the jyotish chart to understand your ancestral connection. - Important ancestral wisdom to support your healing journey. - Ritual and practices to support your ancestral connection. - A Creative Ritual for opening to the new cycle ahead! Please come with a willingness to learn, a desire to build a relationship with your ancestors, as well as your jyotish chart and art supplies! Ancestor Class Replay I help sensitive women connect to their inner truth and inner wisdom, so they can fully align with their soul purpose and dharma. Every week I offer a limited number of *free* dharma mentoring sessions for action takers who are ready for deep life change. Is this you?! Send me a message to see if I have any openings: swatijrjyotish@gmail.com One of the biggest questions I hear from my clients is: How do I connect with the ancestors? This is especially valuable during times of grief and loss, but the ancestors are also vital for the dharmic path. Most people are unaware of the support that Spirit and the ancestors can offer during life challenges and for life path clarity. We often forget that the well ancestors are here to help us and guide us. When a loved one transitions to Spirit, they are available to support us in ways that were not possible when they were in human form. So often though, we attach our human experiences to our relationships with our ancestors. Because of resentments, challenges, the hard parts of that relationship dynamic, we may resist connecting with this person even when they move to the Spirit world. It's an important part of the grief journey in fact- to identify and honor the human feelings, while also making space for something new to arrive. In this process of releasing undigested emotions, a new possible relationship can form with Spirit. Resisting and avoiding these undigested emotions that are an inevitable part of the relationship, will keep you from being able to connect with the ancestors. This is the main reason why so many people do not feel connected to their ancestors at all. The resistance or avoidance to the grief, challenging emotions, painful memories, wounds and lineage traumas, can result in a severing and avoidance of the ancestral connection. This is a powerful reason to attend to your grief diligently and to use it as a resource for healing. When we honor our emotional body- all of it- we also honor our humanity. Clearing, releasing and attending to the feelings, emotions and grief that come with the territory of relationships, also helps create space for the new. If the body is clogged with undigested grief and emotions, then there will literally be no space for something else to arrive. Releasing the grief allows new life to flow, as well as greater resiliency to arrive. Clearing grief from the bodies, allows space for Spirit to arrive, and also supports the possibility of building a relationship with the ancestors. When we lose the connection with our ancestors, we also lose the thread of dharma, legacy and the powerful resources that create the fabric of the family line. Remember that the human relationship with your ancestors is not the whole story. We must attend to the human parts, while also holding space for Spirit. Once a loved one merges with Spirit, they can become an ally, a support- in ways that weren't possible when they were in human form. There is in fact an opportunity to create a new relationship with them after they drop the confines of the body container. Connecting with the ancestors allows us to build a new relationship with those in Spirit- even if we had a challenging relationship with them while they were a human, or even if we had no connection with them at all. Your willingness to be honest with your feelings, grief, emotions and personal mythology, is a gateway to clearing, healing and releasing the wounds, trauma and challenges that are hidden in your lineage. The ancestors are not living and therefor can not change, transform or evolve- not without your help. You are the thread that helps them move forward. You are the living being that can help the lineage change, transform and grow. Your healing journey and dharmic path are crucial to the transformation of your ancestors and family line. If you choose to not do your dharmic work, to resist your life purpose and the healing necessary for that to take form, it will seriously impact the lineage and the growth of the ancestors. Dharma is the most powerful way to honor the ancestors. From a Vedic perspective, there is nothing higher than dharma. In fact, that is the only reason you incarnated into a human body. Yet most people who arrive in a human body never fully align with their life path or life purpose in their life time. Sadly, the obstacles, fears, illusions and obstructions to the path keep most people from fully embracing their dharma. Unfortunately this resistance to dharma negatively impacts the ancestors as well. Adharma, that which is against dharma, perpetuates ignorance and suffering. The healing, growth and vitality of the family lineage decays when dharma is lost. Generations of undigested emotions, unprocessed grief and trauma, has resulted in the loss of dharma globally. These days it is very challenging to align with ones dharma. My definition of dharma is one that requires reciprocity. By awakening and sharing your gifts, wisdom and purpose with the world, you are healing yourself, your lineage and others in the process. This requires great diligence and self reflection. It is not a path that everyone chooses to take, or even realizes is available to them. The connection to the ancestors is also weakened when adharma sets in. As is the path of healing necessary to awaken one's gifts, purpose and the wisdom within one's lineage. Remember that it is also the time of Kali Yuga in the Vedic Calendar. This is a time of great decay and chaos. Dharma is almost non-existent. Finding one's path is a miraculous feat. However, it is said, that if and when you are able to align with your dharma, you will have an easier time becoming fully awakened and enlightened. Dharma and awakening go hand in hand. Building a relationship with the ancestors is vital for healing and transformation. A relationship with the ancestors is also extremely important for strengthening one's dharmic path. The ancestors are here, ready for you to ask them for support, resources and guidance. They truly want a relationship with you. The ancestors can come in many forms, through multiple experiences, and arrive in a variety of ways. Sometimes you will feel their presence, other times they will arrive through imagery. Often my mother and father send message to me through owl and hawk medicine. You will come to realize their messages the more you invite it into your life. Remember that Nature might also share ancestral wisdom with you. A message from the ancestors could arrive through the physical, mental, emotional or spiritual bodies. Listen carefully. There are well ancestors and unwell ancestors. Guides and helping spirits. Animal guides and Nature spirits. The ancestral pool of all ancestors, as well as your personal lineage. There are helpful ancestors and mischievous ones. We want to be clear about what ancestors we are choosing to connect with. It is also important to let them know what is acceptable to you and what is not. I remember one of my teachers sharing a powerful reminder about setting boundaries and intentions with the ancestors. Dagara elder, Sobonfu Some, said that she would often yell and curse at her ancestors, then starve them for days if she was angry at them. Don't forget that you are in charge of the relationship! Let them know how you feel- whether it's anger, rage, sadness, grief, joy or gratitude. Your emotions are like food to them. They eat it, compost it, return it to pure energy. Your job is to acknowledge it and release it. Keep your emotional body moving, flowing and dancing like a river. Building a relationship with the ancestors is like any other relationship. It requires diligence, consistency, presence, and willingness. In order to strengthen the connection to your ancestors, you must be willing to feed them regularly. I suggest feeding them daily and creating rituals to support this process. Here are six ways to feed your ancestors and strengthen the connection you have with them: 1) Create an altar or shrine dedicated to the ancestors. Create this altar facing east if possible (so you are facing east when you look at it). East is the direction of the dawn and the intention is to bring light to your self and your lineage. Gather items that remind you of your ancestors to place on the shrine. Statues, photos, mementos, offerings from Nature, etc. Place something living on the altar- like a plant. A bowl of spring water (preferably) and sea salt can help clear blockages within the emotional body. Refresh this water regularly and never let it stagnate. Bring offerings to your altar consistently and thank the ancestors for their wisdom. Light a candle, burn palo santo and invoke your intention to connect with the ancestors regularly. Remember to keep this altar clean. Do not create this altar in your bedroom, bathroom or kitchen. Find a common living space or create it outdoors. 2) Bring offerings of food. Cooking and feeding the ancestors a portion of your meals is one of the most precious ways I like to connect with my ancestors. This is a powerful symbol of gratitude, honoring and literally connecting with your ancestors through the quality of life force. As you cook your meals each day, put a small amount of your food in a bowl and place it on your altar. Let your ancestors know why you are feeding them- what you are grateful for and what needs you have. Do not let this food sit longer than 24 hours. Once the ancestors have been sufficiently fed, compost the food, let it return to Nature, or feed it to an animal companion. You can also eat the food yourself as a way to imbibe the spirit of the ancestors. 3) Grief Rituals. Attending to your grief is one of the most important parts of building a relationship with the ancestors. Your emotions are like food for them. They receive your grief and eat it like food. They are hungry for your grief, craving it even. Your ability to touch your pain, struggles, suffering and unprocessed emotions, can be supported significantly by the ancestors. They are truly here to support you in this process. Regular grieving is necessary for maintaining health and balance within your entire body. Unprocessed emotions collect within the body and need to be purged regularly in order to create space for life, joy and abundance. Creating a practice of attending to your grief not only allows you to feed the ancestors, but also to release and purge that which is stagnant in your body. If you are able to participate in structured grief rituals multiple times a year, this is ideal. Think of it like a seasonal grief cleanse! 4) Create rituals in your life. Rituals are like spiritual containers. They provide a sacred structure for touching the unseen, the hidden, the realms beyond the mundane. Ritual reminds us there is more to life beyond this veil of illusion. Rituals can be simple or extravagant. I'm suggesting simple, consistent rituals that help you touch into Spirit regularly. Creating daily touch stones to help you connect, is a helpful part of building a relationship with the ancestors. The simplest form of this is to simply make it a daily practice to pause and check, listen and notice. To not only bring presence to Spirit, but also your entire body- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Pause, check, notice and breathe. What is arriving? Where are you feeling connected? Disconnected? Can you feel a connection to Spirit? Or do you feel disconnected? What messages are arriving? 5) Spend time in nature. Remember that Nature is Spirit and Spirit is Nature. They are one and the same. When we spend sufficient time in Nature, we are more easily able to merge with Her wisdom. We align with the oneness that is inherent within all of us, and surrounding us. Nature can bring a sense of awe, and remind us how powerful Spirit truly is. Spend time with Nature daily if possible. Set an intention to use this as your time to connect with the ancestors. The ancestors live in rock, tree, sky, earth, animal and on and on. Notice what messages Spirit can share with you about your truth, purpose, and ancestral wisdom. Ask for messages and listen carefully for the answers. 6) Awaken your dharma. Your life path and purpose is the ultimate way to feed the ancestors. There is no greater gift to your lineage and to those who have come before you. As you align with your truth and inner wisdom, as you awaken and share your gifts with the world, you bless your lineage in the process. You and the ancestors are both blessed with the gifts and abundance of this journey. Dharma requires that you are willing to lean into your challenges, grief, pain, struggles and suffering. It implies that you are willing to transform, heal and grow as a result of honestly and courageously leaning closer to your shadow. Dharma is not a passive journey, and it is not for the faint of heart. However, the rewards go beyond this life time, beyond this earthly realm. Living your purpose, sharing your gifts in this world and helping others heal and awaken in the process, is the most powerful offering you could ever offer your lineage! Remember that your ancestors are always near. They are waiting anxiously for you to acknowledge them, to welcome them into your life. Allow yourself to be willing to receive their message- in all shapes and forms. Be curious and present in the ways they show up. Even if no messages arrive, keep showing up anyway. Eventually, the space you are creating for them to arrive will pay off. Above all, attend to your grief and lean into your healing journey. Aligning with your dharma is the most important reason for being alive in a human body. Ask your ancestors to guide you and support you in this process. Deepen your connection to the ancestors! In this class you will: - Learn how to connect with your ancestors and what that means. - Ways to feed the ancestors and build a relationship with them (even if you don't feel connected to them at all). - Places in the jyotish chart to understand your ancestral connection. - Important ancestral wisdom to support your healing journey. - Ritual and practices to support your ancestral connection. Please come with a willingness to learn, a desire to build a relationship with your ancestors and Spirit, as well as your jyotish chart! Listen to The Class Replay NOW I am on a mission to help sensitive souls connect with their inner truth and inner wisdom. To connect with purpose and dharma. We need you now more than ever! Every week I offer two *free* dharma coaching sessions to action takers who are ready for deep life change. Is this you?! Book Your Session: Send me a message to see if I have any openings: swatijrjyotish@gmail.com |
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