Ready to Start
Eclipse energy, emigration, and new beginnings
Captured on opening night at my new Goan shala. Boom! Thanks SO much to everyone who came - incredible to see familiar faces from all over the world. Blessed.
Well hello my beauties
I realise it’s been a whole month since I wrote to you. Ordinarily I’d be drowning myself in the shame-hole of having not served my community well enough and feeling dreadful about a positive plethora of unfollows and subscription cancellations. Eeek.
But having reflected on the past 4-6 weeks, I can honestly say that I have created, actioned, manifested and produced more in this window of time than I have in my entire (nearly) 43 years on this planet.
I’m actually really, really proud of myself. I took a tip from a new acquaintance/client this week, who shared something beautiful about the power of manifestation and mindset, and I realised that despite all of my outward-facing connective work (oh hey, Libra stellium), my inner monologue is utterly dire. I think most of us can relate to negative self-talk, but when I paused to truly take in Katie’s prompts (I’ve shared them below so you can get into them too) I realised JUST how detrimental that demon on my shoulder was being to my own evolution.
CLICK: KATIE’S MANIFESTATION TIPS
So I’m not going to grovel for not giving you enough hugs, but instead hold my head high that I have seriously managed to get one foot in front of the other as summer has blurred into the equinox and then dissolved into the ignition of a powerhouse new chapter.
The mantra - TRUTH - I came up with is about being fearless, brave, strong and resilient.
The last couple of years have tested me to the edges of my soul, and there was a point earlier this summer, mired in burnout and emotional fatigue that I just felt like curling up under a rock somewhere and closing my eyes forever. So the fact that I dragged myself back to my feet, through the bloody awful bit, over the line and onto a plane to the place where more than anywhere else on earth I just feel like myself, is a win I’ll take with both hands.
So THANK YOU for bearing with me as I continue to meander on my own curious explorations in being human!
But this post is about the bigger picture - I share my own experience as a microcosm, an example of one human muddling through. I’ve realised that even a shred of resonance is enough to help most of us feel ok, a little less alone, a little more seen, heard and felt.
I’d love you to share YOUR experiences, if you want to. Whether directly or in the comments here. Because I always feel that exactly the right constellation of souls gather in community - everyone has something to share that someone else came specifically to hear. Your story, words and heart might just be the catalyst to someone else’s compete awakening, unfolding, and reaching into their own magic.
And how freaking cool is that ?! Resonance in motion. Some other collection of stardust tuned into YOUR gathering of stardust and SOMETHING. CHANGED.
Magic.
As well as a new shala and a new country, I got a new kitten. Meet Tiger. He/she/they (too early to tell) just moved in, and yes that IS a kitten in a singing bowl and I make no apologies for the styling.
ANYWAY.
There’s tons to tell you about but I’m trying my best to keep these monthly meandering Substacky things on point. So here are the headlines:
I moved to India
The Libra new moon eclipse has been HUGE
Mars is in Scorpio = DRAMATIC ACTION
Retreats are launching
Witchy season is upon us
EVERYTHING PLUTO
If you follow me over on Insta you’ll know that 10 days ago (is that IT?!) I actually, after 20 low-burning years in the making… finally moved to India.
Feels quite casual, just throwing those word into a sentence, and I guess as the reality is I am a natural nomad who is generally always on the go, I find the concept of ‘home’ and staying still anywhere for long a pretty confronting subject.
But it’s just BRILLIANTLY beautiful, inspiring and energetic here. Maybe one day I’ll do one of those DNA tests and discover some unknown roots or maybe it’s just purely a resonance thing. But I feel better in the last 10 days than I have in the last decade, and nothing can change that.
So that brings me to the first of my NEWSFLASHES.
Gratuitous but sort of on theme beach sounds in Agonda from earlier this year….
I’m launching a retreat programme here in South Goa.
I want it to be AWESOME. And accessible. The world has been relentless these last few years and the idea of hosting ‘luxe weekends’ in the UK that end up costing £1500 for three days did not make me feel good. It’s probably the reason that the last time I tried to host a UK retreat it imploded in post-pandemic politics and a cost of living crisis that seemed to inversely affect the people that work the hardest the most.
That’s why I came here to Agonda, to do things differently.
Retreats shouldn’t be expensive, stressful, overwhelming. They ARE potentially life changing, and I’m going to say it - mine ARE life changing. Because after 8 years of this work in a professional capacity and around 20 as a human being on a path of some sort of seeking/awakening/healing, I now know for sure what sound, properly held spaces, and I, can do. It’s not luxe villas, hot tubs, or extras that make it. It’s the right people, the right place, and the right time.
I want you to feel great about committing to this experience, not anxious about cost or the worthiness of the investment.
I promise you it will be worth it.
ABOVE: my commute today. Blissful!
The great thing about India is the simplicity. The energy and the magic that this place - especially this little slice of south Goa - holds, is all you actually need. Food is plentiful, delicious, and sensibly priced (ie. it’s not £4.80 for an oat latte. We see you, baristas of Shoreditch!), and rooms have what you need and a few little touches without being over the top.
Yes it costs a bit to get to India. It costs a few dollars to get anywhere. I’ve sense checked when the cheapest flights are and done my best to schedule considerately to flight times and prices.
These retreats take everything I’ve learned over twenty odd years of attending, teaching and hosting retreats, and simmer it all down to SIMPLICITY. An easeful, relaxed schedule. No 5am starts or back to back classes (unless you want them of course). No feeling under pressure to do and feel a certain way. Just offerings to forge connection, invite evolution, and bask in the space and time of BEING.
Yes there is yoga, because there’s ALWAYS yoga. But this is not a yoga retreat. There’s daily sound practices and with them, huge opportunity for trauma release, processing old programming, and delving into higher layers of consciousness. There’s additional workshops and spaces for unleashing creativity and tapping into the parts of body and brain that are less well exercised in the daily grind.
If you feel the call to come explore a new way of retreating, the website has all the info you need. I know lots of you are hearing the call and I’m BLOODY GRATEFUL. This place has given me my life and soul back and I can’t wait to share it with you.
I have three retreats available right now - Dec 2023, Jan 2024 and Feb 2024. Each retreat will be limited to 10 places and quite a few have already been snapped up on the insta pre-launch! If you’re keen but the dates don’t work for you, get in touch and let me know when does as I also have a few more sets of dates on standby….
And the best bit? Spaces start at £750.
That includes 7 sound sessions and 3 workshops, 7 nights accommodation, all your breakfast, lunch, soft and hot drinks and an opening night dinner.
NOTE - ordinarily this Substack is for features and writing as opposed to promoting stuff I have for you. But this feels like a seismic shift and a big moment so please excuse me muddling my channels up a bit for this retreat launch!
QUANTUM ASTROLOGY VIBES
So here we are in October, riding the wave of arguably one of THE astrological moments of 2023.
I generated the image above with the words Pluto, water and epic. AI still kind of freaks me out but I think it has the right mood with this one. Definite drama as we adjust to Pluto stationing direct (11th Oct) and beginning his journey back through those apex final degrees of Capricorn towards revolution and ascension in Aquarius… Fire and fight as Mars gets back on the dancefloor to a groove he’s down for, entering Scorpio on Oct 12th and triggering additional layers of fearless regeneration and reinvention. What does it all mean?
Well the prevailing astrology is being pretty relentless with what’s not for you. Between eclipses which signal unavoidable transformation, landmines of action that is screaming to be taken and a rapidly approaching Scorpio season (where EVERYTHING has a tendency to feel a little fever dream), things in your life that are no longer sustainable or desirable (perhaps your intuition has drawn that conclusion before your mind has got there) are simply not going to survive.
It’s why I laughed out loud when I pulled a group card on the eclipse evening and The Tower found it’s way out of the deck. Everything you know is crumbling… BUT those figures plummeting from the precipice, did they jump or were they pushed? It’s still up to you to take the lead on how you move through the waves of change. And there ARE waves - because those leaping figures and going to land safely in water, where Scorpio season will hold them.
But before then, we still have another week of solar Libra to fit in, plus the second eclipse (28th Oct) to prep for. This one will be the final eclipse in the Scorpio/Taurus axis so will have a different flavour to the Libra vibe we’ve just moved through. I’ll be sharing more on that next week, and my eclipse cheatsheet tailored to this final dance of the 2nd/8th signs will be available through my instagram next week - stay tuned to socials if you want to grab that free download a little closer to the final eclispe of this gateway.
Meanwhile, Libra season is absolutely flying, thanks in no small part to being kicked off with a mega super full moon back on Sept 29th and then a long and pretty energetically overwhelming lead into the eclipse tunnel, a portal which officially opened last weekend as the new moon in Libra partially eclipsed the sun.
Most people seem to have been reporting quite the tornado around this eclipse, in some ways perhaps a little unexpected for peace and justice-lover Libra. But the inversion of this moon is Aries, and the dance between self and partnership; who we are alone versus who we are as part of a pair; how we do the high vibrations of Aries (self focus, independence, fearlessness), versus the highest expression of Libra - bipartisanship, empathy, righteous seeking of truth.
Whilst the prevailing energetics of this eclipse ruled over our 1st and 7th houses - it’s always instructive to have a sense of where in your own chart it’s been blasting you with shadow and light. For example with Libra in my 9th house of travel, faraway lands and new learnings, and Aries giving my 3rd a sense of strong and individualised communication, I was able to lean into that knowledge and feel more confident in my endeavours here in India, knowing that the eclipse was specifically supporting major and FAST shifts in these areas.
I usually find that a few days AFTER a big cosmic happening is the best time to review and reflect - have a look at these journal prompts as you consider how this quantum energy has landed for you:
Where have you noticed yourself being more fearless and direct about asking for what you want?
Over the past week, have you felt quite self-focused, and perhaps a little guilty about that? Journal it out and release that people pleasing!
When you consider the word balance in terms of your relationships, what does it REALLY mean to you? Is it about parity over who cooks supper or does the shopping? Is it more to do with emotional balance and support? Perhaps draw out a set of Libra-like scales and explore what you put in each side.
PS. I’ve now made a separate page on my website for you to grab your chart AND my one-page cheatsheet on how to read it - you can download any time you like from the link below.
DOWNLOAD YOUR CHART AND MY CHEATSHEET HERE
A LITTLE MENTION FOR ADMIN
Setting up a home from scratch (and I mean FROM SCRATCH - I’ve been sleeping on the floor for 10 days!) and getting the shala ready for action has taken and continues to take a LOT of time and energy. And don’t even get me started on the complexities of Indian phone numbers and bank accounts! Consequently I’m still wading through oceans of admin both business and personal and if you’re waiting for a reply or followup from me, I PROMISE it’s on the list.
I’m also using this major life reset to do some work with the brilliant Mills Gray, business coach extraordinaire, who is helping me get a grip and sort my contacts and comms channels out.
This means bringing all my various contacts lists from here on Substack to insta, Mailchimp and my old newsletter database, into one cute and cuddly list. Mills tells me this is both essential and easy! Please bear with me while I get this spreadsheet festival sorted - I’m hoping it will make things simpler and clearer going forward, but it seemed like a good time to remind you that this Substack is my magazine vibes content for longer form features and words. Event launches and quick info flashes will come from another place. At least initially, if you’re on this Substack list you’ll be auto-added to the other newsletter. If you are just here for the reads, of course you can unsubscribe from that other list anytime you like.
List management makes my brain spin but I’m doing my best, so thanks for your patience while I get plugged in and apologies in advance for any list-related fluffs!
PS - I’ll also be working with Mills on her mega The Rewild Retreat again for 2024, back in lush East Sussex. If you’re looking for a brilliant UK based escape next summer, you can find out more here.
The setup at the 2023 Rewild Retreat, photo by the gorgeous Hels Palmer/Helix Design Studio. Look how long my hair had gotten!
AND FINALLY (promise)….
Here are a few things coming over the next few weeks:
Personal Evolution Retreat launch, to go alongside the Group Transformation Retreats I’ve been telling you about above.
Launch of Sound Healing for Yoga Teachers CPD.
Rebooted and completed Star Nomad (be your own astrologer) and Inner Oracle (intuition through tarot) self paced course releases. I KNOW. I’ve been saying this all summer but now I have the shala it’s all happening.
Sound Alchemy Mentorship Group Container launch alongside 1:1 coaching
Cosmic Alchemy Membership - quarterly astrology readings for a bundled up bargain price!
Some sort of order on Substack! You’ll be back to getting a weekly Monday column on cosmic happenings and energetic weather, as well as more regular features and long reads on all things sound, soul and stars. And a bit less of a tangental ramble about me!
And the eagle eyes will have noticed I’ve changed the name of this Substack to be consistent with the brand name and emerging new brand creative.
But honestly, I’m all out of juice for now, so that’s words for another day!
With love from Goa
Janie xxxx