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WHY DO ANIMALS LICK?

We have all had the adorable experience of being licked by a companion animal. While it may appear that they are trying to communicate their love of us, we may in fact be misjudging the situation. Often animals exhibit behaviour that seems cute and cuddly when in fact they are trying to tell us something entirely different. Cats and dogs communicate in a variety of ways of which many people are unaware. Unless paying close attention and being open to why an animal is behaving a certain way, many of these communicative efforts go unnoticed.

Many cats and dogs develop a “licking” habit and it may be a warning sign to pay attention to. Though it may seem like your cat or dog is grooming or kissing you, sometimes they are, however this is very often not the case. Whether physical or behavioural, when an animal begins to excessively lick, this is a very first sign of something serious.

Animals lick excessively for several reasons. The first and least problematic is that they were weaned too early from their mothers. This is common in certain breeding situations. When the breeder is careless and takes the babes from their mother before they’re finished feeding from her, the babies will compensate for the rest of their lives by suckling and licking people or toys. This licking behaviour is also common in situations where something happens to the mother and she is unavailable to feed her babies. This , again, often results in a lifelong licking habit.

Animals may lick objects in the house that are non-food related such as furniture, appliances, walls or other metals. This is a sign of many potential issues that bear examination. One such issue is that they have developed a compulsive licking habit as a result of household stress. If an animal lives in a home with constant noise, yelling and arguing, people regularly filtering in and out of the house, a dirty environment, a smoky home, a home with an offensive odour, many children yelling and screaming and pulling on his ears or tail or any other type of high stress household, they may outlet their anxiety by licking household items, excessively self-grooming or licking their people. In this particular case, this dog or cat is attempting to communicate that her/his living conditions are too stressful. It is important to take heed of what you and your family members are currently doing to impose this behaviour on your animal. It is important to take significant measures to tone down whatever you are doing to offend your animal. After all, your animal is a member of your family just like the rest of you. Only he is unable to verbally ask you to turn down your volume, stop smoking, ask the kids to stop jumping on and tugging at his ears and tail and so on. So he begins to compulsively lick.

As opposed to physical behaviours, there is a more dangerous side to excessive licking. This danger lies in the health-related licking patterns. One such behaviour is excessive licking of people as a message that the animal is thirsty and dehydrated. Feline and canine dehydration is highly prevalent amd and dangerous in  today’s society. With the human belief that dry food and water provides adequate moisture to their diet, they suffer. Dry food is dehydrated food. If anyone was to attempt to subsist on dehydrated food for their whole lives, their insides would shrivel up. Water alone is insufficient in terms of providing and distributing moisture to all of the body’s organs. Water is an excellent cleanser of toxins from the body, however it often does not nourish the body as it needs. By adding extra moisture to their diet such as wild salmon oil or coconut oil and/or wet food or bone broth, you will be adding necessary moisture to their diet, thereby decreasing the likelihood of dehydration. In a best case scenario, integrating whole foods such as ground turkey or beef, whole pieces of fish or chicken, venison or other forms of whole proteins (WITHOUT sauces and spices!), you will be ensuring that adequate moisture is distributed properly to their body’s organs and tissues. If your kitty or puppy is excessively licking you, themselves or other household objects, and you’re feeding a mostly or completely dry food diet, it is definitely time to consider a diet switch.

Because the kidneys are responsible for processing the body’s water as well as filtering the body’s toxins for urination, when a cat or dog eats mainly or all dry food, the kidneys have to work overtime to process the dry food through. This is because the kidneys do not have adequate moisture to properly and easily do their job. Withboit adequate moisture, the kidneys are forced to drain water from aml other of the body’s organs in order to process the toxins through. Prolonged dehydration from a dry-food based diet will inevitably lead to kidney failure and a lot of pain for your animal and yourself. This is because eventually, if the kidneys run out of sufficient moisture to process the body’s toxins to be eliminated in their urine, the toxins eventually build up within the kidneys and the kidneys shut down. This is the painful reality of kidney failure.  If your animal licks you excessively, it is always important to weed out this potentiality by adding more moisture to the diet. If, after a week or two of added moisture, the animal is still licking, you will know that it is not dehydration. **REMEMBER** Water alone is NOT sufficient moisture for a cat or dog. Ask your holistic vet about and Research EFA (essential fatty acids) supplements that are safe and nutritious for your companion.

Perhaps most dangerously, excessive licking of the animal’s own body is a sure sign of distress. Whether an animal is licking the wall or household item or excessively self-grooming, there is a potential that the animal is in extreme pain. Studies have linked wall-licking to severe headaches, extreme liver imbalances and other fatal illnesses. If you notice that your animal is excessively self- grooming, Pay attention to where the animal is grooming herself. Generally, excessive licking of the abdomen can mean a tummy ache, constipation, diarrhea, bladder crystals, painful elimination, or other physical discomfort. This can be a sign of extreme stress such as living in a house with a smoker or other strong and persistent odour. It could also mean severe abdominal pain. If your animal is excessively licking her/his spine or lower back, he may have a painful back injury that needs attention. Or, he may have a kidney issue as the kidneys of the cat and dog run along the lower portion of their spine. If the excessive grooming is accompanied by apparent straining to go to the bathroom, loss of appetite, lethargy, hiding, red eyes, vomiting, a discoloration of the tongue or saliva, or any other unusual symptoms, take your animal to a vet or holistic care practitioner IMMEDIATELY. If your animal is excessively grooming and it is not accompanied by any other “red flags”, pay attention to the levels of stress your animal may be encountering and do your best to remove the stresses from her life.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION OR MEDIUMSHIP READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

FULL MOON IN TAURUS 2020

Just like in the movies, our next full moon lands on Halloween. Marking the halfway point between the Autumnal Equinox and the Winter Solstice, our upcoming Blue Full Moon in Taurus on Halloween night brings about much magic and mystery as the veil between the third and fourth dimension is at its thinnest. This full moon is the second full moon in the month of October, rendering its label of a blue moon.

During the days surrounding Halloween, many believe that a gateway between the third and fourth dimension opens. Too many believers, on this occasion, consider it to be a time we are most likely to have an encounter or an experience with spiritual beings; some claim that they are not always of the benevolent persuasion. Many have used Divination tools such as Ouija boards, pendulums and other magical instruments to attempt to connect with beings in Spirit. Unfortunately, many are unaware how to safely connect with other dimensions and can put themselves at risk of connecting with malevolent beings. If you do choose to attempt to utilize the energy of this full moon on Halloween to attempt such an idea, be very certain that you are doing so in a safe and secure manner so as not to put yourself or your loved ones in danger. There are many available resources that will illustrate how to safely connect with benevolent beings who wish to share messages of hope and healing.

Because we experience two full moons in the month of October, there is an overall theme of release. With this Full Moon in Taurus, in combination with Mercury in retrograde, there is a focus on releasing what we once found to be stable, safe and secure. With all of the shifting that has gone on over the last year, we are undoubtedly ready to begin anew. In order to do so, we must prepare to release the old to make room for the new. With Taurean energy focusing on stability, safety and security, our awareness shifts to the areas of our life where we are ready to let go of old belief patterns associated with stability and security. This may mean the release of those aspects of our lives where we are holding onto relationships, material items or other things that once made sense or held great value to us but do no longer. In recognizing which belief patterns and structures are ready to be released, we are de-cluttering our lives, reorganizing and restructuring. However, because Mercury is in retrograde (https://soulsticespirit.com/2017/04/09/mercury-retrograde-what-does-it-mean/), we may have to wait until our nest full moon (November’s Full Moon/Eclipse in Gemini) to release what we have conjured up at this time.

In addition to the theatrical Blue Full Moon in Taurus on Halloween night, we also have Uranus, the planet of sudden insight and change aligned with the Moon. Meaning, at a certain point throughout the 72 hours surrounding the light of the Full moon in Taurus at 9:49am central time, we will receive a surprising piece of information. Or, we are likely to have a sudden, Earth-shattering, ground breaking, game changing realization. With the upcoming US election only three days after this full moon and all of the other global crises, this can truly be anybody’s game. Uranus is very likely to spring upon us information that could very well change the course of our lives completely. Uranus is the planet of spiritual awakening, which means that the Halloween Full Moon will be active, teeming with energy!

Taurus is one of two planets ruled by the planet Venus. Venusian energy is one of Divine femininity and beauty. Ordinarily, the Venusian energy would likely open our eyes to all of the magic, beauty and wonder that our great Universe gifts us. However, with Mercury in retrograde, instead of peering outward at the bountiful world, we will be prone to looking within. Ideally, we can take this opportunity to acknowledge our own inner beauty. For some of us, however, this may take work. And this full moon is the perfect time to do it! This is a fantastic time to learn to be kind to ourselves; to give ourselves a gentle break- to avoid being so harsh with ourselves. This is a fantastic time to practice using positive, loving words with ourselves so that upon the end of this Mercury retrograde, we will be well-versed and self kindness. So much so, that we will radiate love to all those whom we encounter. May we be a light, a beacon of hope to those in despair.

Despite all of the Earth-shattering and restructuring that this Full Moon brings, we can take comfort in the grounding, Earthy sign of Taurus. Taurus, an earth sign, encourages us to connect with nature. Particularly, while we are thrown off kilter during this powerful full moon time, there is a peaceful, calming temperament to nature itself. By rooting our feet into the ground of our Mother Earth and intending  to release all of the chaotic, overwhelming feelings that these days bring, we will allow ourselves be present in the moment. We can feel secure in knowing that whatever the present moment brings, we are safe and cared for. We are loved beyond all measure, more than we can ever grasp. We can feel safe in believing that the Universe only gives us what we can handle. If we are handed a challenge, it is only because we are given the task of believing in ourselves and our abilities to overcome these challenges.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR MEDIUMSHIP OR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION READING, email: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

5 WAYS TO GIVE BACK

In times of struggle, we rely on our companion animals to carry us through. During this pandemic we have all experienced a rollercoaster of emotions; from joy to sadness to fear and frustration. And our animals have been alongside us, supporting us every step of the way. They have not only lived out their life roles as our companions, they have chosen to be with us at this time in order to aim to take our pain away. Even though they cannot fully take our pain away at any given moment, they strive to be the kind of unique support for us that each and every one of us needs. They relentlessly give of themselves, selflessly so that we have even a moment of peace on our journeys.

Though there is a vast myriad of ways that we can give back to our animals, here are five easily attainable ways that we can give back the kind of love to our animals that they need in order to feel healthy and at peace as they live out the challenging task of taking care of us.

1. SPECIES APPROPRIATE DIET– One of, of not the most important aspects of caring for our beloved companion animal friends is to ensure that they are well fed and adequately nourished. While some of us may be rolling our eyes out of certitude that we are indeed properly feeding our animals, we may want to think again. There are several main staples of knowledge of animal food that must go into every meal. Proper nutrition is an integral component in giving back to our animals. Ensuring that your animals are eating whole foods and not by-products, ingredients that you cannot pronounce or worse; ingredients that are labeled with buzzwords such as “powdered cellulose” (sawdust) or “corn gluten” (weed-killer). Choose foods that list whole foods such as “deboned chicken”, instead of “ocean fish” (the dregs of the ocean; i.e. the most polluted, non-specified fish in the ocean). Choose to research what your animals can and cannot digest. As an example, many cat parents are completely unaware that cats lack the digestive enzyme responsible for the breakdown of grains in the digestive system. This means that they are literally unable to digest grains. Most store-bought cat food is high in grains such as human grade cereal. What happens to our kitty friends when they eat the grains they cannot digest? They get metabolized as sugars and mess with their insulin levels, causing insulin spikes and troughs which very often leads to diabetes and obesity. Research a species appropriate diet. This is to say, research the types of diets that your animal friends ate as wild cats and dogs in nature. Research what their gastrointestinal systems thrive on and what will send them into ill health. Research why veterinary recommended brands cause more harm than good to your animal’s health because of their mainly preservative filled ingredient list. Read as much quality information as you can about what is healthy for your cats and dogs. Do not blindly trust your vet or food brand company. Look into where your food was sourced; the distance it had to travel to get to your store, the nutrient quality of the food, what whole foods are and any other information you can find from a credible source. By feeding our companion animals nutritious diets, they will be more resilient in times of stress, building up resistance to it; stopping illness from penetrating their immune systems. By feeding them nutritious, nourishing foods on a daily basis, we are ensuring that they have the strength to be the best healers they can be. We are ensuring that they have the stamina to accomplish what they came into our lives to do. Healthy eating means a longer life and a better quality of life.
2. ENSURING OUR HOMES ARE AS QUIET AS POSSIBLE– Though the struggle of parents with young children during the Covid-19 pandemic is very real, we must also pay close attention to how our home environments are affecting our companion animals. Of course it is next to impossible to expect our young children to sit still and be quiet at this time; especially when they are stuck at home with no school, no recess and inadequate physical activity. That said, animals are extremely noise sensitive. They are also fearful of the unpredictable behaviours of children. It is extremely valuable, when planning out our days at home to be mindful of how our household noise will impact the health and well being of our animal friends. While this is a touchy subject and not meant to place additional pressure on parents, it is meant to invoke the concepts of understanding the animal’s perspective of the pandemic. At this time, allowing our companion animals a “time out” by putting them in a bedroom or den behind a closed door for an hour or two per day will allow them a safe zone where they will not feel overwhelmed by loud children or by children who climb on them, and pull their ears and tail. Moreover, if you do have children who are unable to respect the boundaries of your animals and do pull their ears and tail. Do not be surprised if your animal defends himself by lashing out with a bite or scratch. THIS IS HOW ANIMALS COMMUNICATE BOUNDARIES. Please do everyone in your household a favour and teach your children to respect the boundaries of your animals. By giving your animals a time out for an hour or two per day behind closed doors, you are allowing your animals a short time to relax in peace and harmony.
3. ENSURING OUR HOMES ARE CLEAN & TIDY– Naturally speaking, companion animals are very clean beings. Let us remember that we share our homes with them. They are unable to clean up after themselves. More to the point, they are unable to clean up after us. Companion animals find dirty environments to be very uncomfortable. Dirt and clutter can seriously impede a companion animal’s sense of inner peace. Additionally, many companion animals develop allergies and other respiratory issues that stem from dusty, bacteria ridden and mouldy homes. It is their role to care for us; to keep our emotional, mental and spiritual balance and it is our role to keep their homes clean and tidy. Though regular cleaning of our homes can become labour intensive, remember you’re not doing it for you, you’re doing it for your best friend and emotional support system.
4. ENERGY WORK– For many reasons, energy work is a MUST at this time. In addition to its well-known promotion of relaxation and inner peace, energy work such as Reiki provides an outlet for animals’ stress. Animals are highly spiritual beings. They are also very physical beings. Particularly in homes where during this pandemic we have limited outdoor access, it is crucial to provide our companion animals with an outlet for their stress. Because companion animals feel that it is their role to remove our stress in every way shape and form, we must acknowledge the reality that they can and do easily fall into illness. When animals become stressed and overworked as a result of their home lives, they will harness the stress within their small bodies. Ordinarily, activities such as exercise will allow the animal mostly adequate release of this stressful energy. However, in times like these we have limited access to the regular forms of exercise in which we engage with our animals. In times like these when we are infinitely more stressed out than usual, bearing in mind that our animals are like little energy sponges and absorb the stresses of their people and environments, it is vital to the health of our companion animals that we create regular intervals of experience where our animals are able to release their stresses. Should we choose to ignore the stresses of our companion animals, what will happen to them? Simply put, their bodies will react exactly the same way as ours would under repeated and prolonged exposure to stress. Their bodies will eventually give in to the toxic energies and fall into poor health and eventually disease. Engaging in regular energy work such as Reiki is an ideal way to promote the release of pent up stress from within our companion animals, especially when exercise and long trips outdoors are not an option. Energy healing allows for the stable peace of mind and inner harmony that comes along with removing the pockets of ill (stress) energy from the energy field and body of your companion animal before it becomes detrimental to your animal’s health. If you are not practiced at energy work with animals on your own, connecting with a professional animal energy worker is helpful, even if she/he is unable to come to your home. The professional energy worker should be well versed at the art of distance-energy work and will be able to discuss with you the benefits of energy healing from a distance.
5. TELL THEM HOW YOU’RE FEELING– By keeping our animals informed about how they are healing our hearts and souls, they will feel like they are a valuable presence in our lives. Sure, we know they are but how often do we tell them? True, most companion animals do not understand most human language. However we must not underestimate their ability to understand the energy behind our words. In the companion animal mind, it is their role to keep us balanced and joyful. If they are unable to do this, they feel as though they are not doing their job. By telling our animals how much we appreciate them, by telling them how much we love them and that they ARE helping us to feel better, they will feel that there are doing a job well done! Of course they are here to listen to us when we are feeling down, and we can tell them this as well. We may even be surprised at their reaction when we do tell them we are feeling sad!

These are five of many ways that we can give back to our animals during this pandemic and at any other given time. All our animals want to do is to love us. Though they will never ask us for anything in return (except for maybe food!), we can be continuously inspired by their generosity of spirit and give them the kind of love and respect that they deserve.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION OR MEDIUMSHIP SESSION, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com .

SUPERMARS AND NEW MOON IN LIBRA 2020

On Friday, October 16^th, we witness our next new moon. This new moon is one of two amazing celestial events this week! This new moon is born in the sign of Libra. With both our sun and moon in the sign of Libra on this day, we are sure to spend our time seeking balance in every aspect of life that we can.

The first of the two amazing celestial events comes to a crux on the night of October 13^th. Gradually building up until this night, we observe our warrior planet Mars at its biggest and brightest. As Mars aligns with Earth and the Sun, we feel its tensions boil. Tuesday night we witness both a spectacular sight as well as an astrological phenomenon which captivates the skies in its narrowest gap between The Sun and Mars until 2035. On a clear night, we can see Mars at its closest to Earth. As Mars and the Sun bookend our Earth in alignment, we see the Sun illuminate the red planet, creating a bright red light in our night sky.

In astrological terms, our Earth’s placement between The Sun and the Mars creates a viewpoint of a heated, sunlit, angry Mars.  The Sun’s casting of light onto our red planet from our viewpoint on Earth can cause egos to flare. Mars, called “the red planet” is named so both for its red colour as well as its warlike energy. Mars is the God of war. This is to say that each time we experience a prominent Mars on our journey we are prone to feeling a headstrong desire to fight! For those of us with dominant energies, we may want to take a note that this Martian influence is a great time to become aware of how to keep our ego in check. The bright and powerful sun is casting its light onto our red, aggressive planet and creating an emboldened sense of anger, destructiveness and antagonism. Before we fall prey to these hostile energies, we may choose to channel this headstrong energy into a creative outlet. We may choose to harness the battalion-minded energy and pour it into a physical project or into physical activity, as physical activity is sure to burn off the excess energies. It is important, at this time in our Earth’s evolution, to be mindful of others. The general tendency of people at this time can be to anger quickly, to become frustrated and to take it out on each other. Let us remember that we have a choice; we can be part of the problem or we can be part of a solution that cares about, respects and loves one another. It is our choice.

With our sun and moon in the sign of Libra during the final part of this week, we are sure to be ready to reclaim the balance that had fallen by the wayside; both earlier in the week and earlier in the year. The Zodiac sign of Libra is depicted as “the scales”. The scales represent each person’s balance. Likened to the Tarot card Justice, where an authority figure is holding the scales, we are being called upon to seek out the areas of our lives and our consciousness that are imbalanced. We are called upon to examine how and why they may be unbalanced and further, to seek the means of bringing balance and restoration back into those areas of our consciousness and our lives.

There is a tendency among Libran energy to give into the dramatic nature of our lives. Given that Libra is so concentrated on balance, relationships are no exception. Take care not to become overdramatic when engaged in emotional, heart-centered conversations with your partner. Should you find yourself behaving in this way, you will live to regret it. Take a moment to gather yourself before you choose to speak with loved ones so that you avoid speaking any words you’re unable to take back. Conversely, if you are in a relationship where you have found that you have been giving far more than you have received, this new moon will find a way to bring your relationship back to balance.

Avoiding the opportunity to give into our ego, our dramatic nature also means letting go of the areas of our lives where we are stuck on self-blame. This new moon is particularly helpful for beginning the process of letting go of guilt, shame and all of the lower energies that surround these difficult feelings. This new moon is the opportunity to begin this process, allowing us the time period from now until the light of the full moon in two weeks time. During the waxing of this moon, we may focus on and prepare ourselves for letting go of these aspects of our consciousnesses for the purpose of creating room for newer, higher vibrations that are more in alignment with our futures. For in a short few months, we will see a new and beautiful reality!

The new moon is an opportune time to meditate on our intentions for our futures. With so much uncertainty in the world at this time, during this new moon, we can shift our awareness away from global chaos and toward an angle of self-mastery. By setting our intentions to getting to know ourselves on our deepest, most fragile levels, we can begin to overcome many of our self-doubts and fears. With hard work we can rise above the ambiguity of the months to come.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR MEDIUMSHIP OR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com.

BUYER BEWARE

Most dogs will eat virtually anything. Most cats will not. Despite their different habits, neither gets to choose what we feed them. It’s clear that most of us would do anything to keep our dogs and cats as healthy as possible for as long as possible. But with so much conflicting information regarding companion animal health, how are we to know what makes a healthy meal?

Though there are many philosophies and schools of thought on the subject, there are some definite no-no’s when it comes to purchasing dog & cat food. Here is a list of 10 commonly found, easily avoidable ingredients in cat & dog foods that have been shown to harm the animals who consume them:

1. UNSPECIFIED MEAT– If your dog or cat food label lists “meat” as its primary or secondary ingredient on its list (or anywhere else on the ingredient list for that matter!) you are feeding your animal road kill, animals who have already died (before they won the winning opportunity to die in the slaughtering plant) due to old age or illness as well as euthanized dogs and cats, which are distinctly labelled ‘meat’ or ‘meat meal’ in very low quality dog and cat foods.
   
2. UNSPECIFIED FISH– While fish itself can have its nutritional qualities for dogs and cats, if you notice that your food label lists “fish” without specifying what type of fish is in the food, you are likely feeding you companion animal the most polluted fish, called Tilefish, that are accidentally caught in the fishing net when fishermen and women cast the net to catch sea foods. Also labeled ‘Ocean fish’ or ‘whitefish’, this type of fish is simply a cheap way to call the formula a ‘fish’ formula. Tilefish is so polluted that it will often cause allergies in cats and dogs such as itching, hair loss, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms.
   
3. BHA/BHT– preservatives that have been shown in studies to contain human carcinogens. *A carcinogen is any substance that promotes carcinogenesis which is a process in the formation of cancer.
   
4. SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE– Can’t pronounce it? That’s reason alone to realize its lack of health for our animals. Sodium Hexametaphosphate is a preservative that has been linked to skin irritation, swollen kidneys and stunted growth.
   
5. FOOD DYES– Most commonly found in kibble (dry food- don’t get me started in why dry food is absolutely unhealthy and harmful to your animal companion!) Food dyes have been linked to concentration disorders in both humans and animals. Red 40, Yellow 5 & 6 all contain benzidone which is a human and animal carcinogen. Food dyes have also been known to cause severe tummy aches (well obviously since food dyes are all chemicals!), IBS and chronic diarrhea.
   
6. CARAGEENAN– another preservative that is has been linked to intestinal inflammation. It has also been shown in studies to cause gastrointestinal ulcerations, IBS, cancer and other food allergies. Though Carageenan looks like it may be healthy because it is derived from red seaweed, do not be fooled. This preservative can be quite harmful to our furry friends’ digestive systems.
   
7. POWDERED CELLULOSE– While this fancy name may sound like it’s a healthy, plant-based ingredient, it is not. Powdered Cellulose, simply put, is sawdust. Yes, sawdust. Powdered Cellulose is one of the most common ingredients found in almost all cat and dog foods. It is use as filler. Marketing companies use this sawdust to up the fibre content of cat and dog food. Technically, sawdust may be full of fibre, but its clearly NOT the kind of fibre that will aid in anyone’s digestion. Needless to say, Powdered Cellulose is extremely inflammatory and can cause arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, IBS, chronic diarrhea, upset stomach, among other inflammatory illnesses.
   
8. CORN GLUTEN– Corn Gluten is another brilliant marketing scheme. Consumers read it in a label and think that they’re feeding their animals a nutritious ingredient. However, they are wrong. First, animals cannot digest corn as it is. Second, Corn Gluten is not even whole corn. It is the remnants of the corn that has been leftover from the corn processing operation; from field to table. That may not sound so bad, right? Wrong. This corn gluten is so toxic that farmers have been using it to kill weeds on their land for decades- MUCH longer than anyone has been using it as filler in cat and dog food. Do you want to feed your animals a by-product that has been used to kill weeds?
   
9. ANIMAL BY-PRODUCT– there is much controversy surrounding the use of animal by-product in processed cat & dog food. For all interested parties, animal by-product is the word that marketing companies use to cover a wider variety of animal parts that are leftover after the processing operation from farm to store (or plate). These leftover parts include; chicken beaks, chicken feet, hooves, brains, hair. Undeveloped eggs, heads –  the list goes on. Where the controversy arises is that by-products also contain liver, intestines, kidneys, spleen, stomach, lungs, hearts and other vital organs. Some professionals (both western medical veterinarians as well as homeopathic doctors) claim that these vital organs are rich in pure proteins and energies that can be used to heal the body in a myriad of ways. While this may be the case, do you want to feed your animals beaks, feet, hooves, brains and heads? While there is some merit to feeding our animals whole organs, why not skip the by-product altogether and head to a butcher shop for clean organ meat?
10. BREWERS RICE– Rice sounds like a healthy part of a balanced meal, yes? Brewers rice couldn’t be further from a balanced part of a whole meal. For one, cats are physiologically unable to digest grains. They lack the digestive enzyme that is responsible for the breakdown of grains. Thus, when they consume grains and starches, they metabolize as sugars and can wreak havoc on their insulin levels. This is often where feline diabetes originates. Friends, do yourselves, your cats and your bank accounts a favour and skip the grains altogether.
    Dogs, however, can digest grains. Whole grains, that is. Sadly, Brewer’s Rice is NOT a whole grain. Brewer’s Rice is the by-product of the white rice processing operation. It is essentially cracked pieces and fragments of white rice that are leftovers. Brewer’s Rice is filler that causes inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and other painful conditions for your dog. If that wasn’t bad enough, recently studies have shown trace amounts of arsenic in rice. Arsenic is a highly toxic poison that can cause bladder cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, kidney cancer among other irreversible, painful diseases.

Above is a short list of harmful ingredients to watch for on dog & cat food labels. There are innumerable others that are harmful, which is why it is always best to DO YOUR RESEARCH. Read labels. If you are unsure what a particular ingredient is, look it up. By taking the few minutes it takes to look something up, you could be saving your animal much pain and suffering. While researching ingredients, it is always beneficial to go to more than one credible source, such as your western medical veterinarian AND your holistic veterinary practitioner. By seeking information from both sources, you will be learning a complete spectrum of knowledge as both eastern and western medicine complement each other.

Ingredients aside, undoubtedly, the best action you can take in feeding your companion animals is to research a species appropriate diet. Research what your breed of cat or dog woul eat in the wild and find a diet that most closely mirrors that. Feeding your animals whole foods such as organic or free-range beef, chicken, (non farmed) fish, venison, rabbit in addition to steamed greens if they will eat them, is a sure-fire way to ensure that they are eating a locally sourced, nutritious diet.

** be sure to ask your vet about proper portions and combinations with respect to feeding your animals whole foods and species appropriate diets. There are MANY important ingredients that our animals need. Sadly, when most humans prepare homemade meals for our animal friends their intentions are great but they lack the education to feed them a completely balanced meal. This is why it is crucial to partner up with your holistic veterinarian to find the best combination of proteins, vitamins and minerals for your animal friends!

TO SCHEDULE YOUR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION OR MEDIUMSHIP READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

HARVEST MOON: FULL MOON IN ARIES 2020

A quintessential hallmark of the autumn season, at 4:05pm on Thursday, Oct 1marks this year’s Harvest Full Moon. The unusual nature of this year’s Harvest Moon is twofold; typically, the Harvest Full Moon waxes in the sign of Aries during the month of September, however this year it waxes in October. Secondly, this Harvest Full Moon is the first of two full moons in the month of October, rendering the second one a blue moon. This two-full moon- month occurs approximately once every three years.

Full moons are magical for many reasons. One of which is that spiritually, the full moon is a time to release old energies that no longer serve us. At the time of, or day of the full moon, it is commonplace to take the time to ponder what beliefs, thoughts and feelings are holding us back from our true life’s purposes. In essence, we do not have just one life’s purpose, we have several. To that end, which of our beliefs, thoughts and feelings are preventing us from living our best life? By taking the time to consider those that fall under this umbrella, followed by intending for them to be released forever from our minds and hearts, we are one step closer to finding the inner peace we crave so deeply.

The Harvest Moon waxes full in the sign of Aries. For those of us sensitive to the lunar influences, we will likely be full of fiery Aries energy for at least the 48 hours surrounding the full moon itself. When the moon is in Aries, we can run head first into new projects, especially physical ones such as painting, redecorating or cleaning house. However Aries is also heavily accident prone so if you do choose to capitalize on the grand physical Aries energy, ensure that you pay close attention to your actions as you could easily end up injured. Too, true to Aries form, we may find that the motivation to begin new projects looms large, however the follow through is rather lacking.

At this time, there is great potential for personal breakthroughs. With the fiery, motivated Aries energy burning a fire under our bottoms, we can summon the mental energy necessary to delve deeply into our consciousness. We will feel inclined to examine our identities; who we think we are, how we see ourselves and how we believe the external world sees us. (  https://soulsticespirit.com/2020/04/12/who-do-you-think-you-are/ – a look at how you have shaped your identity)  The more closely we examine, compare and contrast who we believe we are, the more we will resonate with a new awareness of our identity. In addition to the aforementioned opportunity for releasing that accompanies every full moon, our full moon in Aries steadily brings about opportunity for personal growth and revelation.

Our relationship with our identity can also be closely examined by the social light of our current Libra sun. With our moon’s placement in fiery Aries, our sun remains in the airy sign of Libra. Due to its social nature, Libra illuminates the aspect of our identity that correlates to how others perceive us and how we perceive how others perceive us. We may, at this time, be reminded that those whom we attract are a reflection of the state at which we are currently in. So that if we are attracting people and situations that are unpleasant, we can self examine once again. We can ask ourselves: what aspects of our consciousness are attracting these unpleasant circumstances? Would we like to alter what we attract? If so, how can we do so? What are the steps necessary to streamline the vibe we put out in order to attract the positivity we deserve? Conversely, should we be attracting people and situations that reinforce joy and positivity, we can ask ourselves the same questions. We can praise ourselves for radiating the love and positivity we attract.

Given the timing of this moon, this Full Harvest Moon is about giving thanks for the blessed abundance that we have been gifted. Whether the abundance is money, food or any other privilege, the time of the harvest is to be grateful. This is a time to acknowledge that our hard work has paid off and that the reward is sweet.

This Harvest Full Moon is all about self-awareness. It is about becoming aware of what to release and acclimating to awareness in a new light. It is about re-evaluating, shifting and up-leveling. This is a time to cast away our previous concepts of our own identities and to be open to understanding that our life experiences do not define us. They are merely experiences that we have lived through, negative or positive. Our identities are not defined by illness, poverty, abusive pasts- our identities are defined by a level of kindness, compassion and empathy toward self and others that is ever-changing, growing and evolving. Every day we have the opportunity to choose who we are by our actions, thoughts, beliefs and feelings. By choosing kindness toward self and others, we are choosing an identity that is more and more closely in alignment with our Divine purpose on Earth.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR MEDIUMSHIP OR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com.

5 STEPS TO SELF CARE

Self care in itself is spiritual practice. As healers and empaths we often neglect to take the time to properly care for ourselves. All too easily we become overwhelmed by the many aspects of our lives that call to us. Before we know it the day has passed us by and we have forgotten to take time out for ourselves for self care. With all that is occurring in the world and almost nowhere to escape from it, we are likely to feel easily drained and overtired. Though many of us have very limited amounts of “free” time, there are several daily time-friendly practices in which we can engage in order to promote self care and overall well-being.

1)    STOP MAKING EXCUSES FOR PEOPLE- As sensitive souls, we are often known to be peacekeepers in interpersonal relationships. Whether romantic or plutonic in nature, we are likely to find ourselves rationalizing the hurtful or offensive behaviour of loved ones in order to avoid conflict.  We often rationalize and excuse their behaviour because we feel that we can accept everyone for who they are and that we are immune to their negativity. It is our nature as healers and empaths to make excuses for the behaviour of others, even when it offends or hurts us deeply. In order to nurture and care for ourselves, we must remember that it is acceptable to put our own need first. If we are repeatedly hurt or offended by the actions and behaviours of others, it is safe to remove ourselves from the situation. It is safe to accept that these types of people are not contributing to our well being in a positive way. It is safe to accept that after repeated, hurtful behaviour, these people may not be the right fit for us in our lives at this time. Should these excuses we make be for family members or those whom we are unable to remove from our lives, it is important for us to take the time to ground ourselves before and after any interactions with these people. This grounding may take the form of writing, drawing, connecting with nature or any other healthy outlet to which we are drawn. While it is our goal to be non judgmental toward all humans, it is not our job to accept their repeatedly offensive and hurtful behaviour on the grounds that “they have had it rough”, “we deserved it” or any other excuse we can come up with. Though it is important to respect where others have come from, their hurtful behaviour wears on us. After prolonged exposure it even has the capacity to wear on our self respect, self confidence and self love. There is a fine line between accepting someone for who they are and allowing ourselves to shove our hurt feelings down inside to our own detriment. It is never ok to continuously put our own hurt feelings aside to make somebody else feel good.  Be honest with yourself and others. If someone is being hurtful towards you, it is acceptable to walk away.

2)    SET REALISTIC BOUNDARIES FOR YOURSELF AND STICK TO THEM- As empaths and healers we are prone to being energetically drained by other people and circumstances. It is crucial to our well being that we create boundaries for ourselves. This most often means learning to say “NO”. As healers and empaths, it is our second nature, our duty, to help anyone and everyone we can. While this is quite a noble feat, we often tend to go overboard. We often tend to ignore our body’s warning signs that it needs to rest because we are so caught up in caring for others. But what we must remind ourselves that the very best way to care for others is to care for ourselves. And this means setting boundaries with others so that we allow ourselves the time to rest and recharge. This means taking the time to listen to our bodies and hearts to hear them speak of what they need to be balanced. And once we have heard their needs, follow their advices. It is one thing to tell ourselves that we are going to stop doing something, yet it is entirely more effective to stick to the resolution! Be firm with yourself in knowing what you need to keep yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually healthy- and stick to it! After all, we cannot pour from an empty cup!

3)    RESPECT YOURSELF- Self respect is an integral part of self-care. Under the umbrella of self respect are many ideals. Eating healthy food, resting well and exercising to the best of our ability are all adequate ways of respecting ourselves and our bodies. Aside from the physical aspects of self respect, there are various mental and spiritual. To be patient with yourself is to respect yourself. Understand where your beliefs and feelings end and others’ begin; avoid confusing the two. Subscribing to the beliefs and thoughts of others- if out of alignment with ours- can be exhausting. Any beliefs and actions that we take that are out of alignment with or authentic selves are not genuine. The lesser genuine we become, the more exhausting life becomes. Be firm in your convictions however do so without trying to prove to anyone who you are and what you believe. Part of self respect is being confident with who you are and what you believe without allowing ego to interfere. Whether going along with the beliefs of others or forcing your beliefs on others, you may find that you become easily depleted. The preceding behaviours are out of alignment with your highest good. To realign with your highest good is to stay firm in your convictions and to have compassion for those who do not.

4)    LEARN TO SAY “YES”- LET GO OF LIMITING BELIEFS, THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS- Part of caring for ourselves is to acknowledge that we often engage in limiting thoughts, beliefs and actions. When we tell ourselves “no” or “I can’t” or “I shouldn’t”, we are limiting our potential. Often we object to taking breaks or vacations because we feel we “can’t afford” or “can’t leave”. While not everyone can necessarily go on a month long cruise of the Caribbean, everyone has the ability to take a “time out” once in a while. Everyone has the ability to take a few hours away from their stressors to go into nature or to turn off their phones and listen to relaxing music in their favourite room of their house. By telling ourselves “I can” take a break, we are allowing our bodies to recharge.
By telling yourself “Yes, I can take healthy steps to change my life” instead of being afraid of new and potentially exciting new experiences, you will be changing the very fabric of your life. You will be tailoring your life to a higher and better version of itself. You will be creating a far more optimistic life path for yourself.
The energy that comes along with saying “Yes!” to new opportunity is far more positive for the body and mind than telling yourself “No”. The “yes” vibration allows you to be open to receive all of the wonderful blessings and gifts that the universe has for you!

5)    LET GO OF UNHEALTHY ATTACHMENTS- Buddha rightfully claimed that “Attachment is the root of all suffering”. When we become attached to material items, people or circumstances, we are creating the potential for suffering. By practicing detachment from all of the above, we are lesser likely to be disappointed when these things leave us or fail to go the way we’d hoped. Nothing is permanent. To understand the impermanence of all that comes in and out of our lives is to be free of attachment to them.
That said, it is often difficult to release attachment to loved ones. This is because in the human body we form emotional bonds with others. It is even often difficult to release attachment to workplaces and sentimental items for the same reasons. However, often we outgrow these relationships, circumstances and items. Though we have outgrown them, letting them go can prove to be quite challenging. But the more we hold on, the more they can breed suffering. This suffering naturally takes its toll on our well being. This is because these people or situations that we have outgrown are often out of alignment with our current vibration. As many of us know, the further long our spiritual path we venture, the more we gravitate away from that which no longer serves our highest good. When we invest our energy into those situations that no longer serve our highest good, we will invariably find that our energy becomes quickly drained. This is because we are constantly descending our energy to meet those old vibrations which we outgrew.  It is of great import to learn to recognize when an unhealthy attachment is forming and to release it immediately. By aiming to release attachment to all unhealthy situations, we are saving our energy from certain depletion.

Particularly in today’s world where we are often surrounded by misery on the news, at work or on social media self care is a must. Self care is self love. By engaging in positive action toward self care, we will become stronger and more empowered versions of ourselves. We will feel more energized and far better equipped to be the best versions of ourselves we can be!

TO SCHEDULE YOUR MEDIUMSHIP OR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION SESSION, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com.

NEW MOON IN VIRGO 2020- THE GATEWAY OF HOPE

At 6:00 am sharp on September 17^th, 2020, we witness our next New Moon in Virgo. New Moons are the start of a lunar cycle, allowing us the opportunity to begin creatively anew. As each new moon’s origin, we are granted the blessing of time to contemplate our heart’s desires and take the initial steps to act upon them by penning our innermost intentions. As the moon grows larder, so do our intentions.  At the time of this cycle’s full moon, our intentions will have grown to their full capacity and will be able to be released into the universe in order to bring return on our intentions in accordance with Divine timing.

This new moon is the first of three super new moons, which take us all the way to the end of this calendar year to a Total Solar New Moon/ Eclipse. The super new moons are those which are closest in proximity to our planet Earth and therefore are believed to have a stronger influence over us both via the tides as well as in a spiritual capacity. New moons are powerful new beginnings and this month’s “super” title could create a more reinforced ability to manifest our life goals for the coming months. The lineup of the three super new moons leading up to our solar eclipse could be the gateway of hope and positivity that we have all been seeking during this year of devastation and tumult. Through the series of super new moons, we will find ourselves, accompanied by the universe, breaking down and transforming old, unhealthy beliefs and habits and constructing new and higher self-alignments.

During this lunar period (24 hours before and after the exact time of the New Moon), the moon will align with the Lunar Nodes. Lunar Nodes are said to indicate the soul lessons that we are here to learn both on an individual level as well as the collective. According to astrology, your life purpose and your life lessons are encoded in both the north node and the south node. Lunar odes are mathematical points in your astrological chart that represent our karmic path, revealing both the challenges and gifts that we bring into the world upon incarnation. At this time, during this New Moon in Virgo, our moon forms a 90 degree angle with our Lunar Nodes, highlighting them, bringing through a heightened energy; physical and spiritual. To best utilize this beautiful and prevailing energetic alignment, making the time to rest, it is best to eat well and to reaffirm positive actions, thoughts beliefs and feelings about ourselves. Taking the time to breathe and be still whenever possible, and to prepare to release all that holds us back from progressing on our spiritual and life journeys. During this new moon and its Lunar Nodes, we can gather together old thoughts, feelings and beliefs and prepare to release them during the pending full moon in two weeks time.

Though this may seem like a terribly chaotic time, we can take comfort in remembering that chaos is temporary. We can take the time to connect with our Divinity, with the aspect of our consciousness that remains ever-connected with the Divine Source Consciousness. By engaging in regular connection with this aspect of our consciousness, we are perpetually reminded that all of the trials through which we wade on Earth in these bodies and minds are all for our greater good. We have a higher purpose that is reinforced each time we connect with our soul; the aspect of our consciousness that remains unchanged, unharmed and unaffected by Earthly chaos. We may also value and comfort that through each lunar cycle, we have an overarching empowerment to create the life we truly desire. All that blockades the path to the life we desire, to the life of inner peace we crave, is our own self-doubt. May we take this time we have now to work through our self doubt in the spirit f finding harmony, self-love and joy.

At 6:00 am sharp on September 17^th, 2020, we witness our next New Moon in Virgo. New Moons are the start of a lunar cycle, allowing us the opportunity to begin creatively anew. As each new moon’s origin, we are granted the blessing of time to contemplate our heart’s desires and take the initial steps to act upon them by penning our innermost intentions. As the moon grows larder, so do our intentions.  At the time of this cycle’s full moon, our intentions will have grown to their full capacity and will be able to be released into the universe in order to bring return on our intentions in accordance with Divine timing.

This new moon is the first of three super new moons, which take us all the way to the end of this calendar year to a Total Solar New Moon/ Eclipse. The super new moons are those which are closest in proximity to our planet Earth and therefore are believed to have a stronger influence over us both via the tides as well as in a spiritual capacity. New moons are powerful new beginnings and this month’s “super” title could create a more reinforced ability to manifest our life goals for the coming months. The lineup of the three super new moons leading up to our solar eclipse could be the gateway of hope and positivity that we have all been seeking during this year of devastation and tumult. Through the series of super new moons, we will find ourselves, accompanied by the universe, breaking down and transforming old, unhealthy beliefs and habits and constructing new and higher self-alignments.

During this lunar period (24 hours before and after the exact time of the New Moon), the moon will align with the Lunar Nodes. Lunar Nodes are said to indicate the soul lessons that we are here to learn both on an individual level as well as the collective. According to astrology, your life purpose and your life lessons are encoded in both the north node and the south node. Lunar odes are mathematical points in your astrological chart that represent our karmic path, revealing both the challenges and gifts that we bring into the world upon incarnation. At this time, during this New Moon in Virgo, our moon forms a 90 degree angle with our Lunar Nodes, highlighting them, bringing through a heightened energy; physical and spiritual. To best utilize this beautiful and prevailing energetic alignment, making the time to rest, it is best to eat well and to reaffirm positive actions, thoughts beliefs and feelings about ourselves. Taking the time to breathe and be still whenever possible, and to prepare to release all that holds us back from progressing on our spiritual and life journeys. During this new moon and its Lunar Nodes, we can gather together old thoughts, feelings and beliefs and prepare to release them during the pending full moon in two weeks time.

Though this may seem like a terribly chaotic time, we can take comfort in remembering that chaos is temporary. We can take the time to connect with our Divinity, with the aspect of our consciousness that remains ever-connected with the Divine Source Consciousness. By engaging in regular connection with this aspect of our consciousness, we are perpetually reminded that all of the trials through which we wade on Earth in these bodies and minds are all for our greater good. We have a higher purpose that is reinforced each time we connect with our soul; the aspect of our consciousness that remains unchanged, unharmed and unaffected by Earthly chaos. We may also value and comfort that through each lunar cycle, we have an overarching empowerment to create the life we truly desire. All that blockades the path to the life we desire, to the life of inner peace we crave, is our own self-doubt. May we take this time we have now to work through our self doubt in the spirit f finding harmony, self-love and joy.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR MEDIUMSHIP OR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com.

ARE YOU IN A SOUL CONTRACT OR SOUL MATE RELATIONSHIP?

Have you ever been in a romantic relationship where you felt like you’ve known your partner for a lot longer than you have? According to spiritualist philosophy, you may very well have! Souls travel in families. This is to say that souls that are energetically and karmically interconnected with each other will continue to incarnate together life after life. Sometimes the souls incarnate together for emotional, spiritual and mental support. Conversely, sometimes the incarnate together to resolve issues that have been created in lifetimes past.

Many of us have been in relationships where we question the very core of why we are attracted to someone who drives us to our limits. Why do we continue to feed into relationships that create for us such pain and suffering? Why do we attempt to leave our partner or an unrequited love relationship just to find ourselves forgiving our partners for the hurt that we feel as a result of their behaviour and actions? Why do we often feel trapped in relationships that seem to bring us nothing but heartache and despair?

Within the framework of spiritualist beliefs lies the concept of reincarnation. Reincarnation is the belief that living beings live many lives, one after another in order to fulfill their spiritual evolution. The evolution of the soul begins and ends with interconnection with the Source Consciousness (The Creator, God consciousness- any label indicating a higher power). Reincarnation exists so that each soul has the opportunity to work through its karma in order to reconnect fully with its Divine source. The goal of this work is to stop creating karma altogether. Once the soul ceases to create any further karma (Ceasing all negative thoughts, beliefs, actions and feelings thereby solely thinking, feeling and acting from the perspective of love and kindness), the cycle of reincarnation ends. Reincarnation occurs when the physical body dies and the soul lives on, living life after life, taking on whichever Earthly bodily form it needs to in order to fulfill its Divine purpose.

The origin of the soul contract is relative to the belief of reincarnation. In addition to the soul’s solo journey through lifetimes, healing its karma from past lives, it also must heal the karma it has created with other souls along the way. Karma is created through any thought, belief, feeling or action which the persona in the human body creates. This is to say that any behaviour in which the persona in the human body engages creates the fabric of its future. Whereas it can be difficult to avoid creating negative karma on our own, it can be increasingly difficult to avoid creating karma within romantic relationships.

In the afterlife (or, “between life”), in tandem with The Creator and other benevolent Light beings, souls will create and enter into contracts with each other to reincarnate together to heal their karma and live out their Divine purpose. These contracts include the subject matter that created the karma from previous lives. Until it’s resolved, the karma is carried forward from life to life. The contents of each contract are is contingent upon the degree of karmic debt (beliefs, actions, thoughts and feelings) that we and the other parties have created. The contracts contain information about where and when the souls are destined meet in the next life and carry out their contractual obligation in the hopes that it is resolved. When the souls meet in the following life, they are subject to the rules of the contract. And if left unresolved, will reincarnate time and time again until resolution occurs. Whereas many soul contracts are created to heal past life karma, some are created for the purpose of a support system. Not all soul contracts are created for the purpose of resolving past life issues, some are generated in order to align us with our soul mate. Whether for the healing of karma or to meet our soul mates, all of these contracts are destined to happen. But how do we know if we are in a relationship with our soul mate or if we are working through a soul contract?

Soul contracts for the purpose of karmic debt are often wrought with fear. They are filled with haunting dreams, anxiety and apprehension that make us question our own self worth. Many a time, one of the partners in a soul contract has narcissistic tendencies. This means that they tend to twist words and situations into opportunities for self gain. They tend to belittle their partner’s feelings and blame them for all that is wrong with their lives  Soul contract partners constantly create disharmony and stress within the relationship. Often soul contracts feel as if its partners are perpectually fighting an uphill battle in order to find the peace within their partnership. Soul contract partners are often called “star-crossed lovers”, named after their misaligned stars. Star-crossed lovers are two in a relationship where their happiness and joy are always impeded by outside forces and they can never find the peace they seek together.  Frequently, while in a soul contract, we feel “off”, as if there is something, a force larger than we are keeping us in a relationship that may not be the healthiest choice for us. This can often feel like we are being energetically ‘punched in the gut’ so to speak. Whereas this may feel as if we are being punished, we have committed to these relationships so that we can heal them and move forward. This is a contract whose terms our soul has agreed to before incarnation. This is for the sole purpose of healing past life issues and learning lessons associated with the making peace with the human experience.

Entering into a soul contract relationship often feels, at the beginning, as if we are falling in love. We often feel as though we have known our partner for much longer than we have. Initially, there is a level of comfort that seems unmistakably as though the partnership was destined to be. Often these relationships involve marriages and other long term commitments. However, in some cases, throughout the course of the relationship, we may begin to see ‘red flags’ about our partner. We may question how it is that somebody who claims to care so much for us can treat us so poorly. One partner is often completely self-involved and give little to no care for the other person’s well being. Many times these partners are selfish and self centered. Sadly, these subtle signs can take time for us to recognize. In some cases we will train ourselves to go against our gut, to ignore the signs and to carry on because we feel that this love is a love that’s worth fighting for. Even though our partners place all of the blame on us for all that’s wrong with their lives, we often try to see their perspective and forgive their narcissism only to cast our own hurt aside and join them in belittling our feelings. We will be made to question ourselves right down to our core beliefs. Most often, because we are peacekeepers, we will continue to make excuses for these people to convince ourselves that their offenses were “not that bad”, or that our emotional pain is a result of our being too sensitive. We will often avoid placing blame on our partner because we have learned to accept responsibility for our circumstances and behaviours. However as we are brushing our hurt aside, we are neglecting to pay attention to our feelings. Our feelings are valid and must be felt in order to heal.

In other cases, there is no narcissistic participant. In other cases, there are many attempts made to be together, to marry and to flourish. However in the soul contract relationship, these attempts are thwarted. Why are we never able to find the harmony that we desire with our partners? It may feel as though the universe is against us. While this may not exactly be true, we can now understand that we have entered into a soul contract;  a predetermined agreement for the purpose of resolution of karmic debt. 

Whereas the soul contract relationship often involves a cycle of fights, break ups, and getting back together (repeat), the soul mate contract is peaceful and supportive. Though all romantic relationships have their challenges, the soul mate relationship will not make us question our self-worth, it will not bring about repeated bouts of anxiety, depression, nightmares and other ailments. The soul contract relationship often feels as though one partner is constantly putting more effort into the other person and it is not reciprocated. It feels as though one partner feels as though s/he has to tear her/himself into pieces in order to keep the other person whole. There is a significant imbalance of power and energy in the soul contract. Whereas the soul contract relationship shakes us to our very core, bringing up negativity, mental and physical illness, the soul mate contract is healing and nurturing. The soul mate contract heals all prior soul contract relationships.

The soul mate relationship is a rare one. Whereas some believe that there is one soul mate for every person, some believe that there are many soul mate relationship possibilities. There is something to be said for the evolution of the soul within even a single lifetime. This is to say that should the possibility exist that we each have more than one soul mate relationship possibility, this renders us free to spiritually grow at our own pace. As the saying goes, ‘like attracts like’. With respect to romantic partnerships, whichever stage of growth we are at will attract the right partner for us. Should we only choose to grow a little bit, we will attract the soul mate for us at that stage. Should we choose to spend our entire lives learning and growing, we will attract various soul mates for the various stages of growth that we achieve. That said, for those who believe that there is only one soul mate for only one soul mate, this soul mate must be available to grow and learn at the same pace we do. If one partner grows at a further accelerated rate, the two may grow apart. Throughout our spiritual journeys, we often discover that as we shift and grow forward, we leave loved ones and friends behind. This is because as we ascend spiritual vibrations, we lose touch with those who were at our previous vibration and gain new and supportive connections who now resonate with our higher vibration. Unfortunately, this also means romantic relationships. All of this is to say that should you believe that there is only one soul mate for you, this soul mate relationship must be able to grow at your acceleration and you with theirs. 

Soul mates bring each other peace and harmony. Soul mates support each other and lift each other up. They have a beautiful understanding of each other and what each of them needs within the relationship and in life to feel content. Though every romantic partnership as its fair share of disagreements, the methods by which soul mates work out their differences is through a loving understanding of each other. 

A soul mate relationship is rooted in respect and equality of partners. Though in all relationships, at times it seems that one partner gives more than the other, the soul mate relationship has equal or near to equal effort and care about each other and the relationship from both partners. There is a balance of power and energy that occurs when two souls are living within their soul mate relationship.

Soul contracts most often consistently bring out the worst, fearful sides of us. Soul mates most often consistently bring out the best, loving sides of us. Whatever that path we have contractually committed to, its important to remember the underlying theme of our role in our relationship, in this lifetime and as spiritual beings. It is our soul’s journey to resolve and absolve all karma we have previously created.

For more information on how to heal your soul contracts, please see:

https://soulsticespirit.com/2018/01/14/healing-from-a-karma-contract-pt-1

https://soulsticespirit.com/2018/01/21/healing-from-a-karma-soul-contract-pt2

Or email: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com to set up your individual soul contract reading.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION, ANIMAL REIKI OR MEDIUMSHIP READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com

FULL MOON IN PISCES 2020

Just after midnight on Tuesday, Sept 2, we observe this year’s full moon in Pisces. This intuitive, imaginative, watery sign is the perfect site in which to daydream and create our days away. This ethereal full moon will certainly have its ups and downs. However whether we are feeling up or down, this moon is an ideal one to set our sights on brighter days to come!

Pisces, the psychic watery intuitive sign will illuminate our emotional body. Whether we are in emotional distress or emotional harmony, our emotions will be brought to the surface. This Full Moon’s placement in the Water sign of Pisces will allow our emotions to pour from our bodies so that they are acknowledged, resolved and healed. Through this outpouring of emotion, we will find that old pain resurfaces. All of the emotional trauma and heartbreak that we have held onto now has the opportunity to be released once and for all. This full moon is truly a time to let go of all the emotional pain that we have unhealthily held onto. Though this may seem disharmonious, we may stabilize ourselves on the knowledge that once these built up emotions have evacuated our systems, we will be left with brilliant new room for all of our new and positive life experiences.

On the other side of the strong emotional upheaval we may experience at this time, we can rest our gaze on the positive planetary alignment that exists between the Full Moon in Pisces and Uranus. With the Piscean ethereal nature aligned with Uranus’ sudden need to switch things up, we can expect an influx of peace and love to come our way. Whether the peaceful influx is from external sources or a renewed sense of self love, we will, after such a challenging few months, be most grateful for the serenity., if even for a short while. Because of this new sense of serenity, we will find ourselves comfortably swimming into synchronicity and other magic.

This Full Moon in Pisces makes its appearance, as always, in the sun sign of Virgo. Both the Piscean and Virgo nature is to retreat into solitude, especially when provoked. Because of the sensitive nature of our feelings during the Pisces full moon, we may feel a heightened ans temporary connectivity to the “victim” mentality. We may feel as if humanity and the universe are out to get us because we may feel that we are being treated unfairly by others. However, this, in addition to many other beliefs and thoughts we have under the umbrella of the ethereal Pisces would be an illusion. If at any time, during this lunar period or otherwise, we feel that we are unwarrantedly being treated poorly, let us take a step back and ground. Thanks to our sun being in the Earth sign of Virgo, we are easily able to access earthly energy with which to ground. Upon grounding we will soon realize that the way that our colleagues and loved ones are treating us is simply a reflection of how they treat themselves. Their behaviour is not about us- it’s about them and should not be taken personally.

With our Moon in Pisces, we may feel a sudden and profound desire to study the spiritual arts. Or, if we are already on a spiritual path, we may feel a sudden and strong desire to learn a new spiritual skill or sharpen a pre-existing spiritual ability. This lunar influence is a powerful one that has the capacity to guide us into a new and exciting spiritual hobby that with practice could become a future source of income. This is an ideal time to ask the Universe for anything you desire in order to facilitate your spiritual hobbies and practices. From being Divinely aligned with a Spiritual mentor to finding a sale on crystals to create crystal healing tools, all is possible under the Pisces Full Moon!

With our Sun in the Earth sign of Virgo, we may feel a strong pull to retreat into nature. The Piscean moon will almost assuredly create a feeling of overwhelm to those of us who are sensitive. If and when we do feel overwhelmed by colleagues, family, friends or the media, we may feel inclined to spend as much time as we are able in the trees. There is much wisdom and solace in the trees, all we need to do is to be still and be open.

TO SCHEDULE YOUR INTUITIVE MEDIUMSHIP OR ANIMAL COMMUNICATION READING, EMAIL: jmorgan.soulstice@gmail.com.