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The Secret Spirituality of the Movie ‘Clueless’

July 23, 2011 By 13 Comments

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

I believe that we can find the spiritual in everything if we are willing to look closely.   Often, it is hiding in the most unlikely places.   We can find it in the most evolved and esoteric or veiled in the mundane, the hilarious, and even the absurd.  However, like the mysteries contained within the High Priestess card of the mystical tarot, it is up to us to have the courage to seek out the spiritual nuggets presented to us.

Believe it or not a movie that has an overflowing basket of spiritual nuggets is the 1995 comedy, Clueless.  I am sure your kneejerk reaction to this revelation is “as if!” But seriously, there is much insight that can be gleaned from this movie.  The adventures of Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and her group of Beverly Hills friends as they journey through the angst of young adulthood is something we all experience on one level or another.   Although our problems in adulthood can be more complex and sophisticated, they truly are not all that different.  We all go through love problems, the need to be accepted, the need to feel secure, and the need to find ourselves in a world that can seem overwhelming.   We all make mistakes, and we all learn from them.  However, when we look back at our past problems and difficulties, we often realize how clueless we were.

So, what does Cher Horowitz have to do with the energy of the week?  Everything!  But first the astrology…

Astrological Energy of the Week:

After several weeks of rather intense astrological energies we finally get a break.   Get out those margaritas, fun in the sun toys, and if you live in the southern hemisphere some hot apple cider with cinnamon while snuggling in front of the fire will do the trick.   Enjoy this break while it lasts because Mercury will go retrograde on August 2nd.

There are two sign changes this week.   First, Venus will move out of emotional Cancer and into fiery Leo.  Leo is all about glamour and pampering ourselves.   Go out and get your hair done, buy yourself a new outfit, or simply bling up your outfits with a little glitz and frost.   Venus is in her joy when she is in Leo, and it is a great time for us to explore possible new romantic relationships or spice up our current ones; however you need to try to remain grounded.   Often Venus in Leo can get so caught up in the romantic drama that the reality of relationship and structure becomes more than she can handle.  Secondly, Mercury moves out of dramatic Leo and into meticulous Virgo (the sign it will retrograde in).   In Virgo, Mercury understands life by creating structured order in what can feel chaotic and unorganized.  It is a great time for you to do research, take on mental projects, and be very clear about what you want out of life.  If you are finishing up a writing or research project this will be an incredible week for you.  However, keep in mind that Mercury will turn retrograde so this window of opportunity will quickly close.

In addition to the two sign changes, there are two planetary aspects this week as well.   On Wednesday, the Sun in Leo will trine Uranus in Aries.   This aspect is a powerful juggernaut, and being in fire signs will give you an enormous creative urge over the next week.   New ideas will come to you rather spontaneously and you will feel highly stimulated.   Often, the intensity of this aspect will make you feel high strung, alert, and restless, so try to contain yourself and be as grounded as you can be throughout the week.   Further, this aspect directs you to focus on technical gadgets, so make sure you back up your computer before the retrograde hits!   On Thursday, Mercury will oppose Neptune.  Normally, this is a rather confusing aspect that can make you feel out of sorts (and for airy people it still may), yet your advantage is that Mercury is in its own sign of Virgo.  If you begin to feel confused or need to make order out of chaos (see above), Mercury will provide you with the ability to sort things out and make sense of it all.  All Mercury – Neptune aspects are a great time to do creative or artistic work, or connect to your inner spirit.

Finally, on Saturday we will have a New Moon at 8 degrees of Leo.  At its core, the sign of Leo is about individuality.   This is a great time for you to do intention work that focuses on your individual talents and gifts.  Also, if you are interested in attracting love to you, this is a great time to do it.  If you have any planets around 8 degrees of a sign, this New Moon could be a channel for new beginnings and new opportunities heading your way.

Your Cosmic Weather Forecast:

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is the heroine of the movie Clueless.   She is not the normal image of a heroic figure that fights dragons, engages in warfare, and topples kingdoms, yet she is a heroine nonetheless.  Unlike other heroic female figures, such as Wonder Woman or Xena, Cher is a heroine of the heart.  Her battles are in the name of love, and rather than using swords and power she uses the depth of her feelings and emotions.

Through most of the movie, Cher spends her time being a matchmaker for other people, yet her own desire to be in love is denied.   The one instance she attempts to connect with another classmate, she shockingly finds out that he is gay!  However, severe crisis (which occurs with all heroic figures) strikes when she fails her driver’s exam, which gives Cher insight into her own personality, and she begins to reflect.  This process of reflection allows Cher to realize what she wants in her own life and the depth of her own emotional feelings – however awkward those may be.  Once she takes the steps to honor herself, she finally falls in love.

This week the kabbalistic portion is called Massei.  It is a story that retells the places that the Israelites stop on their journey from Egypt

Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

to Israel.  To be honest, it is one of the most boring portions of the Torah, and it drones on and on about each place the Israelites set up camp.   I truly have to force myself to stay awake when reading this portion.  Further, there is no Zohar assigned to this portion, so the meaning is hidden and obscured.  However, this portion has one of the most powerful messages of the entire Torah.

According to the Kabbalistic sages, the portion of Massei is all about our spiritual journey.   It includes the things we learn, the things we get wrong, the places that we are reactive, our moments of joy and happiness, and those periods of our life that we are in pain.  It is through our spiritual journey and process that we learn what we want to achieve, and we decide what our priorities are.   In essence, the trip from Egypt to Israel describes different spiritual lessons (and those teenage years are part of them) we learn to complete our correction.

Many new students of kabbalah become overwhelmed by correction.   They believe (and trust me I have been there) that you need to fix everything as quickly as possible and then you will achieve some form of spiritual ascension.  However, the Kabbalists state that in order for us to achieve our correction we must take action.   What kind of action?   It is rather simple – the actions we must take to perform our correction are bound up in living our lives.   It is our journey, our path, the way we experience it, and the choices that we make along the way.

True spiritual change does not happen overnight.  It is a series of trial and error.  We learn by our perceived failures and triumphs, and we adjust and modify our lives based on those experiences.  Sometimes we hit a crisis (like Cher does), and we begin to realize what it is in life that we truly want.  We feel clueless, but through our confusion we achieve our next step on the journey.  We learn that it is the process that is our spiritual ascension, not the destination.

Tarot Tune-Up: 

Get out your favorite Tarot or Oracle Deck.  Shuffle the cards thoroughly.   Ask yourself the following question, “What do I need to know about my current process within my journey?”  Draw three cards.  Let me know which ones you picked!

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Spiritual Warfare and How To Survive It

July 16, 2011 By 15 Comments

I had to laugh this week when one of my Facebook friends asked me whether or not there “was a positive week in my world.”  It made me really sit back and reflect on how much challenging energy we have had this year.   Ironically, the astrology for 2011 is much more intense than the astrology for 2012 – despite what people predict about the Mayan calendar.  Batten down the hatches and put on your seat belts, the next several weeks are going to be very intense with the kabbalistic Negative Three weeks and Mercury Retrograde in the very near future.   Sigh!

I think the most important question for us to ponder is what can we learn from these intensive energies?  According to Kabbalah, the planetary activities are messages from the Light, and provide us with information on how to navigate our lives through “intensive periods”.   Let’s face it with global warming, political gridlock, people forgetting about human dignity, and numerous wars that include the loss of human life, we begin to understand why the energies are so intense?   Are we really learning the lesson or are we simply missing the point?   We tend to see the problems of the world as ‘out there’ and anesthetize ourselves against any personal contribution or responsibility.

On Monday evening, the ‘Negative Three Weeks’ begin.  Why are these three weeks negative? Kabbalistically, we are taught that during the last part of the sign of Cancer, and the beginning of the sign of Leo that the energies are no longer diluted (The Sun and Moon rulers of Cancer and Leo rule no other signs, so their energies are not distributed between two sources; whereas all the other planets rule two signs) and we get a straight shot of light without a filter from the universe.   Kabbalists believe that during this period the spiritual ozone layer is removed, and as a result we are exposed to excessive amounts of Light that we spiritually cannot handle.

In essence, we have to create our own “ozone” layer, which I will reveal after the astrology…

The Astrology:

This week we have very little astrological activity.   There are no major planetary aspects, and the only sign change is the Sun moving out of Cancer and into Leo.   For those of you who have read my Cosmic Weather Forecast in the past, you know I am very suspicious about weeks that have no aspects.  Why?  The energy seems to enter into a stagnation period.   This amplifies the last aspect which seems to take hold and linger without a shift of energy for a long period of time.

The last significant astrology aspect (minus the Full Moon) was Venus in Cancer square Saturn in Libra.  I stated the following about Venus square Saturn last week:

“In my experience as an astrologer this is one of the most difficult aspects – especially for those that are more emotionally sensitive to the outer world.  Venus is our ability to relate and enjoy our connections with others.  When Venus becomes afflicted by Saturn, Saturn exposes Venus’ emotional vulnerability and we often close down emotionally.   In many cases, we begin to isolate and disengage from our social circles.   It is necessary when Venus is square Saturn for us to develop self-confidence and a feeling of personal self-worth. “

This remains true for the upcoming week as well.

On Saturday, the Sun will move out of watery and emotional Cancer and into its own sign of Leo.   Whenever the Sun is in Leo, we need to find an area of our life where we can shine.   This could be in career, relationships, or outside activities, yet there is a need for us to discover creative outlets where we can truly express ourselves and our uniqueness.   Leo is a dynamic sign that reveals our own personal power.  We can use this energy to find our own sense of personal destiny, which will help relieve the energy of the ongoing Venus – Saturn square.

Your Cosmic Weather Forecast:

This week the kabbalistic portion is called Matot (Tribes).  This is a rather peculiar portion because it ALWAYS appears during the Negative Three Weeks.  In Kabbalah, nothing happens by accident so there is a reason why this portion occurs during this time period.  Why?  Matot can give us needed information on how to create our own “spiritual ozone” layer to shield us from the intense energies of this period.

In this portion, there is a story where God instructs Moses to avenge the Israelites (code for those that believe in mind over matter) of the Midianites.   God does not instruct Moses to send the best warriors, yet the most spiritually elevated members of the tribe.   Why?   This particular war against the Midianites was not a physical war, yet a spiritual one.   The sages teach us that the Midianites never stopped provoking and instigating the Israelites.  In fact, the Midianites went to other nations and stirred them up to attack the Israelites as well.

So, who are the Midianites?     According to the Zohar, the Midianites are a code for “awakened negativity inside and outside of us”.   They are the self-defeating behaviors (and we all have them) that continuously appear in our lives over and over.  The Midianites are the parts of ourselves that we have problems letting go of despite the amount of chaos they create.   They are a tricky lot!  They will appear inside of you, but they also appear as people around us that ‘awaken’ our particular self-defeating behaviors as well.  Further, the Midianites are prone to using black magic.  In Kabbalah, black magic is different than what black magic is considered in the pagan tradition.   Black magic is used to confuse us so we are not able to see the truth, and to distort circumstances so they appear in fragmented forms and guises.

This week (and the two weeks after), we begin a process of needing to keep our spiritual guard up.   We need to be very aware of the energies (and the people) around us, and try not to fall into our own self-defeating behaviors.    It will not be easy – as spiritual warfare is not easy.   We may feel reactive, depressed, dramatic, angry, bitter, and attacked; however it is necessary for us to realize that it is an illusion.   An attempt to throw us off our guard!

The portion Matot is about vulnerability, and the energies that arise when we do feel vulnerable.  We can choose either to combat these energies, or we can choose to give in to them.   According to the Kabbalistic sages, the most efficient way of battling this energy is for us to mourn how our self-defeating behaviors have limited our relationships, personal and spiritual growth.   We need to be aware of how our self-defeating behaviors have brought circumstances into our lives that have caused pain and suffering – not only for ourselves, but for others.  When we get to the point that we can truly mourn and release tears over our actions are we able to conquer our behaviors.

Tarot Tune-Up: 

Get out your tarot or oracle decks.  Ask the cards, “What can I do to let go of my self-defeating behaviors and remove chaos from my life?”   Draw one card from the deck.  Let me know what you pulled!

 If you enjoyed this Cosmic Weather Forecast, please hit the like button or the +1 button at the bottom of the page.

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The Healing the Power of Belief

July 10, 2011 By 7 Comments

I am convinced that I was a scribe of the Torah in a past life.   Since I was a boy in high school, I have been a perfectionist when it came to writing things down.  Whether this was class notes, letters, or reports everything had to be perfect – and I really did not like to use white out.   I wrote and rewrote everything until it was just right.   Yeah, I know a little obsessive compulsive.

At this point, I am sure you are wondering what this has to do with being a scribe of the Torah.   Well, the scribes of the Torah had to write everything down to perfection.   This was an extremely tedious task that took 1-3 years to complete.    Every single spot, every single letter, every single nuance had to be precise and perfect.   If it was not, then the scroll was considered invalid, and had to be rewritten.     Could you imagine, getting halfway through a scroll and have to throw it out and start all over again because of a tiny little error?  No correction tape, no spell check, no word processing programs to fix it!

Crazy to think about isn’t it?

In the portion of Pinchas, there is an exception to this rule.   There is a cracked letter in the Torah scroll, and it is the only place in the whole Torah where this occurs.    What would be the purpose for this?   The secret lies within one of the Major Arcana cards of the Tarot!  But, as always you will have to wait…

The Astrology:

I don’t know about you, but after a month and a half of nonstop aspects including 3 eclipses, I am sighing with relief with the lack of astrological aspects.  We all need a cosmic break!   This week we have only two astrological aspects (although there is a Full Moon in Capricorn this week, which puts the focuses on business affairs and the public eye) – Mercury sextile Mars and Venus square Saturn.

On Monday, Mercury in Leo will sextile Mars in Gemini.   This is a great aspect if you need to communicate ideas, write, or for sales activities. Our ability to observe the obvious is at an all-time high at this time.    Mars gives Mercury the ability to convince anybody of anything, and the tenacity to get the job done.  Under a hard aspect, (square or opposition) Mars revving up Mercury could lead to knee jerk reactions to outer stimuli; however with this being a sextile there is minimal amounts of friction creating obstacles to derail our goals.  Take advantage of this energy while it is available, because Mercury will go into its shadow cycle later in the week.

This leads us to Wednesday when Venus in Cancer squares Saturn in Libra.   In my experience as an astrologer this is one of the most difficult aspects – especially for those that are more emotionally sensitive to the outer world.  Venus is our ability to relate and enjoy our connections with others.  When Venus becomes afflicted by Saturn, Saturn exposes Venus’ emotional vulnerability and we often close down emotionally.   In many cases, we begin to isolate and disengage from our social circles.   It is necessary when Venus is square Saturn for us to develop self-confidence and a feeling of personal self-worth.    This will allow us to build our current relationships with more reliable structure.

Your Cosmic Weather Forecast:

The Hierophant from the Alchemical Tarot www.thealchemicalegg.com

Now back to the fun stuff!

The reason I do the Cosmic Weather Forecast is because there are 52 different energies that are allocated to the 52 weeks of the year.  This week the energy is called “Pinchas”, which is the name of the central figure of this week’s story in the Torah.   The primary kabbalistic message in the story involves the power of healing, and is one of the most significant kabbalistic portions of the year.

Healing is such a tricky word.    How many times have you seen people in your life who are just fine, they go for a random checkup and then they find out they have some illness, and they go downhill from there?  It is amazing what happens to the mind once it believes something to be true.

As I mentioned earlier, there is an interesting occurrence that happens in this portion that does not occur elsewhere in the Torah.   There is a crack in one of the letters (in the word SHALOM) that normally would invalidate the scroll.   However, in Pinchas the crack is put in purposely.   The letter in Hebrew is called VAV, which means “nail”.    All of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet have a corresponding Major Arcana energy attached to them.   In this case, the letter VAV corresponds with the controversial Hierophant.

According to Kabbalah, everything originates at a seed (thought) level.  It begins in the upper worlds (thoughts) of Kether and travels down the tree to physical manifestation in Malchut.     The Rav states that the cracked letter VAV leaves enough space for us to go back and heal any form of illness at the seed level.  In essence, it provides us an opportunity for correction.  So, what does this have to do with the Hierophant?

In most books written about the Tarot, the Hierophant in some manner has to do with beliefs.  Whether it is religious beliefs, dogma, or the institution of religion the word “belief” is hovering around this card like a bee around a beehive.  C.C. Zain in his book “The Sacred Tarot” (Church of Light Press) simply refers to the Hierophant as meaning religion or law.  For many, the fundamental issue of belief involves their spiritual or religious ideologies, which is why the Hierophant in modern new age circles brings forth feelings of the dogmatic institution of the Catholic Church and fundamental Christianity.   These feelings many are repulsed by due to the vast amount of repression that has been inflicted on many by the Church.

If we take the Hierophant to be connected to the letter VAV, then we must also consider that the Hierophant itself (this week) has a crack in it.  What does this mean?   It means that we are granted the energy to change how we believe and how we think, and begin the process of reversing any damage that has occurred as a result of our belief system.  This healing is all healing – whether it is mental, spiritual, physical or emotional.

Take some time out this week to truly think about what you believe.   Do you find that your beliefs limit you?  Do you find that you’re too rigid in your thinking?  Do you find that you believe things simply because others believe it? Further, what does the Hierophant mean to you?   By exploring our inner ideologies and expanding our beliefs we activate the true power of healing.

Tarot Tune-up:

Pull your Hierophant card out of the deck.   Shuffle the deck and ask yourself the following questions.   What can I do to bring forth mental healing?  What can I do to bring forth emotional healing?  What can I do to bring forth spiritual healing?  What can I do to bring forth physical healing?

Lay down the cards in front of you.  Pick up your Hierophant card and look at it for a few minutes.  Get the image of the card implanted in your mind.   Now, close your eyes and ask the Hierophant if he has any further information that can help you with your healing.  Write down what he tells you on a sheet of paper.

Let me know what you learned!

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Coventry Magic Oracle

July 6, 2011 By 1 Comment

“There are two sentences inscribed upon the Delphic oracle, hugely accommodated to the usage of a man’s life:  “Know thyself,” and “Nothing too much”, and upon these all other precepts depend”
                                                                                                                        — Plutarch

If you have purchased any of Coventry Creations products then you know they are top notch.   Simply put, the creative team of Jacki Smith and Patty Shaw consistently release products that are user friendly, adaptable, and life altering.   The aforementioned is what Coventry Creations is known for and what thousands of customers have come to expect.

I must admit when I first heard that Coventry Creations was producing an oracle deck, my first thought was “oy vey!”   You see, I really don’t dig oracle decks.  I find most of them to be superficial, hokey, and downright ridiculous.   There are a few exceptions (such as Ciro Marchetti’s ‘Oracle of Visions’ or PsyCards), but for the most part (in my opinion) oracle decks are a popular method employed by publishing companies to tap into the “afraid of the tarot” market.   Most oracle decks are so superficially general that any card you draw could apply to anyone at any given time.   This is not the case with the Coventry Magic Oracle.

I have used the Coventry Magic Oracle for the last three weeks during my client readings.   I found that the oracle works in two unique ways.   First, it is an incredible divination tool.  During one reading, a client inquired about her romantic life.  She wondered what she could do to excite her husband more and make him more amorous.   I pulled the ‘Red Stiletto’s’ card!   I advised her to be more enticing by purchasing more lingerie to spice up her sex life and really yank her husband’s chain.    Secondly, the oracle works as a tool to help ascertain which Coventry Products would be most beneficial to the client at the current time.  A really cool addition because often people are confused about what products would be most effective with their current problem(s).

Whether you pull ‘Stop Gossip’, ‘Healing’, or ‘Kuan Yin’, there are five different categories referenced on each card.  These categories are prosperity, love, healing, protection, and clearing.  Every card and subsequently every candle can be used for all five categories.  For example:

Come To Mama – “When attraction is the quest, ‘Come to Mama’ does it best!”

For Prosperity:  Whatever Mama needs, Mama gets – tell that to money to Come to Mama.

For Love:   Bring on the hot living you are looking for, all you have to do is ask for it.

For Healing:  The best formula available for attracting healing energies.

For Protection:  Draws in the protective energies of Deity and the Universe.  [You’’ have to supply your own band of flying monkeys.]

For Clearing:  Replace what you no longer need with the things you truly desire.

The deck comes with easy to understand and simple spreads that assist you with the using of the Oracle.   For all you “reverse” card geeks, you will love the fact that the design on the back of the deck allows you to use both reversed and upright cards.  This oracle deck is a must have for all those that are interested in a little bit of candle magic combined with a powerful oracle that truly delivers.

Update 1:   You can now purchase the Coventry Magic Oracle at Coventry Creations.

Storm Cestavani
– July 6, 2011

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It’s Back to School Time…

July 4, 2011 By 8 Comments

It’s Back to School Time…

An Apple For the Teacher!

I remember my favorite time as a child was getting ready to go back to school.  All those new pens, paper, glue, crayons, trapper keeps, spiral notebooks – it was the best fun for me.  It was like Christmas in September.  Now as a teacher, it is equally enthusiastic for me!  I am excited to teach a class as it gives me the opportunity to use all the items that I desperately cherish and are old reliable friends to me.

Although you do not need any materials for the class, I do suggest that you study with whatever supplies make you the happiest.   There will be journaling and written exercises to help you grasp the material easier.   For me, part of the fun of learning any new subject is materials to make the experience unique.  I hope that you make this experience uniquely your own, and that you have fun doing so.


Storm’s Suggested Class Supplies

1. Composition or Spiral Notebook
2. Colored Markers
3.  Pens and Pencils
4.  Glue Stick
5.  Any other supplies that make you happy!  Get all crazy and have a good time with it.

So, are you guys up for a pre-class exercise?

Exercise 1:   Free Writing

Get out a pen and notebook.   Nobody is going to see your exercise, so be as honest as possible.  For 3-5 minutes write everything you can think of about yourself.  What qualities do you like about yourself?  What qualities do you dislike?   What makes you happy?  What motivates you?  What are you afraid of?   What makes you feel awkward?   Write down as much as you can in 3 minutes.   Do not edit, do not stop writing, just a continuous flow of thought is required here.

We will use this in the future as we start to learn more about your astrology chart.

Class 1 Coming Soon!

If you like this course, please click the Like button at the bottom of the page!

 

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