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January Tarotscopes

12/28/2014

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The tarotscopes post I wrote a few months ago was a hit, so I've decided to make it a monthly thing. For this reading I used the Gaian tarot deck. Read on to find out what's in store for January.

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aries - seven of water

Like the cups, bowls, and vases in front of the man, you have many options in front of you. It's time to say yes to one dream. Make your choice, then drink deeply from that cup. Let yourself be filled.
Affirmation: I open my whole heart to my dream.

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taurus - child of earth

Now's the time to connect to your body and the natural world. Like a child full of wonder, observe the changes around you, the seasons, the moon, how everything flows. It's the perfect time to start an exercise and healthy eating program. Maybe you could grow your own food! Listen to what your body needs, whether it's movement or nourishment, and let yourself be healed.
Affirmation: By connecting to my body and the natural world, I find my center.

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gemini - three of air

Take on the role of the writer to document your thoughts and feelings. What's running through your mind? What memories are replaying themselves? Whether your emotions are positive or negative, write them down in a journal and use it as a tool for self-exploration.
Affirmation: Insights emerge as I document my thoughts and feelings as words.

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cancer - elder of water

The Elder of Water reminds you that giving is never wasted and that the world needs your gifts. Wake each day knowing that you can be of service in some way. Bring your dreams into the world, shine your light and help others through your works. And in the evening, before drifting off to sleep, give thanks for all that you've been given.
Affirmation: I seek out the wild and magical places that fill my heart with gratitude.

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leo - the tree (hanged man)

The theme of this card is letting go. Things may feel topsy turvy. Find your center, still your inner noise, and let things fall where they may. This is no time to try and control things. Allow the flow to move through you and receive gifts of enlightenment. 
Affirmation: I find serenity in surrendering my life to the Great Mystery.

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virgo - awakening (judgement)

This card calls you to open your heart to Spirit, to live in a more meaningful way, and to engage yourself in the community. "Think globally, act locally." Doing so will fill your heart with compassion and allow you to let go of past judgments. Listen to Spirit. What is it telling you? How can you be of service in the community?
Affirmation: I awaken to the call of the Spirit.

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libra - explorer of air

You're not satisfied with the status quo and long to find alternative ways of doing things. Your ability to learn quickly and solve problems will serve you well now. Climb to the top of the tree to get a new perspective and put your insights to good use.
Affirmation: I climb high in order to get perspective and take the long view.

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scorpio - the magician

You are a magic maker. Your charisma, energy, and creativity give you the power to manifest your desires. Creative energy flows through you now, so focus your intention and follow up with action. Now is the time to make things happen!
Affirmation: I have the power to manifest my desires.

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sagittarius - explorer of fire

Ignite your inner fire dancer and take courageous action. Now is the time to be bold, entertain, and dazzle. Seduce your wildest dreams, dance with your passions, take that risk.
Affirmation: I dare to be transformed by the flames of passion and creativity.

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capricorn - elder of earth

This card invites you to cultivate your relationship with nature, friends, family, and Spirit, for there are riches beyond measure within each of these. There is also great abundance within simplicity and living a lifestyle of self-sufficiency. Are you content with your place in the world and the reality you've created? Work diligently and spin the story you wish to live.
Affirmation: I spin a prosperous and abundant life for myself and those I love.

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aquarius - the seeker (the fool)

Adventure awaits you! You are starting a new journey - be open to wonderful surprises, twists, turns, and endless possibilities. Keep your heart open and your mind innocent. You might feel foolish, but some of the greatest people in history were considered fools. Hit the road and watch the magic unfold.
Affirmation: I make my life a walking prayer.

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pisces - the wheel (wheel of fortune)

Change is happening. One thing is passing away and another comes into being. Where are you on the wheel right now? What changes are taking place? If it all feels a bit chaotic, know that you're not alone; change is constant and is always part of a pattern. Be mindful of what is changing, center yourself, and trust the cycles of change.
Affirmation: In centering myself, I am blessed by the turning of the wheel.

P.S. Creating Your Magical Life starts January 4! 
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2014 Favorite Books List + Books to Read

12/16/2014

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2014 Favorite Books
I love books...
hardback, paperback, electronic, vintage, book store floors piled with dusty, old books.
And I love book lists and discovering new books and drooling over beautiful book covers. 

Last year I put together a list of my favorite books of 2013, so I thought I'd do the same for this year. Plus, I'm adding some books that have been on my to-read list forever and that I plan on actually reading in the new year. Yay for books!

fiction - The Paying guests

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Finally, FINALLY Sarah Waters published a new novel and it's just as amazing as all the rest. I can't blame her for taking so long though because so much research goes into writing these books. If you love historical fiction + lesbian romance, then you'll love The Paying Guests. 
It is 1922, in a genteel house in a genteel neighborhood just outside of London. Here, the widowed Mrs. Wray and her 26-year-old daughter, Frances, pass each day very much like the day before—with Frances busying herself with household chores, maybe a bit of needlepoint, and her mother nibbling on a lunch of cauliflower cheese while making notes for the parish newsletter. In less skilled hands, such prolonged stage-setting would test even the most patient reader. But in Waters’, it’s mesmerizing, with every small but evocative detail serving to transport you further into this place and time. Take a deep breath as you’re reading, because as soon as you are you lulled into the calm cadence of these lives, the Wray’s tenants—the 'paying guests' they have taken in to help with the bills—turn everything topsy-turvy, and by the novel’s conclusion, you have gone from straight-up period piece, to love story, to edge-of-your-seat crime thriller (and not the American kind “with a plot full of holes” that the Wrays suffer through on picture-house Wednesdays). For a story set just after WWI, some of the themes Waters touches on are surprisingly contemporary. History does repeat itself sometimes, and so it goes for Sarah Waters, with yet another masterful novel.

business - the renegade writer

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One can never learn too much about the freelance writing business, especially when the tips and advice come from seasoned professionals who like doing things their own way. Forget the outdated freelance writing books that still talk about SASEs and letterhead. This is the future of freelancing.
Keep query letters to one page. Never call an editor. Face-to-face interviews take up too much time. According to sassy authors Formichelli and Burrell, such standard rules about freelance writing ought to be tossed in the wastebasket with last year's self-addressed-stamped-envelopes. So why do so many writers stick to the rules? 'Bugaboos abound because freelance writers work largely on their own,' the authors explain, and such isolation makes it hard to learn about better procedures and ideas. Their own guide aims to set freelance writers straight. Full of great tips and common sense, the book demystifies all the stages of getting a piece published, from 'Cranking up the Idea Factory' to 'Getting the Green.' Their overall advice: 'Timely ideas and professional attitude...will take you further than the so-called 'connections' lesser writers gnash their teeth over.'

personal development - mind over medicine

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Confession: I'm a hypochondriac. What this book taught me: I don't have to freak out, run to the medicine cabinet, or frantically search Web MD for what I'm dying from. Yes, there's a lot of power in modern medicine, but there's also a lot of power in our ability to heal ourselves. Shift your thoughts, change your body!
 In this elegant and exhaustively researched book Dr Lissa Rankin offers compelling evidence both that human beings are far more than an assemblage of chemicals and electrical signalling, and that that the mind is the very best drug there is. Prepare to open yourself to an entirely new paradigm of medicine, health and healing.

spirituality - polishing the mirror

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After reading this book (my first by Ram Dass) I couldn't get enough of this spiritual guru. All of his books are on my to-read list. I found myself nodding, saying yes, yes, and putting the book down just to soak in what I read. This book has served as another stepping stone to my ever-evolving faith. 
This collection of teachings by Ram Dass (Be Here Now), one of the United States' most famous spiritual seekers, is surprisingly fresh and accessible more than 40 years after the psychedelic psychologist first wrote about consciousness expansion through LSD. The anecdote-packed chapters cover many of the practices Ram Dass has used-devotional bhakti yoga, worldly karma yoga, daily practices like meditation and chanting-in his quest to become a more loving, compassionate being. He discusses serious issues with a frankness that opens up difficult topics, such as how he coped with a stroke that drastically changed his understanding of his role in the world. No longer did he feel special, 'under the protective umbrella of my guru,' he writes. Instead, he realized he was subject to the same, sometimes painful, process of aging and dying that everybody faces. His willingness to admit his own mistakes and turn them into lessons for personal growth is refreshing, and allows readers to see themselves in his story. The collection successfully straddles a fine line, providing both a broad overview for those new to Ram Dass's writings and an engaging recap for readers who have enjoyed his previous books.

on my to-read list:

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What are your favorite books of the year? What's on your to-read list?
Give me your juiciest book recommendations over here.
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42 Indoor Activities for Long, Winter Days

12/8/2014

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Indoor Activities for Long, Winter Days
photo credit: ChrisGoldNY via photopin cc
Seasons greetings from the Philippines!

We were told a week ago that super typhoon Ruby would be making her way towards our lovely town, and she did, but she wasn't so super. Phew! Monday came with buckets of rainfall, but that was about it. It's Tuesday morning and it's still raining, but we're thankful, as this part of the Philippines didn't get much rain this year. 

I've been puttering around the house, not doing much. Reading here and there. Napping. And blogging, now that the generator is running (power went out yesterday). So this is kind of like my "winter," hunkering down inside, trying to find things to do that sometimes don't require electricity. 

If you find yourself in the same boat - whether it's raining or snowing or just too darn cold to go outside - here are some ideas to keep you busy.
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1. Make a batch of delicious hot chocolate.
2. Play a board game or, if you're in the right company, Cards Against Humanity.
3. Reread your favorite book.
4. Start a new book.
5. Make your own dreamcatcher.
6. Bake cookies or these cinnamon roll mug cakes.
7. Take a bubble bath.
8. Complete a jigsaw puzzle.
9. Write handwritten letters to your friends.
10. Decorate a gingerbread house.
11. Nap.
12. Write a short story/poem/novel.
13. Redecorate/rearrange your home.
14. Cull through your closet to find things you no longer want and can donate.
15. Put together new outfit combos.
16. Make a fort out of pillows, blankets, and chairs.
17. Catch up on blog reading.
18. Make a summer dream board.
19. Do a mat workout.
20. Meditate.
21. Organize your files/loose tax documents/photos/junk drawer.
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22. Create an inspiration altar.
23. Find a new hobby. 
24. Have an indoor picnic.
25. Finger paint.
26. Cozy up next the fireplace and toast some s'mores.
27. Have a themed movie night.
28. Paint a selfie.
29. Work your noggin with brain games.
30. Memorize a poem.
31. Learn a language.
32. Do a bit of grownup coloring.
33. Give your dog a bath.
34. Give yourself a manicure.
35. Plan your most awesome year.
36. Look at cute pictures of animals.
37. Listen to music. Dancing is optional.
38. Look through old magazines.
39. If you have a blog, plan your editorial calendar for the coming month.
40. Journal.
41. Plan your dinner menu for the next week.
42. Make Christmas ornaments with stuff you already have around the house.
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    ​Hello! I'm Cassandra, an American ex-pat living in the Philippines, writer, ballerina, and lover of all things magickal. I blog about happiness, self-love, and magical dream-life living.
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