Cosmic Ordering is based on the principle of Ask, Believe and Receive.  Astrology looks at the influence of planets and the energies they bring to our lives.  So how can you work them in sync?

New Moons are a fantastic time for beginnings of any kind.  The New Moon of each month falls in a different sign of the zodiac.  Most people know a bit about sun sign astrology in that they’ll know a few key things in relation to their own sign of the Zodiac.  All you need to do is discover a little more about what all of the 12 signs are linked with, find out what sign the New Moon of any month falls in, and then create your orders accordingly.

Don’t forget that Cosmic Ordering can only work if you give something back.  On that note, New Moons in Libra and Pisces are good times to ask for world peace!

You’ll find a lot more information about Cosmic Ordering and Astrology in other articles on this site, but here is a quick list of what kind of orders get the biggest boost according to where the New Moon is falling.

New Moon in Aries   – Brilliant for orders related to enhancing your own charisma and confidence.  Give yourself a rocket start in the pursuit your dreams and ambitions.

New Moon in Taurus – Taurus is linked with material comfort, abundance and security, so any orders around these areas are likely to hit home.

New Moon in Gemini – A fabulous time to cosmically order success for a book, a script, a play or anything that involves getting your message across to others.

New Moon in Cancer – Good for orders related to anything nurturing or for greater closeness and empathy in relationships.

New Moon in Leo – Put out your orders designed to take you to the very top and place you in the limelight.

New Moon in Virgo –Cosmically order the smooth running and precision execution of a project of any kind around a New Moon in Virgo.

New Moon in Libra –You could place cosmic orders around marriage, but you could also extend it to partnerships of all kind – from a good team spirit at work to a successful joint launch of a new venture.

New Moon in Scorpio – Yes, this is a good time to put out your orders for red hot passion, but if anything in your life needs overhauling, refreshing, or any debris clearing to move into a new phase of life, now is the time to place an order around that.

New Moon in Sagittarius –Place your orders for a big vision or a sudden revolution in your grasp of major ideas or radical ways of seeing things.

New Moon in Capricorn – Pull yourself up from the day to day and put in your Cosmic Orders for anything that relates to your purpose in life – either to find it or follow it.

New Moon in Aquarius –A new moon in this sign is a good time to create orders around connecting with or serving the whole.

New Moon in Pisces – You can create orders here to develop your intuition or insight, or even your psychic abilities.

Much love,

Michele x

Even the kinds of power required for making life easier, electricity from nuclear or fossil fuels, are now viewed by many of us as double-edged as we strive to discard them in the increasingly desperate pursuit of ‘clean power’, i.e. power without consequences.

Mention ‘personal power’ and the discomfort increases; I have observed students react physically to these words by shaking their heads, or making dismissive gestures with their hands, as if to say, ‘That has nothing to do with me, I want nothing to do with power’. The flipside of this are those who hear the words ‘personal power’ and immediately recognise themselves to be powerless, who know they’ve lost something and would give anything to get it back but don’t know how. So, in the context of the resistant relationship that many of us appear to have these days with power, where does the shaman, that conduit of power, fit in?

One misconception about contemporary shamanism is that it’s something a person can simply decide to call her/his own practice, or mention as an add-on to other healing or divinatory work. Many New Age practices draw on the power of the individual practitioner and ill-health and ‘burn out’ are often encountered in practitioners who work in this way. On the contrary, shamanism has a very precise methodology developed over millennia that protects both the shaman and her client: the shaman works by shifting consciousness and sending out part of her own spirit to engage with spirit helpers in alternate reality and to ask to share their power for specific and stated purposes. Shamanism is all about power, the shaman works by filling himself with power, by becoming power-full. How then does this power from the spirits differ from the kind of power that makes people uncomfortable? The answer is, that it doesn’t. Power is power. As with most things that matter, the difference lies in intention: what is the power for, how will it be used and for whose benefit?

At the very beginning of my study of shamanism in 1998 I learnt two words that defined these issues. My first teacher, Jonathan Horwitz, a North American then living in Denmark, discussed shamanic power using the Danish words magt and kraft to express the distinction between power over and the power to do. Magt or ‘might’ is the type of power that causes people who consider themselves balanced and liberal to squirm in their seats. The other type, kraft, or ‘craft’ expresses the neutral aspect of power that all things require in order to function. Too often these distinctions become lost and the concept of kraft is lost in the rejection of magt.

A subject often raised on courses is the difference between shamanism and sorcery, a useful illustration of the practical differences between the power to do – shamanism, and power over – sorcery. A sorcerer seeks to gain personal power through drawing on the energy of the spirits and is prepared to use that power to control or harm others. A shaman asks for power from her spirit helpers in order to become a bridge between worlds and bring help and healing to those who need and ask for it. The shaman uses power for the things they’ve asked help for, whether it is for someone else or for themselves.

Many of us, and again it seems to me that women often have a harder time with this than men, reject our own power to do, giving it away to our family, to books, ‘experts’, and most often to our partners and lovers. From a shamanic perspective, loss of power can be a precursor to soul loss, so it is vital that we accept and use our own authority.

Shamanism and Power: Part 2 coming up.

Dr. Zoë Brân
email info@shaman.uk.net
Blog www.shaman.uk.net
Website www.shaman.uk.com
Dr. Zoë Brân has worked with creativity for fifteen years and is the author of eight books, which include travel literature, guides to sexuality, and fiction. Zoë was a Writer in Residence at London’s University of the Arts from 2004-2008 and lectured in both Creative Thinking and Travel Writing at City University in London. As a travel writer and journalist Zoë travelled extensively, focussing on troubled areas of the world such as Burma, Bosnia and most recently, Cuba. She has been a speaker, teacher and presenter at conferences, academic institutions, charitable organisations, companies and businesses and has worked with media on topics as diverse as AIDS – the subject of her doctorate – sexual behaviour, Vietnam and shamanism. She has appeared on BBC TV and national and local radio, including ‘Panorama’ and ‘Woman’s Hour’. Currently director of Shaman UK, Zoë has been involved with Core Shamanism since 1998 and is one of the UK’s leading practitioner/educators. She offers one-to-one shamanic counselling and healing and leads shamanic seminars and workshops on a range of subjects, including: Sex and Gender, Death, Soul Retrieval. Her weblog is among Europe’s foremost resources for contemporary shamanic practice and has a worldwide readership. Zoë lives in London with her lurcher, Arlu.

The following are the most powerful processes you can harness in a nutshell.  If you want to read more about any one particular technique, follow the page links.

Clear the path

You’ll often hear people talking about ‘blocks’, but what are they – and what can you do to shift them?

Blocks to drawing in or boosting the love you get to experience include the energy that we can carry from past hurts and the beliefs that we can either develop or pick up that stand in the way of us and all the love that exists in the universe. Past hurts might include the ending of old relationships where you were left heartbroken.  Beliefs can range from ‘I don’t deserve love’ to ‘there aren’t any decent people out there’. You can dissolve all of these by tailoring your own rituals using a combination of cord cutting and fire cleanses (done under the strictest safety circumstances!).

Cutting cords

Attachments to other people can take shape energetically through cords that attach us through the quantum soup to others.  If you feel that you can’t ‘let go’ of someone, take time when you won’t be disturbed, close your eyes and focus your intention by taking in and exhaling three deep breaths.  Visualise that other person at a safe distance (as safe as you want it – you can have them a million miles away and this will still work!) and see if you can notice any thick or thin cords that run between you both.  In your mind, say, ‘I release you with love for the highest good of all’ and imagine something such as a knife or scissors cutting through those cords.   Some people like to summon celestial help – Archangel Michael is the angel who can use his sword to sever any bonds.  No matter how this person has hurt you or what they have done, it’s best to release them with love for them and, most importantly, for you.  Bless them, send them on their way, which leaves you free to go yours, thank Archangel Michael if you have asked for his help, slowly bring yourself back and open your eyes.

Fire rituals

If you have access to somewhere you can safely light a fire, such as an open grate or fire pit in the garden, you can use this to literally burn away the old.  You can burn a letter to the universe about what you want to release.  If you are trying to release a person or a past event, write out all of the pain, anger, grief or whatever it is you are feeling.  Write until you get to a place of peace and end it expressing your gratitude that this has now been lifted from your life.  Write out any beliefs that limit your ability to attract love. You can burn all of these on the fire.  You can also burn anything that represents what you are trying to release such as photographs or small mementos.  You can throw a handful of sage into the fire as it is fantastic for cleansing.  When the fire is out and cold, scatter or bury the ashes.  If you don’t have anywhere that you can safely light a fire, you can do the whole thing through visualisation just as effectively.

Attract and boost

Now that you’ve cleared your path, you can turn your attention to attracting love into your life and boosting the love that you have. Get clear on what you want change your thinking so that you can give and receive all of the love that is already flowing in this abundant universe.  Fall in love with you so that you are a whole person looking for a whole person, rather than hoping that someone else will complete you.  It’s also important to understand the real nature of love, otherwise we can end up recreating past patterns that didn’t work or searching for what we think is love but is actually just an addiction. We are all psychic and can pick up what others truly feel about themselves which creates a force field of truth, loving you attracts love. Crystal magic Rose quartz crystal is linked with unconditional love and the heart chakra.  You can buy crystals of any size.  Cleanse them, then put them around your home (especially in the bedroom), carry one with you, put some in your bath or leave one in water overnight and drink the water the next day to take in its magical properties.

Take a Tarot Journey

Connecting with The Empress can awaken you to your power as a woman, The Lovers can help you harness powerful energy from the archetypes they represent. On a more everyday level, the Ace of Cups and the Two of Cups may lead you to some fascinating insights!

Put out your Cosmic Orders

If you Ask and Believe, you can receive! Combine Cosmic Ordering with new moon energy for a maximum boost. Each of these alone can deliver a dose of powerful transformation, but when woven together create a huge attraction field.  Let me know how you get on!

Sending you love, Michele x

Diamonds might be a girl’s best friend, but they are power stones for both Aries and Capricorn, two signs known for being extraordinarily strong and as indestructible as a diamond itself.  On the odd occasions when an Arian needs a boost to their legendary passion and sensuality, however, they should reach for garnets or tuck one of the gemstones close to the body, especially if they are trying to win over a lover.  The gemstone garnet will also work well for Scorpios who find themselves in a passion rut.  Carrying round the root chakra stone should help awaken their passion and bring on a few steamy encounters.

An Arian facing an important decision can hold an amethyst in their left hand.  Amethysts are great for balancing and increasing wisdom for Aries and the left hand receives energy, so a few minutes spent clearing the Arian mind in this way will work wonders. Amethyst is also the power stone for Virgos (who would be better off avoiding it if they are feeling a bit paranoid, however), and the crystal can help Pisceans contain their more addictive natures.

The Emerald is the birthstone for Taurus and also thought to be fabulous for protection in love and attracting money.  Heartbroken Taureans can hold an emerald against their heart chakra to heal the past and open them to new love.  If the budget can’t quite stretch to emeralds, however, the clear quartz crystal that looks like it has moss inside, moss agate, is really good for balancing Taurean energy and grounding, giving a helpful lift to self esteem. It’s also really good for calming and grounding Capricorns.

Ancient Romans carried agates for good luck.  There are many different types of agates, which makes them perfectly suited to multifaceted, mercurial minded Geminis.  Blue lace agate promotes truth and verbal expression and polka-dot agate creates cheerfulness and well being.  Whilst not officially Gemini’s stone, rose quartz is great for helping heady Geminis get in touch with their feelings and the petrified sap, Amber, helps them keep their feet firmly on the ground. Marvelous moonstones are the stones for sensitive Cancerians and, although they might be unlucky for some people, pearls make them feel safe and secure.  They’re also great for attracting finance. Pearls are also good for watery Pisceans, although they have an association with tears and moody Pisceans might find they get a bit tearful when they wear them.

No prizes for guessing that Leos have an affinity for tigers eye, which can give a great energy boost and is also believed to be brilliant for protection.  Capricorns also find it gives them a lift.  Carnelian can give Leo’s  desires a lift and increases stamina, though bad tempered Leos might find that it tips them over the edge!

The gorgeously royal lapis lazuli – a midnight blue stone with gold flecks sacred to the Babylonian Goddess Ishtar that adorned the crowns of Ancient Egyptian high priests – can enhance the intuition of Virgos and is also said to the power stone for Sagittarians.

Opal is the birthstone for Scorpios.  Long believed to be an unlucky stone, many gemstone traders in some parts of world still refuse to sell it for that very reason today, but opals won’t harm Scorpios.  What they will do is exaggerate whatever is going on, so Scorpios should only wear them when they are feeling happy and energized whilst smoky quartz can help stuck Scorpios move on from the past.

Aquamarine can wash away all the negativity and fear that can overpower sensitive Pisceans who will love this stone because, in its raw state, it looks like a hunk of the ocean.

Libra’s normally favour calming stones like blue lace agate,sapphires and all things blue. A piece of Carnelian may give you the va va voom or creative inspiration you desire. If you are a Libra that wants to expand your spirituality or boost your psychic skills then Lapis is the perfect stone for you.

Sagittarians are known for being great visionaries, but also for putting their foot in their mouth by saying all the wrong things at all the wrong times.  Topaz, one of the stones said to adorn the breastplate of the High Priests described in Exodus, can increase their awareness of their thoughts which can help Sagittarians avoid some of the gaffs they are famous for. Last but not least, Turquoise both inspires and grounds Aquarians, whilst the silvery hematite can protect them from stage fright. Tell us about your favourite stones.

Loads of love and good vibes, Michele x

PS If you are looking to buy crystals then have a look here www.shoppingknight.com

It’s a book about the Way – a shorthand coined by Taoist priests to describe the working of the entire cosmos.  It begins by basically saying that the minute you try and put the Way into words you’re likely to lose the plot.  Having said that, it’s well worth tackling.

Taoists were the original wild bunch, known for being able to harness the powers of the universe to perform extraordinary feats.  So what can we take from the Tao and use in our everyday lives?

Here are a few lines from it,

‘The Way never acts,

Yet no act is left undone.

If lords and kings were able to maintain this,

The Ten Thousand Things would transform on their own.’

Tao Te Ching

Translated by William Scott Wilson,  Kodansha International Publishing

The way I understand that it this.  Seasons change, tides come in and out, moons wax and wane, the sun rises and sets each day – all in perfect harmony, but you won’t find anyone directing the action.   Everything gets done, even though no one thing or force is doing the doing of it.  And as the Tao tells us, if we ‘lords and kings’ could only try that approach, things would do just fine without our intervention.

This is where the fun starts when we try and live the Tao.  Okay, you say.  So if I practice a bit of ‘not-doing’, the ironing will do itself.  Yeah, right.  Now that would be magic!

That’s absolutely true.  But I bet you can look back across your life and see a whole bunch of situations where, for all your doing, nothing got done, or you might have actually made things worse.

If you want to play around with these few lines and see what effect they have in your life, try the following.

1 – Review the things in your life that swallow huge chunks of your time, energy and attention that don’t actually have to be done.  Catch yourself at the point where you start saying, ‘I have to…’  and ask the question, what would happen if you didn’t?  Ironing doesn’t do itself, but would the world end if you didn’t iron?  Are there some things that actually don’t need ironing?  If you go full circle and decide that to you the pleasure of freshly ironed socks is worth half an hour at the ironing board, then at least you’re clear that you are putting your energy where you want it to go.

2 – Experiment with different levels of intensity of doing.    When it comes to ironing, you could just do it.  You could even do it whilst listening to a programme you love on the radio or chatting with a friend.  Or you could dread doing it for three days, huff and puff through, it making sure you and anyone who comes in earshot knows how much you hate it and seethe with resentment at having to do it for half a day afterwards.

3 – Get creative about alternative ways of doing the things that must be done.  Maybe someone you know will come round and do your ironing in return for you picking up their shopping.

You’re already a master of the Way in so many areas of your life.  For most people, beyond the early struggles, falls and triumphs, you can walk without thinking, ‘Right foot, left foot, head up, arms swing, right, left, here we go!’  You can just walk.  You might even be able to walk beautifully without your own constant intervention.

This ‘not doing’ yet somehow things get done is a skill you already have.  Where else in your life can you use it?

The Tao of T

She is undoubtably one of the most accurate readers I have ever had a reading from.”