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Hello, Love. I’m going to do a heart check on the state of the world (take a deep breath), then I’ll recommend some mindful gifts that you can still get before the Holidays; and I’ve got a reframe on Mercury Retrograde. Let’s hold hands and do this. xo
Please stay with me for this. I can’t get to the lite stuff without speaking to the obvious darkness. While most of us are basking in twinkle lights, there’s genocide happening in the Middle East. There’s a long war raging in the Congo. As a long time supporter of V-Day, the cause in the Congo has been on my heart for many years. There, r*pe is used as a weapon of war. Over the last seven months, over five million Sudanese have been forced to walk away from their homes, now wandering or living in refugee camps. The UN considers it a massive ethnic cleansing.
“These are dark times.” I don’t recall who said this to me in passing recently but I nodded with them. And I felt… relieved to hear it spoken. Understood! I felt legion and communion in the obvious admission. Though, it’s not so obvious to many people.
These are dark times.
Ask any mother or protector of children: There is nothing natural, moral, rational or even remotely justifiable about the raging wars. Or genetically modified crops. Or sat*anic undertones in “entertainment.” Or hospital bills that bankrupt families. Or cities without clean drinking water. Or profits over people. These are all forms of insanity—the madness that creeps in when we forget that we all came from the same source.
We are each other’s keepers. And here are most of us, holidaying and crying in our kitchens, and feeling real joy, and coping, and excelling, and numbing out and… and… how can we bring the light? I’ll be listical with this because simplicity is a good idea right now.
These are dark times. If we own that fact, we can commit to being the Light. Sane, radiant and determined. xo
The Book of Awakening, Mark Nepo
20th Anniversary edition
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, Shel Silverstein.
I give this as a wedding gift with some cash tucked in.
The Prophet, Khalil Gibran
for graduations and new beginnings
Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen
for people in the dark night of the Soul
Emptiness Dancing, Adyashanti
for the deep feelers and devoted types in your life
How To Be Loving, Danielle LaPorte
Hi. It’s deep and beautiful. There’s also a deck and journal.
Give the gift of spiritual support. Did you know you can give digital gift cards for my offerings?! Choose any denomination and someone can put it towards the Heart Centered Membership or an audiobook or anything they like. No wrapping required and good vibes guaranteed. Gift cards are HERE.
When: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 to Monday, January 1, 2024
INFLUENCES
Mercury influences: rules of communication, self-expression, and coordination, travel and technology. Mercury is the planet that rules over the 3rd House of Communication, as well as the 6th House of Details and Daily Routine. These houses are all about processes, and the way you communicate and how you approach daily habits.
About three times a year, Mercury goes retrograde for about three weeks (think: “moving backwards energy”) and that can cause some chaos. Babe, just go with it. That’s the best way to handle all planetary movements—don’t fight what’s happening, ride the vibe. When the planets say “new beginnings”, then we start new things—and we’ll be blessed for doing so. When the planets move into heavier formations, then we clean up our own dark corners—and the clean up is easier. Harness it.
SHADOW PERIODS
What’s not often talked about with Mercury Retrograde (probably because it’s so dreaded), is the “approach” and “hangover” periods: Seven days before and seven days after the Mercury Retrograde the energy is looming and lingering. So it’s wise to think of the retrograde being in effect for that time period as well. Yep… just hold on for a little bit longer. We want to be fully in the clear before we get back to igniting new things.
THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY
Mercury Retrograde is prime time for letting go! PURGE STUFF, clean out your drawers and storage—material and emotional. Reassess plans. Get caught up with old friends. It’s a time when the past comes up to be acknowledged—an old boyfriend reaches out, you might bump into a former roommate, people from the past cross your mind more than usual.
Mercury Retrograde is prime time for slowing down. So… slow down, love. Especially with Mercury Retrogrades happening in the winter. Lord have mercy, this is not the time to go harder.
I’ve actually come to love the deep clean that Mercury Retrograde brings! I lean into it… I’m enthusiastically cautious about some things. During Merc Retros:
Write these down in your calendars. Remember: there’s a shadow period seven days before and after a retrograde.
The Gayatri Mantra
Musician: Meditative Mind
Album: Mantras for Deep Inner Peace
The Gayatri Mantra is considered to be the mother of all mantras—foundational, widely recited for thousands of years. Gayatri is about illuminating the mind and invoking Cosmic Light to dispel the darkness of unconscious patterns.
Recommendation: Play this particular track I’ve linked to. I collaborate with an esoteric practitioner, her name is V.S. (she’s our energy healer in the Heart Centered Membership) and she selects and blesses up the mantras for us.
Play on repeat. It can be very low volume—you don’t need to fully hear it for it to have an energetic effect.
Sanskrit:
Om Bhur Bhuva Suvaha
Tat Savitur Varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dheemahi
Dhiyo Yonah Prachodayat
English:
O Self Effulgent Light that has birthed all the spheres of Consciousness,
Who is worthy of worship and devotion and appears through the Sphere of the Sun,
Illumine our minds.
The Relationship Nourishment + Releasing Bundle. Nurture the relationships that you want to keep. Bless the ones you need to release—complete clearance. Or! dissolve the painful dynamics in relationships that you cherish. These are two visualization practices that I get the most feedback on… sometimes, we need a little help letting go.
December happenings!
I’ll see you in a few Fridays.
Go slow, go deep, Love big!
Thank you for being here.
😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
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We love love! please hashtag it up on socials with #sacredweekends or #daniellelaporte Thank you for helping us grow!
Please send this to one girlfriend today. We all need more sacred. xo
❤️ Next LIVE Heart Centered Class: Winter Solstice Meditation
💡 Heart Centered Mastermind: LIVE Q+A with Team D
🔥 The Write + Burn Practice
🌿 Relationship Nourishment + Releasing Guided Reflections Bundle
🎙️ Podcast : Self doubt. Self Agency. And burning your journals.
🤲 V-Day
🙏 Shantideva Prayer
🎶 The Gayatri Mantra
📚BOOKS
The Book of Awakening
The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
The Prophet
Life of the Beloved
Emptiness Dancing
How To Be Loving
🎁GIFTS
Living Libations Favourites
My Vesica Pisces and Heart rings
Gift cards are HERE
b, halfmoon (use code LAPORTE15)
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