Your Stars. Carolyne Faulkner

moves to chase pleasure and avert suffering. When we train the mind to remain unmoved, it’s a serious game-changer, as the mind creates our reality.

       In Swedish, Meraki is the word that defines anything that you create with all of your heart and pure soul. Direct Meraki into all that you do this week. Inject your heart, soul and creativity into simple tasks and projects.

      Aspiration/mantra: Patience.

      Wednesday 1st January

      New Year’s Day.

      The Moon is in Pisces. This is a great time for imagination and romance. The energy may be a little spacey, so use this time to recover with gentle and uplifting people and pastimes, or to meditate and activate the higher vision and third eye chakra.

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Thursday 2nd January

      The Moon moves into Aries. There is more emotional energy available, which can be directed towards self-care and personal plans.

      Power surge for those with Aries stamps.

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Friday 3rd January

      Mars enters Sagittarius. There is more inspirational energy available for us to use. If you are failing to feel the shift, take time out in nature, and any time you feel less than positive, repeat: ‘I attract inspiration.’

      Power surge for those with Sagittarius stamps.

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Saturday 4th January

      The Moon moves into Taurus. This is a fabulous time to focus on nourishment. Maybe avoid shopping sprees and do something that nourishes your soul: cook a healthy meal from scratch for some friends (without using any animal products) and see how you feel. Perhaps even research a ‘bad karma-free’ recipe! Direct Meraki into all you do. Other people really will feel it!

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Sunday 5th January

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Reflections …

      If you managed to complete this week’s mission, how did it make you feel?

      If you skipped on anything, did you feel any different?

      Did you notice whether the Moon phases or Mars’ shift make you do anything differently or feel different?

      How did the week’s aspiration unfold? Did it help you to cultivate patience or become aware of when you, or another, lacked in it?

      List a few things, or even just one, that you are grateful for. This is a powerful indicator to the universe that you are aware of its blessings.

      Are there any takeaways from this week that you would like to address next week? Try reflecting without judgement.

      Monday 6th January–Sunday 12th January

      Forecast

      This week we have a major Full Moon impacting us and also a lunar eclipse in the sign of Cancer, which is doubly powerful as the Moon is the ruler of Cancer. Cancer is all about emotions and how we feel in general. Back in old England, citing lunacy for crimes committed under a Full Moon was a strong defence, and people who lost their minds were branded ‘lunatics’. Now the Moon’s phases are known to cause a gravitational pull upon large bodies of water, and humans are comprised of around 65 per cent water, so it stands to reason that the Full Moon is going to impact us mortals as well as the tides. Given that we have this knowledge, let’s hold it together and use our wisdom to transform any explosive energy into calmness and tolerance. Don’t get sucked into reacting when others do. Take three deep breaths and pump compassion into the planet. If we all do this under the Full Moon, we will steady the Earth’s vibrations, vanquish demons and win many karmic points this month. I like winning and I’m a team player, so let’s do this collectively. It’s all about the ‘om’ – chant it, calm down and focus on compassion …

      Uranus breaks out of its retrograde funk this week and starts working for us again, which is rather marvellous, and it aligns with the sign of Taurus, the latter being Mother Earth’s official guardian, so if we take our carbon footprint into account and tone down our consumeristic ways, then Uranus, as the god of the skies, and his mythic wife, Gaia, will stand by us and bestow many blessings.

      Mission

      In addition to ten minutes of morning meditation, prepare for the emotional impact of the Full Moon by reteasing stagnant energy with simple Yoga moves:

       Sit cross-legged on the floor with a straight back and place your hands gently on your knees.

       Ground yourself with the floor and gently extend your spine as you inhale. Imagine light flooding through the crown of your head.

       With your eyes closed, take deep breaths through your nose and fill your lungs with oxygen. Pause and hold your breath for a few seconds.

       Slowly exhale all of the air from your lungs through your nose, creating a gentle ‘oceanic’ sound in the back of your throat.

       Repeat this practice for two to three minutes.

      Aspiration/mantra: Let it go!

      Monday 6th January

      Today is likely to be fast-paced, so take time out and try not to overcommit, in order to avoid stress and burnout.

      Power surge for those with Gemini stamps.

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Tuesday 7th January

      The Moon moves into Gemini.

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Wednesday 8th January

      Rather lovely energy around today, so pump out love and kindness. Avoid unrealistic expectations and stay present.

      Power surge for those with Cancer stamps.

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Thursday 9th January

      The Moon moves into Cancer.

      Mission completed? Challenge level: 1–5; Ideas and insights:

      Friday 10th January

      Power surge for those with Leo stamps.

      Full Moon in Cancer (19.21)

      The Full Moon is the time to release and let go of any habits, people or situations that don’t serve our hearts, minds or higher purpose. Also, this Full Moon is what’s known as an ‘Appulse’ eclipse, when the Moon is obscured by the Earth’s shadow. It is this lack of light that, perhaps, awakens us and allows us to recognize our own shadow side. I believe that there is no more powerful time to face our demons and, in doing so, release them to the light.

      In days gone by, when we were all God-fearing people, eclipses were seen as bad omens. They are extremely powerful and, for this reason, monks in many Buddhist monasteries in the East take vows of silence at this time, believing that the karma is magnified under the Full Moon; they pray and meditate for world peace.

       Write down all of the aspects of yourself, or your life, that you wish to release, such as ‘I want to release: my anxiety, my aversion to fitness, toxic relationships’. You can ask the Moon Goddess to help you to surrender, release and move on!

       Burn your list (safely) under the magnificent force of the Full Moon. Ask for help from the unseen forces; have faith, trust that all is well and know that there is an underlying plan.

      This will be a double impact, as the Moon governs the sign of Cancer. Watch out for people