WELCOME New Moon in Sagittarius!! + Meditation 12/12 @12:12

With the end of 2015 comes a crazy mix of emotions and energy: the cold drives us indoors, gives us the feeling we should be hibernating, sleeping and eating, storing up our energy and assets; the holidays send us out into shops, out into the company of other beings to spend money and skyrocket our stress levels. 

If we’re being honest, few of us are sure what in the Universe we are supposed to be feeling at this time of year. It’s supposed to be cosy and heartfelt, filled with family love and affection, right? Then why are we all so stressed and frazzled? We can literally feel the energy the air, the palpable sizzle of raised nerves and anxiety. 

This isn’t just the electricity from all of the Christmas lights around. The Moon’s cycles bring about different energy and lessons for us all. 

Thank goodness we finally moved out of our last Moon cycle (did anyone else feel the insanity peak on the Full Moon last month? I sure did!), but in the end, November’s Moon taught me so much! It really dredged up the energy I couldn’t recognize before. 

In true Walks Tall Woman form, I was taking on WAY too much. I never seemed to have true time for myself, or for my relationship, and honestly, everything i cared about was kind of just getting half-assed.

Instead of scaling back, I bumped my vegan dessert deliveries to twice a week instead of just once and took on another coffeeshop. I was waitressing at one restaurant and trying to help another open. Trying to make youtube videos when I could. And exercising 5-6 times a week. 

What happened? I got sick. I NEVER get sick. I made my morning delivery, then was bed bound for the rest of the day. This of course threw off my workout schedule and frustrated me even more. 

In this, though, my mother came and visited me and so did my best friend of going on 14 years. They came and laid on my sick bed, discussed feminine power, and read tarot.

This sickness also made me SLOW DOWN. And that is Mountain Lion’s medicine for Walks Tall Woman. 

Like, “Look lady, I know you’re awesome, I know you can keep up with the men. But please, chill out, turn inward and spend time with Goddess and the beautiful women around you! Remember, Walks Tall Woman created the Red Tent so that women can join together at such times and share their wisdom with one another."

When I recovered from my sickness a few days later, I chose to take more time off of work and go out of town with my mother and sisters. We cast spells and I had some awesome tarot readings (more on these later). I was able to retreat inward more than I had taken the time to earlier in the month and it was so worth it. 

I’m so grateful for the time I was able to take to spend with my mother and sisters, in the Butterfly Goddess Lodge circle, and with my best friend this month. 

I’m still trying to get everything back where I want it (have you noticed my lack of youtube posts in the last few weeks?) but give me a break - we just left that Moon cycle! 

Let us give thanks for our recent New Moon in Sagittarius! Let us give thanks to this month’s Moon Goddess, Gives Praise. This month is the best time to remember that whatever comes, good or bad, it is the time to be grateful! Giving thanks is a tool, this time of year tends to bring either a lot of mess or a lot of abundance, and mostly we get to choose what outcome we see. 

The New Moon opened yesterday at 4:29 am CT (10:29 am Universal Time), but we can usually harness the Moon’s energy up to two days before and after. Plus, it’s the 12th day of the 12th month - a super awesome time to work magick.

So, speak your intentions out loud today! And as it is 12/12, find some time for yourself at 12 noon today. Sit down with yourself and meditate for 12 minutes from noon until 12:12 and ask the Universe for ANYTHING you want. Asking never hurts! Say what you want for yourself this month out loud and remember: May It Be So! 

I’ll start you off by sharing my own intentions for this moon cycle.

Intentions: 

I will speak my Truth.

I will honor myself above all else.

I will put my energy into that which I love and which brings me true Joy.

I love every one of you Gods and Goddesses, make some magick today!!

Love,

Lace

a little bit of vulnerability

I have been so afraid to write about my beliefs, how important family and love and my spiritual practices are. I have been afraid to be vulnerable. 

Even when I think I've learned it all: how to communicate effectively, how to soften myself to others, how to stand up for myself, I am proven so wrong. 

I am afraid to love still. I am afraid to pull down all of my walls.

I am afraid to open myself up to Creator. I am afraid to open myself up to myself. To the power of the Universe. 

I am afraid to share what Creator, my Self, and Earth has taught me. What Goddess has taught me. 

God has taught me a lot, too. But I have had a tumultuous relationships with him. 

I don't want to be afraid anymore. I want to trust my own power, my own peace and ability to manifest everything I want and need. 

I want this blog to be a safe place for me to do that. So I am manifesting it to be so.

This is a place to discuss our relationships with our Gods and Goddesses, with magick, with other human beings. This is a place of love.

And that is it. 

Tuesday Morning Rambles

Every Tuesday morning I go for a walk around my neighborhood. It has become a wonderful weekly ritual and one I look forward to every Tuesday.

A few weeks ago on my walk, I came across a little path that led behind a few houses. It was a walking path that winds through one of the little neighborhoods. If one crosses a little bridge off the path, they will find this field, tucked away among the townhouses and a power plant.

Something about it called me in.
I found a little path among what I think are dried soybeans, and spent time in prayer, grounding myself there that morning.

Since then, I decided to come back every week.
The next week I went back, I was finishing up my grounding and a man and his dog were passing by on the path behind me.
He asked if I lived in the area and told me that if I crossed the bridge as I had been and went a little further down the path toward the energy plant, I would find myself in another field. If I gazed into the forest on the lefthand side, I might glimpse a little structure among the trees.

As one solitary type to another, he encouraged I check out the structure for myself; I might take some amazing photos there as the sun came up.

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The next week, I took the man's advice and found myself in a new field.

The sun was a bit dodgy, but I managed to snap this photo. I love the way the light plays across the field.

I walked slowly along, not wanting to miss what I was looking for (especially since I wasn't exactly sure what that was).

Then I saw it.

It looked like a ramshackle little tree house, hand-built and across a little stream.

I did attempt to cross the stream on a fallen tree trunk...but let's skip that part. I got a little scared and ended up finding a shallow bit to pick my way across instead. ;)

Once I got across, I was greeted by a strange and somewhat eerie feeling. Like this place was built to host hushed conversations and intimate moments between friends.

There were two little computer chairs sitting out front. I passed them by and crossed under the supporting branch to climb up into the little treehouse.

There was something so conflicted and adolescent about the place. It made me a little sad that I didn't have this sort of a place when I was younger.

But it also got me to thinking that I can surely have a Safe Haven now. It is something I know everyone searches for, that I've been searching for for years and years.

I can manifest that Safe Haven for myself. I can manifest it through deep breathing, through yoga, through meditation, through time in nature and time spent with Creator.

I can manifest a Safe Haven through healthy relationships, through spending time with those who encourage positivity and productivity, through time spent in uplifting atmospheres and doing what I love.

How amazing is that?? 

But I can also go back to this ramshackle little tree house and clean it up a bit. Get it back to being a bit cleaner so that anyone who might know of it can carry some peace in knowing that it is there for them. 

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I know how important a Safe Haven is and I hope this blog can be a little bit of one for me. For anyone reading this.

A Long Time Coming...

Happy Fall Friday to All!

I realize I fell off the blogwagon this year. 2015 has been an interesting year so far and one not exactly rife with free time. (Or perhaps too rife with Netflix...?)

That being said, there is really something about this time of year that calls me home to what it is I truly want to do: What I WANT to do!

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I graduated university in May of this year, 2015. I have a diploma in hand (well, okay, not really. I haven't picked it up yet...) and I'm an unreal amount of money in debt.

It does indeed feel good to have accomplished something I've worked so hard at doing. But don't let anyone deceive you - just because you have donned a cap and gown and walked across a stage, I would venture to guess that you won't feel any more "whole".

I'm not trying to be defeatist! Honestly. Like, I said, I've been in college for a long time and it feels so good to be finished, to have a accomplished a goal!

But. As much as I love being able to say I am an English major, and as much as I actually did enjoy my classes and love some of my professors, I am interested in a vast array of other things! I think you all know this and can understand!

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So, go with me on a story, please! 

I love being vegan and I never regret my decision. 

However, occasionally I find myself out and cannot find anything to snack on! I especially love coffeeshops and Lawrence has a ton of really cool, locally owned places. The coffee beans are almost always locally roasted and there is always a tasty treat in the case that melds amazingly with your chosen latte. 

The thing that really sucked when I went vegan though, is that I could never find a snack to go with my coffee!  

One day I thought - wait, I love to bake. Why the heck am I not making and selling my own vegan tasties?? 

So, after knocking the idea around a bit, I did it. 

That's right. I printed up little price lists of my favorite baked goodies and took them to various coffee shops around town.

In some I found I faced a lot of ego, in some I found disorganized interest (this is the most prevalent).

In one, I managed to find a good partner who is working with me and doing a fabulous job at selling my, MY, desserts! (It's still crazy to say that!!)

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So, the moral of the story is, DO IT. 

Whatever it is that you feel in your heart is something you want to try, go for it! 

It doesn't have to last forever, it just has to be something that you feel you would really enjoy.

Another note: if at first you don't succeed, try try again! 

Every fun new foundation that you lay doesn't have to lead to a cathedral. All that matters is that you go for it! 

Please let me know if there is something you've been dying to try but have been too afraid to. 

Or have you made the move recently to try something new?

Divorce & the Holidays

I had originally wanted to make a YouTube video about this, but I feel that the things I want to say are difficult to articulate verbally. Sometimes it's better to take the time to really hash things out by written word.

It's coming up on Christmas time. There are lights everywhere, cute storefronts, and people bustling around in their cold weather gear.
Christmastime is seen as a cozy time of year. It's time for hot chocolate, classic cartoons, and snuggling up with the people you love. Namely, your family.

I grew up in a Christian home, the oldest of four children. My father and mother got married in a church, raised their children in a church, and goodness knows we went to church every Sunday.
(I only mention the religious aspect of my life because I feel like there is a relevancy between the expectations of a religion and how that family is run.)

Every Christmas truly was a magical time. It was the time of year to celebrate the birth of a Savior, the closeness of a family, and to look forward to a new year together.

I have some beautiful memories of this time of year.
Every Christmas, my mom would buy us pajamas. We were allowed to open one of the gifts from under the tree on Christmas Eve and the pajamas were always that gift. It's funny, me and my siblings even knew that every year we would be opening up new sleepwear on the Eve, yet it was just as exciting as if it were a real surprise.

There were some Christmases when I was little that we were very poor and our gifts were humble, but I realize now that my parents must've really gone out of their way to put those things under the tree for me and my brother and sisters.
When I got into high school, my parents both had administrative jobs that paid well, and we were able to move into a bigger house out in the country. Prior to moving there, my family had moved house every few years. This house actually became a home for all of us and it's where I associate my most wonderful memories.

I remember one particular Christmas Eve in high school when, dressed in our new pajamas, blankets were laid out on the living room floor and my whole family snuggled up together in one big nest to watch Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. (The old stop motion version, which I must say is the best!)

Four years ago, things changed.

I was away at college and my parents weren't getting on as well as they had been before.
Or at least as well as I always thought they had been. The more I think about it, the more I think there were things I just hadn't seen.

Within the next year, my mom had divorced my dad and converted to Islam. I moved to Seattle in attempts to get away from all of it and to hopefully pursue some dreams of my own.

Living away from my siblings during that time proved difficult for me, though. My brother was 16, and my sisters 14 and 11. I knew they didn't have anyone to talk to about what they were going through, and they couldn't just pick up and move halfway across the country like I did.
So I moved home that year right before Christmas.

I don't remember the holidays very well that year. I think it was jumbled and my dad was very sad.
I didn't know how to handle seeing my father that sad; I don't think any kid knows how to handle things like that.
I only remember that my birthday was a bit wild (it falls on the 22 of December) and I felt jumbled inside.

Luckily, things have evened out since then, if even just a small amount.
One year we spent Christmas with my mom, and she doesn't celebrate Christmas. That was a bust.

The next year we spent the holiday with my father. He was in a new marriage and I think he was finally able to give a little more, whether it was physically or emotionally, than he had been able in the past.

This year, I'm not sure what will happen. I think my mother is starting to loosen the reins a little bit in that even though she may legally have my siblings on the Christmas holiday this year, she doesn't celebrate it. Therefore it would be a kind thing for her to allow my dad to spend that time with us.
My father is also no longer in the marriage he was in last year, his parents moved out of state, and I think it important for us to be with him on a day meant for families.

My point in writing this post is not to sob to you all. The point is, that I realize there are plenty of kids and young adults, like myself, that have divorced parents. That divorce may be fresh or you may have had two sets of parents since you were 5 years old. I don't really think the time passed makes the holiday season any easier.
I think the best thing to do is make the most out of the time you have with both sets of parents.

So, here are my tips for having Happy Holidays with divorced parents:

1) Make new traditions. This year, I suggested to my dad that we make some new traditions that involve just him and my brother and sisters. Perhaps that will involve a cookie eating contest, or making up silly Christmas carols, or vlogging a holiday game night! Gift giving is just a small part of the holidays. Memories last forever!

2) Keep it in the family. Things are complicated enough with the family you do have! If you can, suggest that you keep Christmas day festivities within your immediate family. However, if you have grandparents and cousins around, it can be a lot of fun to get all together! Keeping a day set aside for just family can be a real refresher during the holiday season.

3) Bond over shared interests. This is where I'll bring religion back in. Even if my whole family doesn't share the same religious beliefs, there are a lot of families that do! And for the non-religious, sometimes a quiet, reflective Christmas Eve service can be soothing. If even only for the unity and peace observed there.

4) Share love. I know it can be so difficult to feel loving and peaceful when it feels like everything has fallen apart. I encourage you to try and feel it anyway. Feel it and express it to your family. Remember all that everyone has done for you, and you for them, and how you always have each others' backs.

I want to send out my love to you all during this Holiday season. Please leave me a comment below if you have more suggestions for connecting with family during this time, and what you do to spend time with both of your parents.

Happy Holidays & Much Love

Lacey

LUSH GIVEAWAY + November Vegan Favorites!

Boxes and Boxes: Julep Maven & Vegan Cuts Beauty Boxes!

I signed up for some beauty boxes!

I won't lie, I've had my eye on both of these boxes for a long time. I mean, come on, what girl wouldn't love to get new surprise beauty products in the mail every month? You can finally have Christmas in July!

Besides the excitement of having a secret package left on my doorstep every month, both of these companies send awesome, high quality products. It was finally time for me to make my subscriptions!

First, I chose to subscribe to Vegan Cuts. They're a great website with all things vegan, sort of a massive department store of all the best vegan products. You can purchase food, clothing, makeup, bath products, and even jewelry on this website! If you need a gift for anyone, they've got you covered. This holiday season they have compiled several stocking sets like the Spa Lovers Set for your best friend, Holiday Grooming Box for that man in your life, and the Leaping Bunny Stocking with a host of various items for the new vegan cousin you've just converted. ;)

Vegan Cuts also curates boxes for those on their monthly subscription list. I did have a hard time deciding whether I wanted to get a box of snacks every month (!!!) or some beauty products. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making my own snacks already so I decided to go with the Vegan Cuts Beauty Box!

Best decision ever.

November's box came with all sorts of cold weather goodies:
-Demes Butter Me UP in mint
-EVOLVh UltraShine Moisture Shampoo
-LaMav Antioxidant Rich Nightly Repair Nectar
-The All Natural Face Diva Stix Black Kohl Eyeliner

-Mullein & Sparrow Tinted Lip and Cheek Balm
-Shorganics Orange Spice Bar Soap

I particularly love the Butter Me UP mint stick by Demes. I can use it on my hands and my lips and I really enjoy the sustainable cardboard packaging. The lip and cheek tint is my other fave. It's nice berry color is sheer but so buildable!

For more info and to purchase a subbie to the Vegan Cuts Beauty (or Snack) Box, click here!


Okay. now we talk about the Julep box. I seriously am going to LOVE getting this box in the mail every month!
One of the really neat things about Julep is that you get to take a little quiz when you sign up to determine your "style profile". You may be matched with: Bombshell, Boho Glam, It Girl, Modern Beauty, and, my match, Classic with a Twist!
Each match entails whether you'll get two nail polishes and one full size beauty product, three nail polishes, or two full size beauty products in your monthly package. I'm personally looking forward to getting two new nail colors and a full size beauty product every month!

The MOST amazing thing about Julep? Their nail polishes are 5-free, vegan, and feature Oxygen Technology to keep your nails breathing under all that glam color! I don't know about you, but I hate taking off my polish and finding suffocated, yellow nails beneath. Gross.

I got one of their special Christmas boxes this month which included three nail colors and a full size eyeliner. I love every single product in this box. The gel eyeliner is very high quality and goes on like a dream. All of the polishes have a nice thick formula; two coats is all you need, maximum!

The nail polishes are from the Bombshell palette and feature the colors:
-Nancy (fir tree green with loads of silver shimmer)
-Fazia (rich red shimmer)
-Margarita (opaque purple)
+ Julep Gel Eye Glider in Rich Brown

Oh yeah, and you can get your first month free just by signing up! But even at full price, this box is totally worth it!

Go ahead and take your quiz now!!

Remember, both companies are vegan-friendly and cruelty-free to the max!

I'm going to go and paint my nails now...