The start of 2020 was fast moving for me! January feels like a whirlwind and I can't believe it's over...I'm not sure where it went. I wanted to take a pause today to reset and put some structures in place moving forward. Building in time where I can reflect and envision. I do it so that my self-care practices are built into the system, not an afterthought. Today I looked back over January and all that it brought: settling into a new space at Four Moons, getting Shamanic Journeying groups running again (I love these!), bringing in new clients, and continuing my work at a women's treatment center. Personally, this month also brought a lot of ups and downs. In reading through different astrological messages, my understanding is that a lot of old patterning and conditioning was brought right up in our faces (I know this to be true for me). This happened FOR us, not to us. It was so we could see clearly the ways in which we are still holding on to old stories or beliefs in order to acknowledge them, learn the lessons, and let them go. There are big changes on the horizon, upleveling, moving into new states of being. The ability to jump timelines, as one of my teachers puts it. Meaning we can very quickly move into a new life wondering, "How did that happen so fast? I thought it would take years for me to get there." The thing is, though, we have to clear the past in order to have space for something new to show up. Last week I did five soul retrievals (six if you count the one that happened spontaneously in my meditation one day). It's always so interesting to me when multiple clients need the same kind of healing. Through soul retrieval, we witness the wounding, identify the contract we made as a result of that wounding and have the chance to rewrite the contract if we choose. Then we find the soul part that left (as a way to protect us) so that we can bring it back and with it, our vitality, life force, and essence. Finally, we are given a gift to remind us of our wholeness. One of my clients had this radiant little girl with dirt in her hands return, bringing joy, play, and connection to the earth. Another rewrote a contract that originally told her to run away from all fear and shifted it into "Safety can be found in ways other than running and hiding. I can keep myself safe." Soul retrievals are a way to bring awareness to the shadows so that we can see the wound, honor it, and in doing so we no longer have to carry the weight of it with us. We are free to move forward. As I was wondering about the timing of the five soul retrievals, I happened to read a blog with new moon insights and it said, "Right now, we the people, individually and collectively are moving through a time of Soul retrieval, where we are taking our power back." I love how it's all connected. Once we heal our past and take back our power, we create space within. There is now room to receive what it is we want in our lives. We heal the past so that we can live in the present moment. In this moment, there is only expansion and possibility. We get to choose who we want to be and how we want to act. And we can begin dreaming our future into being. By envisioning what we want, then we can align our actions in the direction of those dreams. As January comes to a close, I invite you to give yourself some time for reflection. How has this year started off for you? What is it you need to give yourself more of? Are there places where you need to say no or set boundaries? And what is it you want to envision for February and beyond?