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Our very first workshop!
When I first came up with the idea that is now The Empress Within, I allowed myself to dream about all the things I wanted to do. Publish a best-selling book with Hay House, give Ted talks, travel all over the world and inspire countless people to use adversity in their advantage, to build their empires with the stones thrown at them. And, before all that happened, one of my goals was to teach a tarot workshop. This summer, knowing I was returning to Virginia Beach, I decided to launch one. After all, I had created and taught plenty of workshops when I was a French language teacher. It had…
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Things I just love about fall
I have to confess, I am feeling a little blue that summer is over, and it was so chaotic that I didn’t get to really enjoy it. But I’m finding consolation in the fact that there will be many more summers and countless memories to be made, and that for now, my favorite season is back. At the risk of sounding like a walking Pumpkin-Spice-Latte Girl cliché, yes, I admit fall is my favorite season. I always loved the energy of renewal that came with the back-to-school season. Fall, after all, has always meant new beginnings to me, even more than January 1st. Aside from that, here are nine more…
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The power of thoughts.
While looking at old photos on my phone, I came across a list I made over a year ago of things I was afraid of – I wrote them on a piece of paper then ripped it to pieces and flushed it down the toilet. I had completely forgotten about this particular ritual (the idea came to me after I’d had a few glasses of wine), but as I read my fears, written in the present tense as if they were real, I realised that many of these things came true in the months that followed. I was afraid to lose the job I had back then, and…
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The Empress and The Moon
I’m all about being a real-life version of The Empress tarot card, but lately I’ve been feeling like The Moon: despite knowing deep down that I am moving forward in the right direction, I can’t help feeling anxious because I can’t, yet, see as far ahead as I’d want to. And this anxiety is starting to take a bit of a toll on me. I like to keep most of my posts light, positive and inspiring to those who see them every day. But I also think it’s important to also, once in a while, talk about what’s really going on and possibly start a discussion about a general or…
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The Cherry Blossom trays are here!
For years, I wandered through the aisles of AC Moore, thinking about all the things I could create and sell. I had visions of crocheted afghans, jewellery, homemade chocolate truffles, painted wooden objects. But I would keep making excuses – “I don’t have enough money to invest in this, no one will buy anything I make, I don’t know how to sell anything online.” – etc. Until now. During one of my trips at the craft store this year, to buy something the kid I babysit needed for a school project, I walked by the same aisles, imagining the collections of handmade objects I dreamt of making and selling. And, instead of…
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27 years, 27 life lessons
This Thursday (Pi Day!), I turned twenty-seven. It was kinda mind-blowing to think that ten years to the day, I’d woken up before dawn on a Saturday morning to go take the SAT in a rather gloomy high school, in a gloomy part of DC. After I was done, I met with a friend to have a birthday lunch (I mostly had lots of coffee), then we looked at prom dresses and spent a little fortune at Sally Beauty’s before heading home and doing the cake thing with my cousins, who were still babies. I can’t believe this was ten years ago – it still feels like yesterday. This year…
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Hello, March!
I woke up this morning to a blanket of snow covering my street and backyard. It was March, my birth month (#PiscesYall!), welcoming us in the most beautiful way possible. I caught a bad cold earlier this week, making my voice coarse and breathing difficult. I did use over-the-counter medication, essential oils, and #Jenergy tips (I’ll be telling you more about Jenergy soon – it’s yogic fabulosity like you’ve never seen it before!) to deal with the situation, but it’s one of those colds that need to get worse before they get better. In the meantime, I stay warm, cuddle with my kitten, drink tons of tea, read, and catch…
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Moroccan-inspired chicken and vegetable tajine
I love cooking. Separate ingredients all coming together to create something magnificent is nothing less than magical. To me, cooking is a meditative practice that relaxes and centers me. I may have not been raised with the notion that food is love, but that notion still came to exist within me. Good food makes me happy, whether I’ve made it myself or someone else has, but what makes me even happier is when the food I prepare makes people happy and lifts up their spirits. Lately, I’ve even started infusing my dishes and baked goods with my own brand of Reiki/magical vibes. I’ve even made some eggless raw cookie dough and…
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When heartbreak happens for the best
So I had a revelation the other night. I was visiting people whose house, it turned out, was right next door to the building where the last woman I had a relationship with used to live. I had taken the Metro into the city (because believe me, you don’t want to deal with parking in that neighborhood) and was using the Maps app on my phone for walking directions. As I turned on that street, I remembered, not without a bit of shock at the coincidence, the time she and I spent together. I remembered every little thing I loved about her, from her bright, genuine laughter to her brilliant…
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February 2019 Taroscope
Hello friends! This January, I came up with the idea of doing a monthly taroscope reading where I’d draw a Major Arcana card for each zodiac sign. January 2019’s taroscope was live on my Facebook page but this month’s will be in writing because I’m currently dealing with a recurring allergy that makes my eyes look red and swollen, so I’ll do a video when that gets better. With no further ado, here’s what the cards have in store for us this month! February 2019 is defined by The Tower. This card may look scary at first since it represents destruction and devastation, but I learned to look at it differently. When The Tower…
