Ghosts of the Past

***This was taken from my Newsletter (with a few edits) that went out on the 31st of July 2016. After I sent it out a lot of peeps were like OMG YES so I thought it would be cool to share with y'all! If you wanna sign up for my newsletter and get stuff like this that I usually don't share on the blog right in your inbox every Sunday you can do that here.

So what's up with the energies out there right now? OMG.

Maybe it's not getting you, and if you're feeling totes high vibe right now that's awesome. You might just wanna click here and go find something else to read.

But for those of us who are going through some mega transition and change energy it's been a hard few weeks.

Some ghosts of my past have turned up lately and I've been like "OMG not you guys again, didn't I cord cut the bejeezus out of you guys in November? And last May? And like, all those other times? Why are you still heeeereeee?"

And the answer is simply that when we're shifting into something new just about everything old comes up as bit of a stocktake. 

Exes will contact you, you'll find yourself slipping into old versions of your thoughts and feelings, you'll want to listen to Alanis Morisette on repeat. This is a clear sign you are levelling up.

I used to think that every time old junk would turn up that I hadn't done the work. That I needed a salt bath and some karmic clearing. But there's only so much past clearing you can do, and sometimes when the ghosts from the past pop up it's for an assessment of the here and now and not a kick in the pants from the universe.

When you clear the past you are not wiping it away, watching it disappear as if it never existed in the first place, you are just letting go of it's hold on you.

Your exes are still out there somewhere and Jagged Little Pill isn't going to go up in a puff of smoke. Thank God right?

I think us spiritual peeps forget sometimes that while sage soap can clear your aura for sure, we don't have to forget and let go of everything that's made us who we are today. When the past pops up sometimes it's just so you remember where you've been, the incredible souls you've connected with (even if they are no longer in your life) and the journey you've had so far as you step up into this awesome new energy. 

Spending the weekend revisiting your high school diaries, stalking past crushes on Facebook and having a big old cry in the shower is not a sign that you're not doing the work. In fact, it may just be a really big sign that you're finally letting it speak, revisiting the lessons and the blessings and making space for you to be moving on. 

If you are really struggling to let go of the past check out the Unlived Life reading or whatever else you need over on the New Age Hipster Store.

With so much love and light,

Vix

x

July Faves x

Making favourites videos is super fun. I love sharing all the cool stuff I've been loving with you guys, but there's other stuff I want to share with you too, like who I've been following, videos and TV I've been loving and other fun randomness.

*DISCLAIMER* This is not in any way about being materialistic. I really don't want anyone to feel like they have to have stuff. It's not my intention here to make you want stuff. Also, a lot of the stuff at the end is free so keep scrolling if you don't wanna see my new smudge stick!

Crystals faves!

Tiger's Eye is like my favourite thing ever right now. I have some bracelets coming to the Etsy store soon! It's a super great stone for success and prosperity, but it's also gonna keep you grounded so you don't act like a knob while you're getting rich and famous.

Amethyst has been a crystal I've worked with forever but this month it's feeling extra powerful. I love my new Amethyst point necklace soooo much. Keep your eyes on the store. They are sold out currently but I'm sourcing more! 

Smudgy faves!

OK, what is this smudge stick? It's a dream, it's not like regular smudge, it's something different, like it has flowery bits on it. 

Sweetgrass is my new addiction. You're meant to sage out the negative and then use sweetgrass to call in the sweet and helpful spirits. It's sure been working for me! This stuff smells like a dream and has me feeling all yay!

This Sweetgrass and Patchouli candle has been coming with me to events this month and all readings have gone well because of it! :P

Deck faves!

The Linestrider Tarot is just blowing my mind. Seriously. Check out the unboxing I made of it here.

And then Seeds of Shakti Oracle is amazeballs. I made a deck review you can check out here.

Book faves!

Moonology by Yasmin Boland is so freaking good. Yasmin basically breaks down the whole working with the moon thing.

Dorothy Must Die is my new favourite YA series. Distopian Oz where Dorothy has turned evil and the protagonist is a chic with pink hair from a trailer park? YES.

Kindle! :O ZOMG! How did I ever live without this thing? I love books, #booksnifferforlife but being able to carry around a whole library in your handbag certainly has advantages!

Hair Faves!

So I just found out that Superdrug is certified by the leaping bunny! :D That means no bunnies are ever harmed in the making of anything Superdrug brand. I've been using their Pro Vitamin conditioner, it's also totally vegan! :O

Another fun hair fave is the Palmer's restoring conditioner. It doesn't hurt bunnies and it also smells like chocolate mint! :O

TV Faves!

OK, I can NOT get enough of Stranger Things. I mean, I could not. I finished the series in just a few days because it was so freaking good. Set in the 80's, kids controlling shit with their minds, and Winona Forever.

I've also been laughing my butt off at Bojack Horseman. I mean, he's a horse.

I caught the I am not your guru doco about Tony Robbins and it was AWESOMESAUCE. If you haven't seen it yet, make sure you do. Totally inspiring.

Following Faves!

Rob Bell came across my radar this month and I LOVE his vibe. He's a former church pastor who now spreads a big message of Love and Light through the teachings of Jesus. Amen preacher! #hellanddamnationfree

My gorgeous friend Naomi from Nandora has started doing weekly healing sessions over on her YouTube channel. you have to check these out!

Jenny Ford is a freaking legend. Step aerobics is like my current fitness obsession. If you have a step at home or you just want to work out with someone super fun and cute check her out! 

Lemme know if you enjoyed the faves this month, and let us know what you're loving too! :D

With love and light,

Vix

x

When spirit guides go quiet

Sometimes your spirit guides go quiet.

You're doing all the right things; meditation, journalling, sleeping (you know, in case they contact you in your sleep), but nada. Zip. 

You can start to feel like you've lost your magic, you've lost your team and that you're suddenly all alone in the world.

Well, you're not. But I know that doesn't really help when you feel like you are.

So here's some thoughts on what's going on and what you can when your guides go quiet.

Why do guides go quiet?

I did a reading recently for a beautiful soul who was wondering why her guides were quiet. It turned out a big reason her guides had gone quiet was because she was in a major transition in her life. Now you'd expect your guides to be louder than ever, leading you through, but was actually happening for her was that her guides were also in transition. Many of her old guides were transitioning into new roles, preparing to incarnate and moving on in their own journeys. Their work had been done and now it was time to train up some new guides who'd be the brand new energies to take her through the next chapter in her life. 

I think this is happening for many of us right now. We've come a long way, and some of the guides who have led us to where we are now have completed their tasks and are now onto bigger and better things. And so are you. 

Sometimes guides go quiet to let you work things out for yourself.

Many times when faced with a decision we call on our guidance and get really clear answers. Sometimes we don't, but it's not because they aren't helping you, it's because there's more for you to learn and more growth for you to do by working things out on your own at times. They still have your back and are there to catch you if you fall, but remember:

your spirit guides are just here to guide you, not to make all your decisions and live your life for you.

Sometimes it's not them it's you.

If you're struggling to hear your guides take a look at what you're doing to hear them. Are you making sure you have quiet time? Are you meditating and journalling? Are you actually calling on them and asking for help? So many times people are like OMG can't hear my guides, and I'm like, well are you asking them questions? And the person's face goes o_O 

I do it all the time. Honestly. I always forget to ask for help. I even had to put up a card on my wall to bloody well remind me to ask for answers and to ask for help. 

It's easier to get help and answers when you ask.

What you can do about it

When the guides you usually connect with go quiet it's a great opportunity to connect with someone else.

Whether it's calling on your Guardian Angel, The Fae, Jesus, Ganesha, the Goddess, or any other divine being or deity. It can be a great chance to connect with some energies you wouldn't have otherwise. 

Also it's a really great opportunity to connect with your own self. 

Working with spirit guides is very much about connecting with other beings to help you, but what if you looked within and started trusting your own self even more?

Perhaps that's the real reason spirit guides go quiet is because they want you to connect with your own intuition, higher self and your own soul. 

If you would like to meet, reconnect or connect even deeper with your spirit guide/s check out The Spirit Guide Reading! :D

With so much love and light!

Vix

x

What is a lightworker?

Last week one of the #highvibejuly instachallenge prompts was #lightworker.

So many people were like "I don't know if I am one", or "I had to Google Lightworker" and so I thought I'd pop down some of my personal thoughts on what a Lightworker is, just to help y'all out if you have nfi what one is, or whatever.

First of all, I just wanna preface this post by saying that if you don't resonate with the term "lightworker", no problemo. Some people like it, some people don't. No biggie. 

Personally I like it, and so I use it. That is in no way any disrespect to those who call themselves shadow workers, duality workers, or people who just effing hate labels full stop.

I have seen a lot of hating online towards those who call themselves Lightworkers because there is this idea that we're ignoring our shadow, ignoring the darkness and just dancing around in sequins and pigtails throwing glitter at everything. Which, although sounds kind of wonderful in a way, is not exactly what it's about. For me anyway...

What is the definition of "lightworker"?

We all have different definitions, and yours may not be the same as mine. Just like when someone calls themselves "spiritual" it has like a bajillion different meanings to everyone.

A lightworker is just anyone who wants to make a difference and wants to make the world better.

Being a lightworker is about helping others, helping the planet and basically being a nice person.

Some people say you have to be "spiritual" to be a lightworker. I don't know about you, but I've met some damn fine people shining bright and helping the planet who do not resonate with spirituality at all.

You do not have to have a spiritual job or even be spiritual at all to be a lightworker. Some of the coolest lightworkers I know are total Agnostics. 

I LOVE this definition of "light"! x

How do you know if you're a lightworker?

Here's a lightworker test:

1. Do you try to be a nice person? 

2. Do you want to make a difference?

3. Do you want to help this planet?

If you said yes to the above, you are a lightworker.

Always doing the lightwork. x

The lightworker mission

"Hey Vix, you're cool with going down and helping planet earth for a while right?" 

"Sure, no problem! Earth is heaps pretty and I love hanging out with all my bezzies in human form! :D"

*Gets to Earth like OMG what is happening down here?*

A lot of lightworkers feel a huge amount of pressure to work out what exactly we're supposed to be doing and to get it done like yesterday. There never feels like enough time to complete the mission, we never actually really know what the mission is (apart from "to help") and so it can feel pretty daunting and frustrating at times. 

Connecting with your own inner guidance can give you a much better idea about what you're meant to be doing...

It's important to remember that just being a big bright light, being nice, standing up for injustice and generally doing your part to be a good human is pretty much enough. 

What's the deal with lightworkers and shadow work?

Shadow work is basically about working with the duality of both your light and dark. 

Although nothing brings me more joy than pulling Angel cards and sending love and light to the world, I am very aware that I am human and so I have an ego. As much as I try to bring light into my life, I know darkness exists, within me and around me. I just prefer to focus on the light. That doesn't mean I'm ignoring my shadow. It means when I discover something I don't like about myself or within myself I work on it, but I don't dwell on it.

I prefer to put my focus on what lights me up, and that's why I like the term lightworker.

Being a lightworker is not about being perfect. It's about choosing the light and choosing to do what's right and working on your stuff.

(Again, no disrespect if you prefer the term shadow worker and feel like it suits what you do. We're all doing the same thing just in the way that resonates for us right? Fist-bump)

Just in case you forget. x

Lightwork

When I do readings I'm doing lightwork.

When I'm sending reiki or love and light to others I'm doing lightwork.

When you meditate you're doing lightwork.

When you light a candle and pray for peace you're doing lightwork.

When you are nice to the person who makes your coffee, you're doing lightwork.

Angelic + Starseed connections

Many lightworkers also resonate with the idea that they are either incarnated angels, earth angels or starseeds (and we can talk about if these things are even different later). 

In a nutshell an incarnated angel is someone who has spent their time pre-this life hanging out in the angelic realms in angel form. 

In a nutshell a starseed is someone who has spent previous lifetimes and perhaps their soul also originates from another planet.

For many people the lightworker mission is not just about "helping out" but also making sure the planet survives, spreading peace, gaining information and understanding to take back to our own planets later, research assignments, and spreading love and light to help Earth evolve into it's next chapter in which we're all good to each other. 

Lighting up! x

So what do you think? Are you a lightworker? What's your definition of a lightworker? 

If you wanna chat more about being a lightworker, or anything woo woo, head over to the Spiritual Journey Pitstop group on FB or let us know in the comments below.

With so much love and light!

Vix

x

Winter Solstice Spread for Self Love and Self Care

K, so this is weird. 

Usually I'm in the northern hemisphere for Solstices and these sorts of things, but right now I'm in Australia.

I'm going to be flying back to the UK on the 21st, which is pretty much the Solstice, and so I'm kind of going to get more Winter Solstice than Summer Solstice, which is why I made a Winter Solstice spread in the middle of UK summer.

I always feel a bit meh during winter. Especially in the UK. There's no sun for months on end and so I think it's super important for us to be kind to ourselves with warm slippers and cups of cocoa. That's why this is a self love + self care spread.

Weirdly though, it's actually been sunnier and nicer in Melbourne than it has in the UK for the last few weeks.

So yeah, what's going on? It's winter, but it's sunny.

But anyway!

Here's a Winter Solstice spread for y'all to try, whether it's winter or not, who cares, it's a great spread for self love and self care on any cold day, or anytime of the year anyway.

1. Reward Yourself

This card will let you know what you've done awesomely that needs a reward. Like, what can you reward yourself for, and how can you do it?

I got the Fool reversed. Time to reward myself for all the times I got out of my comfort zone and said "screw it" and jumped. I trusted the universe, I could trust it more, that's true. But mostly I'm gonna reward myself for the adventures I've taken and probably reward myself by planning another jump.

2. Rest Here

They always say "don't rest on your laurels", but actually, this is exactly what you should do right now. What are your laurels to rest on?

I got Four of Swords reversed. Ha! This is like yes Vix, this means you too. Hahah.

3. Seeds to Sow

The Winter Solstice is more about sowing seeds than making stuff happen. What are some seeds for you to start sowing, or think about sowing?

I got the Eight of Cups. Time to sow some serious seeds for mindset shifts and work on some overwhelm issues!

4. Love Yourself

Everyone is always banging on about self love and loving yourself, but WTF does it even really mean? This card will give you some guidance on how to love yourself.

I got the Ten of Pentacles. A bit of a "it's OK to be successful and be looked after financially" message. Loving yourself is about accepting all the gifts the universe throws at you, not being a martyr. 

5. Your Inner Light

What's lighting you up? What's keeping you bright?

I got the Tower reversed. OMG this reading is killing me. Haha! OK, so actually, right now I'm being lit up by the idea of creating my life and my biz from the ground up. A lot of stuff had to go, but it's OK because actually, rebuilding stuff the way you really want it is super exciting.

6. Awesomeness Potential

Oh yeah baby! It might be cold (or not really if you're in parts of Aussie) and you might not feel like doing much right now, but babe, you will, and when you do, this is the cool stuff that may come up for you.

I got the Nine of Wands reversed. A great message about releasing some old junk here, especially "what others think of you" and generally letting down your guard. 

7. How to Stay Shiny

Sometimes when it's cold and dark it's hard to stay shiny. But this card will help you find a way to stay shiny, even in the dark. For more help with this check out my totally free e-book How to Stay Shiny!

I got the Four of Pentacles. I can stay shiny by letting go, surrendering and letting it happen rather than focusing on and forcing myself to be shiny at all times!

I hope this spread helps you, wherever you are, whatever the season or the weather.

You can come talk about your findings in the Tarot Nerds or Spiritual Journey Pitstop group and be sure to hashtag #newagehipster on Instagram so I can find you!

With so much love, light and warm winter solstices,

Vix

x

The Empath Spread

Being an Empath certainly has it's challenges. I dunno, I think we're all Empaths really, but some of us are hiding our Empath-ness under a bunch of other stuff and some of us aren't so much. If you're reading this, you're probably an Empath.

Empath in a nutshell: someone who picks up energies from other people, places, situations, whatever and is affected by them, OFTEN in a negative way.

E.g. if you hang out with grumpy people  you get grumpy. You can pick up all sorts of junk when you're an Empath,

but if you want to, you can totally clear it, protect yourself and use your Empath powers for good!

If you're somebody who's super sensitive to energies, this spread is for you!

Come hang out in Tarot Nerds if you wanna share or ask for help with your spreads or hashtag me #newagehipster on social media so I can find you!

Your Heart

This card is all about who you are without all the energies of everyone else, and everything else around you. What's really going on in that heart of yours? Where's your heart at? What's in your heart when you take away all the other hunks of energetic junk around you?

How to Ground

This card will give you some info around what's the haps with your grounding. Are you grounded? If not, what can you do about it? How can you get grounded? As an Empath you gotta get grounded babe. 

Who/What is affecting you

This is what is majorly affecting your energy right now. Could be what happened today at work, or on a bigger scale - like some big stuff going on that's been wearing you down for ages. This card should help you make sense of it.

How to Clear

When you're living life as a Empath clearing your energy is everything! This card will give you some insights into what/how to clear away that gunk!

How to Protect

Protecting yo pretty self from bad juju is imperative guys. Your protection bubble is your best friend here sweet pea, so check out what this card has to say about protecting your energy.

Moving Forward

So now that you know what's going on with your energy and what's affecting you, where do you go from here? What do you need to be aware of? What do you need to take action with? Being an Empath is no excuse for not living a freaking awesome life, so get out there and make it happen! Rarrr! This card should inspire you to do so, or at least give you some ideas on how to get there.

Now check out the video if you wanna see this spread in action! :D

With so much love, light and empath hugs!

Vix

x

PS - if you wanna share this spread around social media and your blog it's all good with a credit to New Age Hipster. x

An Interview with Josh LaFayette, creator of the Food Fortunes deck

Any New Age Hipster worth their weight in Amazonite has been eyeing up the Food Fortunes deck by Josh LaFayette.

When I first cracked this deck open I was like - OMG the art is freaking incredible! Then I was like - OMG it's pizza on a Tarot card! Then I was like OMG how do I read this thing, like does this actually relate to RWS (Rider-Waite Smith) symbolism or what the actual heck is going on with this deck? So I made a video about that, basically like "what are you doing with this deck, Josh LaFayette?" along with my awesome interpretations of the Knight of Sides card (it's about following your mashed potato dreams, obviously).

When Josh popped up in my inbox with some of the answers, I was like OMG Josh is like the coolest Tarot deck creator ever! And then I thought I should probably get him on the blog and share these answers with you because maybe you've also been sitting around trying to make your pizza match up with your Magician or your banana split with your Wheel of Fortune. 

But never fear Tarot Nerds! Josh is here to explain it all! 

Josh, all the New Age Hipsters are loving Food Fortunes, it's such a cool quirky and fresh new take on the Tarot, where did the idea come from?

Thank so much, Vix! I drew a version of “The Slice” back in 2013 as part of my Daily Drawing series. My original idea/concept was to take something deeply mystical and revered and strip it of all that by making it about food. Tumblr loved it lol. Katy Perry posted it on her Instagram account (with no credit obvi!) and that’s when I thought “dang, people might really be into a full deck?”

Are you actually into Tarot and woo woo stuff? Or was this more of an art project than a spiritual one? (Obviously art is spiritual, but you know what I mean)

I had to look up “woo woo” if that gives you any idea! :) I was raised in a New Religious Movement in the Southeastern U.S. that was an offshoot of a Christian sect called The Shepherding Movement (I abandoned it in my 20s). As a kid, I was shielded from all things even remotely related to occult practice/imagery or witchcraft or clairvoyance or anything. But, I was raised with a heavy emphasis on numerology and spirituality and meetings with prophets and stuff, so I guess I basically just got one end of the spectrum and was “sheltered” from the rest. I was always taught to look for symbolism in the things around me and to take meaning from things that most people might otherwise ignore (also I went to art school and that’s basically what they teach you lol). All that to say—once I set myself free to explore all mystical imagery (not just Christian), I really fell in love with the RWS deck around 2012/13.

How long did it take you to create the deck and how many of the cards are based on your actual dinners?

As I mentioned, I drew the first card in 2013. I drew about 10 more that year. All for my own pleasure. Then in 2014 I started grad school for an MFA in Illustration and I used those 10 illustrations (and the concept of a full deck) as the focus for my thesis. In late 2014 Chronicle Books in San Francisco reached out and developed an interest in publishing a full deck. I worked on the 78 proper Food Fortunes cards from about October 2014 to July 2015.

I definitely put a lot of my favorite foods in the deck! Also, I hid a lot of easter eggs in the cards based on my personal experiences—words in Arabic, Latin, Italian, Japanese, and Turkish, old hobo symbols, alchemical symbols, a drawing of my childhood home, and the name of my wife, Lou. I really had a lot of fun doing all of that!

We're all super interested in how the cards relate to the Rider Waite Smith symbolism, or like, if they don't? I've been clawing my eyes out trying to find the symbolism between pizza and the magician (pizza is magic?), please explain! 

Haha I love seeing you and all the New Age Hipsters striving to make the connections! So, Food Fortunes is only related to the RWS deck superficially through imagery. When I started working with Chronicle to make the deck a real thing, I studied the RWS like crazy. I fell in love with Pamela Coleman Smith’s illustrations and with the thought of A. E. Waite basically rethinking tarot and making it something he wanted it to be. Tarot is such an old tradition with so many lasting concepts and guidelines, that I knew I didn’t (and still don’t) understand it all. Instead of taking years to familiarize myself with the interworkings of tarot, I decided to make something new (this is why the word “tarot” never appears anywhere on the deck/box/booklet). But I didn’t want to completely leave RWS behind, so I borrowed/appropriated/referenced imagery from the deck. The meanings of the cards don’t overlap—not intentionally anyway. I have heard some good arguments for how they do coincide, though! Maybe the Universe had deeper plans than me :)

My main hope is that this deck will help “regular” people decide what to eat. But after hearing so much from the tarot community, I hope that Food Fortunes can help card readers sharpen their intuition and deepen their practice in a not-so-serious way. 

What deck/s did you check out while making your deck? Do you have a favourite tarot deck?

My main source of inspiration and study was the RWS—I bought that deck right away when I had the idea and I bought and read books about RWS to learn as much as I could. I’d have to say it’s my fav. I did look at a lot of other decks to familiarize myself with the tradition and make sure that I gave myself context before I started. I looked at a lot: The Épinal Tarot, The Marseille Tarot by Charles Cheminade, The Marseille Tarot by Jean Dodal, Oliver Mundy’s Tarot (which I believe is contemporary), Il Tarocchino Bolognese, Il Tarocchino Lombardo, The Aquarian Tarot (1970), The Black Power Tarot (a majors-only novelty deck), The Major Arcana by Oliver Hibert (another majors-only novelty deck); I also followed the creation of the art for the forthcoming Modern Spellcaster's Tarot by Melanie Marquis and illustrated by (my friend!) Scott Murphy, and the forthcoming Everyday Witch Tarot by Deborah Blake and illustrated by Elisabeth Alba (Scott Murphy’s partner).

Your art is pretty awesome. How did you get into it?

Thank you!! My mom would buy me sketchbooks and markers very frequently when I was a kid. I honestly didn’t grow up thinking that drawing was something unique to me—I thought everybody drew the same way everybody watches T.V. or eats or whatever. Art classes weren’t offered in the public schools I attended, but I went to college for a BFA in Graphic Design and really fell in love with expressing ideas through design. In 2012, I transitioned from design to illustration in my personal practice and now I’m magically an illustrator. In July 2016, I’ll have a big piece of paper that says I’m a MASTER of illustration and it’ll have a gold seal and everything on it so it’s super official, and that’s cool :)

Do you have any advice for people who might want to create art but think they suck at it? (I'm just asking for a friend)

I used to suck at art. It was nearly impossible for me to translate what was in my head onto the paper (this is even after I transitioned into calling myself “an illustrator”). I started a daily drawing project in 2011, so I’ve done over 1000 daily drawings and that is how I became “good at art.” If you want to be good at anything all you have to do is practice it over and over and over and over and talk to other people who are practicing the same kind of thing over and over. I think there are certain people who are born with a natural ability to do something and that’s great. But most normal people suck at everything and we just have to try and fail one million times until we’re good at it. I find no shame in that whatsoever!

What else do you do when you're not creating art? 

I’ve been writing/recording music and playing in bands since I was 16, and I think that’s something I’ll always do! Going to listen to bands, going to look at art, and playing with my son are some of my favs. I also love to eat (obviously!!)

Which card in this deck best describes you?

Ooo that’s a tough one! After much thought, I think I have to say for who and where I am right now it’s The Refried. It’s not my favorite card in the deck, but it feels so somber and introspective. There are two suns, which I find disorienting—and there is green grass beyond the sand/dirt landscape, but it’s upstream and there’s no clear path to get there. I’m juggling a lot right now in life and work and I find myself feeling confused frequently—but at least it’s bright outside and I’ve got plenty of water. Also I love beans :)

What's your favourite pizza topping?

I haven’t always felt this way, but after living in Italy with Lou for a while in 2009/10 I gotta say just gimme fresh mozzarella! Nothing beats a proper pizza margherita!

Do you actually keep your deck in the kitchen to help with meal planning? And can you provide us with a printable meal planner to go along with the deck? :D

Yes! Sometimes we use it to help decide which restaurant to visit and sometimes we use it as a list of ingredients for a meal to cook. It has actually been really helpful for us a number of times! Haha I already provided a meal planner—it’s called Food Fortunes! :D

Do you have any tips for vegans, vegos or pescatarians on how we can substitute some of the meatier cards?

Yes! So, my family and I are definitely omnivores, but we eat vegetarian/vegan often because, really, it’s better all-around for the earth and our bodies. I think when you’re in the veg mindset, you sort of develop an intuition that helps you quickly know what to substitute in for meat/eggs/dairy. For example, the King of Mains is a huge steak. But if I’m in the veg mindset and I pull that card, the first thing I think of is a big ol’ grilled portobello mushroom—yum! This is making me hungry. 

Do you have any plans to create another deck? If so, what themes are you considering?

I’m glad you asked these last two questions together because while I was drawing Food Fortunes I kept thinking that it would be so great to have a vegetarian or vegan version of the deck. I would personally love that. Sometimes planning a vegan diet is exhausting, and I forget what I’m able to eat and I just end up eating tons of sweet potatoes and lettuce. Having a handy deck of 78 vegan ingredients would be super helpful! We’ll see what the future holds—maybe I’ll have to sign up for a genuine New Age Hipster reading and find out whether that’s a good route to pursue! :)

Thanks Josh! It's been so awesome to chat with you and we're all eagerly awaiting the next deck! :D

And now you're going to wanna check out Josh in all these places:

website: joshlafayette.com 

collection of Food Fortunes promo images and links: joshlafayette.com/foodfortunes

@joshlafayette on twitter and instagram.

tumblr: joshlafayette.tumblr.com

facebook: facebook.com/joshlafayette.biz

And make sure you grab this deck for all your meal planning and culinary intuitive needs!

With love, light and dinners done,

Vix

x

Why isn't my manifesting working?

We do everything they tell us to do. We visualise, we burn letters, we call on the Angels of Abundance, we surrender, we journal, but sometimes, no matter how many things we are doing "right", our manifesting just doesn't seem to be working. 

And when that happens we go into freak out mode - this stuff doesn't work! Rarrr! And throw our cauldrons across the room. Or we scream at the universe "when is it my turn?!" We make demands, get furious at ourselves for being terrible manifestors, give up, cry, decide that this damn stuff doesn't work at all and then we try just one more guided meditation for abundance! 

There are so many reasons manifesting doesn't work, and most of them aren't because you're just a shit manifestor. So before you run out and buy a new set of prosperity candles because obvs the ones you have are duds, check out these reasons for why your dream man/woman/job/house/whatever hasn't turned up yet.

It's just a timing thing

Things don't always manifest on our timeline. Maybe your dream man is still getting out of a relationship he needed to have so he'd have learned some soul lessons and be ready for you. Maybe your house is still being built. Maybe you think you're ready for that book deal, but actually, you're kind of not. 

The universe doesn't (usually) deliver according to your iPhone calendar. If it's taking ages, it's probably for your best and highest good, so sit pretty, pretty one!

keeping the faith

Do you actually believe what you're doing is working? If you don't think your manifesting is working, guess what? It's not going to work. 

If you don't believe you deserve that new job, you probably won't get it, no matter how many manifesting tools you use. Or, you will get it and then fall into a heap of like "OMG I can't do this! I'm not good enough!"

Maybe the problem is not that you don't believe in the powers of manifesting and the universe, you just don't believe you deserve great stuff, which is a totally different blog post (watch this space).

what your heart really wants

Oh this is a corker. Sometimes when we try to manifest things we saw in the Urban Outfitters catalogue instead of from our hearts it's not always in alignment.

Now some people have huge successes manifesting fancy cars, huge wads of cash and hot outfits. Not me though. I find manifesting from my heart means it's way more likely to come into being.

I manifested New Age Hipster because I followed my heart. I manifested Taylor Swift tickets because I love her (and I love my friend Toni who had a spare ticket!). I manifested a uni scholarship because I loved the subject I wanted to study. I manifested my partner because my heart wanted him. When I look at what other people have and get into a place of manifesting what they have, that never works. Or, sometimes it does, and it teaches you a lot. 

Just chilling out last summer in Hyde Park, London with my mates Toni + Tay Tay x

gratitude for what you have

Being in gratitude is one of the best ways to manifest more awesome.

But you can't do it because you want more awesome right?

If you're keeping a gratitude journal just because you want to manifest more stuff that's not totally a great energy right there. Keep a gratitude journal because your life rocks and you want to remember that every single day. With no agenda! It's like when you ask for some big birthday present, and then you get it, you open it and are like oh YAY! But then you turn around and start wondering where the other presents are. That person who gave you that big present might be like - eesh! and not totally dig your vibe. 

Have gratitude for your life, just because, not because you want more stuff.

being too specific

If you want to feel freedom in your life stop asking for more clients, a better job, a chance to travel or a horse.

If you want a horse, ask instead for the feeling of freedom in your life. If you want to feel loved don't ask for a husband who looks exactly like Rupert Grint, just ask for a partner who makes you feel loved, supported and happy!

Manifesting works better for me when I manifest for how I want to feel, the kind of life I want to have rather than the make and model. 

being too vague

I do readings for so many people who say to me that they don't know what they want. After talking to them for less an hour we've uncovered exactly what they want and some ways for them to start moving towards it! 

Don't be vague with the universe. If you want to own your own 1950's diner with turquoise chairs and a vegan menu don't answer the question "so what do you want to do with your life?" with "oh, I'm not really sure, maybe something with food." If you want those turquoise chairs damn well say that's what you want! 

I had a white cat and a tabby on my vision board for ages before I got Zorro, but I never had the intention he had to be white or tabby! I just really wanted a cat in my life. Good thing too, because I love his black splodges so much! x

It's not part of your soul's purpose

Sometimes things just aren't part of our purpose.

If your soul came here to experience a simple life out in the country you may not have much luck in manifesting that massive penthouse in London, or you will, but it won't make you happy and you'll head back to the country anyway. If your soul wanted to travel the world maybe you just won't be able to manifest that corporate job that sounds awesome, but is going to keep you tied down for the next twenty years. 

You can totally manifest things that aren't in alignment with your soul, but it doesn't usually make you feel as awesome as you thought it would. 

It's a lesson

Oh it's always a bloody lesson right? But there is so much growth and learning to be had in not getting what you want. Do you just wanna just be handed every single thing you want on a plate, like today? Like some miserable princess or prince sitting in a tower snapping their fingers and having it all done for them?

Those characters are never very interesting or happy in those stories. Your story will be much more interesting if you have some challenges, some highs and lows, joy in finding the right person to spend your life with after so many disasters, disappointment in not landing that dream job, but finding something else that makes your heart pop that you never even thought you wanted!

Still working on manifesting a couple of these... x

Manifesting is pretty awesome, but so is being open to all the magic life has to offer you that you can't even imagine, let alone find pictures of for your vision board!

I'd love to hear your manifesting stories in the comments below or over on the Spiritual Journey Pitstop group! What amazing things have you manifested in your life? And what do you do when your manifestations aren't working?

With love, light and magic manifesting,

Vix

x

Girl Crush Pyjama Party with Jo Westwood

Jo Westwood is a spiritual life coach and one half of #HigherSelfie who have their first book coming out with Hay House reaaaaally soon! Did you pre-order yours yet? I'm also pretty stoked to count her as a friend too! So when she said she was coming over for a PJ Party I knew it was gonna be just like Jo - super chill, easy-going, pretty bloody hilarious with major high vibes and totes magical! 

 

OMG I'm so excited to have you here at my party, how excited are you?!

I almost blissed my pants!

What kind of music are we going to have at the pyjama party?

80’s classics – Kenny Loggins, Cindy Lauper, Belinda Carlisle etc, 90’s grunge – Nirvana and Pearl Jam and 90’s dance tunes for the early hours when we should definitely be tucked up in bed!

Pretty sure I have that exact playlist ready to go!

I'm going to wear my Hello Kitty PJs, what pyjamas are you going to wear?

Tie dye leggings and baseball shirt I have on permanent loan from my bestie in LA

What fun make up or beauty products are in your overnight bag?

All shades of goth lipstick – dark red, purples and black and pots and pots of glitter! I’ll do lips, you do eyes, deal?

Deal! Who does your hair?

My lovely stylist Richie comes to my house and dyes and chops it for me, then I back comb it and put loads of hairspray in it to make it do stuff! You’re welcome to try and squeeze a teeny tiny plait out of it if we’re doing hair!

And what hairstyle would you have if you could have anything? (I'd totally have an 80's perm!)

I’d have Grimes’ hair – big fat undercut (obvs!) but with lots of long mermaid coloured hair on top! Or any hair that Grimes’ has ever had. She’s my hair hero fo’sho’!

Where do you get all those cute outfits?

Anywhere I can find ‘em! I have an idea in my head of a kind of outfit I want then I keep my eyes peeled everywhere – vintage, online, high street, ebay and fancy dan shops – for just the right pieces to put together. I’m an über fan of sportswear by lululemon (I heart leggings and sports bras!) and Rad.co for a LOL slogan sweatshirt. I also love Whistles and All Saints for a classic hipster investment piece!

So like, how do you make money to pay for those cool pyjamas and all your awesome clothes and make up and stuff?

I’m a spiritual life coach and I’m known as the Spirit DJ. I also run a spiritual lifestyle business called #Higherselfie with my partner in the crime of awesomeness Lucy Sheridan. We do coaching, live events and we’ve just written a book with Hay House, called #HigherSelfie: Wake up your life. Free your soul. Find your tribe.

How did you get that job?

I made it up! LOLZ! But true. I used to do social media marketing for lots of health, life and business coaches, mainly in the U.S. and though it was super cool and I got to travel a lot and wear amazing outfits in swanky hotels, after a while I stopped loving it. So I put the Q out into the Universe “Is it OK that I’m doing work that isn’t my life purpose?”and boom goes the dynamite, that set off a chain reaction of big deal life events that lead me to have a spiritual revelation, where I heard (I’m clairaudient) Spirit tell me what my life purpose was. I’ve been doing it ever since.

What fun stuff do you like doing on school nights?

I love hotpod yoga – it’s hot yoga in a big inflatable tent! It’s kinda dark like a nightclub in there and there’s music and aroma oils. And I get to wear leggings and a sports bra! Bonus! I also love bubble baths (good for the soul) podcasts and audiobooks (good for the mind) hanging with my two retired racing Greyhounds George and Susie, cooking delish food for me and my fam (I’m Cancerian) – I love home made curries, pizza and thai food – the spicier the better! And I have a mild Good Wife obsession right now so me and Netflix have a special relationship.

How about on the weekend?

More hotpod yoga, more long dog walks, maybe a bike ride in the warmer months (I’m a road cyclist with one of those impossibly thin bikes with a hard seat that requires padded shorts! LOL!) and a date night in the pub with my hubs.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Rihanna.

I'm getting hungry, what's your favourite pyjama party food and beverages?

See above! I <3 Indian food! I’m often known to go for the hottest curry on the menu, plus a peshwari naan and I’ll need a few ice cold lagers to wash that down with, please. I know, I know, classy.

We can totally order in a curry. How about your favourite pizza topping?

Everything spicy! And LOTS of cheese.

 

What movies and TV shows are we going to watch?

For movies, it has to be the classics – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Footloose, Sister Act 1 & 2, Crocodile Dundee 1 & 2 ... I think that should keep us going!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is like my favourite movie EVER!!! :O

Do you have a favourite teen movie?!

See above! All the movies I listed there are ones I could, and do watch over and over again. And that’s rare for me as I have a ridiculously good memory so I hardly ever watch or read anything twice!

OMG what was that noise?! :O Do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever seen one?

Um, it was probably my Greyhound, George farting ... Sorry about that! #awks

I believe in Spirit – like we all have a Spirit that existed before our bodies and that lives on after our bodies leave the Earthly plane – but not in ‘ghosts’ like Casper or the Poltergeist. I’ve definitely felt the presence of the spirits of people who have passed.

When I was younger, before I was aware of my spirituality and able to harness my intuitive abilities, I was convinced that my parent’s house was haunted. I hated being in it alone after dark. It always gave me the willies. I’m not sure if what I was feeling was real or just my mind playing paranoid teenage tricks on me! Too many Goosbumps books when I was a young ‘un probably!!

Have you ever had any other cool paranormal encounters?

I’m not sure if it counts as paranormal but around the time I had my spiritual revelation I experienced a meditation where someone in my life who had recently passed over came to me, and communicated with me clear as day about a difficult situation in my life. They were smiling down on the whole thing and laughing from their now enlightened position as a spirit. They could see that it was all unfolding as it should, for everyone involved, even though we were struggling to see it at the time.

Woah! Amazing!

What do you think happens when we die?

I think we go home. I think the ‘suit of clothes’- our Earthly disguise of our mortal body – drops and we become our real essence, free of the chains of our human mind and ego. We become enlightened, totally aligned and at one with the Universe again, and we guide and support those who are still walking their human journey, when they ask us to.

I hope I get to keep my glitter nail polish though right?

Who do you think you were in a past life?

Ooh! Good question! I feel really aligned with the Native American culture. Something about their way of working with Mother Earth, the elements, the environment and the animals, with mutual respect really calls to a deep part of my soul, so I hope I spent time there in a previous life. However in the only past life regression I’ve ever done I was socialist feminist activist in the late 19th century handing out flyers on the streets of London ... And now I have Solidarity tattoed on my left bicep. So maybe I’m more suffragette than Sioux!

You're probably both!? :D

What time do you usually go to bed?

10pm if I’m being good, 11.30pm if I’ve gotten carried away with work ... Which is more often than not atm!

What should we do tomorrow?

Let’s meditate and pull some cards, then have a delish breakfast – I just discovered cinnamon pancakes with maple syrup! (And coffee with coconut milk if we were up too late!) – then take my pooches on lovely long walk along the river.

Sounds freaking perfect!

Who's your girl crush?!

Ach! Where to start! There are toooo many! But if I have to narrow it down, Tina Fey and Sophia Amoruso are my top baes right now.

Because you are so girl-crush-worthy probably lots of other girls and boys are going to want you at their pyjama parties too. How can they find you?!

They can check out my personal website at JoWestwood.com and come hang out with me on Facebook < http://Facebook.com/jowestwoodfan >

and Instagram  < http://www.Instagram.com/jowestwood >

And you can find #HigherSelfie at http://www.higherselfie.co xo

Thanks so much for coming over Jo! I had the best time! Let's do it again soooooon! :D

With so much love and light!

Vix

x

Spring Equinox Tarot or Oracle Spread

I don't know about you guys, but that winter felt really loooooong! I've totally hibernated. I've been working my butt off, reading a bunch of spiritual and YA books, watching way too many episodes of Heartland and generally being pretty boring.

But now that Spring is here I'm feeling the buzz, like all those seeds sown bloody ages ago are finally turning into plants and I totally feel like I'm coming back to life! 

So I made this super cute spread for y'all in the shape of a flower (obvs) so you can see your efforts turning into pretty petals and hack off anything that's stopping you from blooming!

For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere you might wanna come back to this in like, six months...

Or, feel free to do this spread any time you feel like you could use some rejuvenation! 

As always, use whatever cards resonate with you and if you do share this spread on social media just hashtag #newagehipster so I can find you! :D 

I used the Fountain Tarot and the Magical Messages from the Fairies deck as an example reading for you, because hello, it's Spring and that's Fairy new year! :P

CARD ONE - ROOTS

You roots are holding the magic of the seeds you've sown over the past few months or even the last few years. 

This card also lets you know what is grounding you right now in your life.

I pulled Debt Paid Off and The Sun!

All that hard work I put in over the winter is finally paying off and it's time to switch up grounding myself in hard work and books with grounding myself in joy and nature walks!

CARD TWO - STEM

You are a super strong being of light, and this spring you are holding your own again! 

This card lets you know where you can draw strength from and also reminds you of your own strengths that may have been dormant lately.

I pulled Dietary Change and the Hanged Man.

Just looking at this guy with his pretty sleek physique is making me think this is all about exercise and eating better!  Spring is an awesome time to shift up and change your eating habits and get back to those dance classes!

CARD THREE - BUD

This little bud isn't opening yet, but it will! This is a sort of "potential future" for your Spring!

I pulled Prefect Timing and Queen of Coins reversed.

A message that I have the potential to step more fully into my Queen of Coins this season, but there's some other lessons and blessings to move through first. 

CARD FOUR - BUDDING

This bud is budding! Not yet totally open, but we're nearly there!

I pulled Good-bye to the Old, Hello to the New and Strength reversed. Time to call on some inner strength to help get me through this transition from old sleepy winter Vix to new sparkly spring Vix! 

CARD FIVE - BLOSSOM

Whoop! So here's something that is already blossoming in your life!

I got Get Some Exercise (LOL!) and Six of Coins reversed. For me this is like my journey of switching my focus to my body and spirit instead of my possessions! Sure I still wanna get paid, but focus has switched for me from material stuff to health and wellbeing. 

CARD SIX - PRUNE THIS

OK, so you can really only get some awesome growth happening if you do some pruning too. Spring is an awesome time to prune away any old branches, clearing out the closet and laying to rest some old thought patterns and beliefs that no longer serve you.

I pulled Pregnancy and Page of Swords reversed. What's up with all these reversed cards huh??

I have a lot of projects that are unfinished. This feels like a kick in the pants to get them birthed by the Summer. Also that Page of Swords is reminding me so much that I need to clear my energy better. Thanks man. 

CARD SEVEN - PRUNE THAT

What else are you pruning??

I got Your Desire Is Within Reach and The Devil reversed.

Here's a card I actually love seeing reversed! LOL! This for me is like releasing old anxiety and stress. Keeping the faith and throwing away the doubt, and finally freeing myself of some of the old thoughts and beliefs that keep me stuck sometimes.

CARD EIGHT - BLOOM!

Here's your big bloom! What is really working in your life, what's coming up roses for you this season?

I got Patience (REALLY??) and The Emperor. 

This is all like staying in my power, invoking my inner CEO and getting a bit better at some of the right brained biz stuff, but also a reminder that this stuff takes time. Being present, enjoying each day and finding that balance between doing the work and being in flow. 

I would love to see your spreads if you wanna share! You can share by either tagging me on Instagram, hashtagging #newagehipster on Twitter or Facebook or coming to hang out in the Spiritual Journey Pitstop group or Tarot Nerds! 

With love, light and blooming springs!

Vix

x

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