A New Home

The new website is finally live! 

Join me at my new online home.

Allowing Things To Die - Some Rather Big News

Of all the spring miracles big and small, this is my favorite of them all... 

In my last post, I mentioned the seeds that have been sleeping this winter. The seeds are starting to sprout, and I'm feeling a warmth bringing things back to life.
 New life is emerging. 

I of course meant it metaphorically.. and still do! But take a look at this! 

This wasn't exactly from a seed that I planted this Winter.. but it did come from a seed! This little apricot tree is the next generation of my family's apricot tree.

A daughter of the first tree I ever talked to. 

Now, I know that sounds really nerdy of me. But I'm a tree lover to my core. and this one is symbolic to me! Last year I was so excited to have a little sapling from my apricot tree. I kept her out on my porch in the same sunlight as she was used to.  I gave her water, love and crystals. And after the move, she was placed on the porch again. But she wasn't looking too good.
Her green leaves had fallen and crumpled and she looked like a withered twig. I blamed it on my black thumb (which I swear I no longer have! btw) or the move, and I left the dried little twig of a tree on the porch all winter. I put her out of my head as life continued with other various projects.
And all winter she slept.

And just the other day, I went outside to put candles and plants out on the porch. I've decided this porch will be my summer oasis. (So, I'm going to need a lot of plants. More on that later.) I looked over at the little twig who died last winter and I saw green leaves! I saw little buds. I saw life.

Okay, so I didn't exactly start this post to just talk about my little apricot sapling and how it restored my faith in the cycle of life and death. But I am liking where this is going... Because in order for there to be any life, there must first be death. The little apricot tree understands it. And allows itself to go dormant. To sleep. To die.

The little apricot tree, well I guess this tree's mother was the tree that inspired the name Talk2thetrees and Tree Talker. I was a weird little girl who believed believes in fairies. I spent my time outside building fairy houses, climbing trees and telling my secrets to the highest of branches. I am pretty sure my cousins teased me for talking to trees, but I owned it. 

Sometime in the middle of my childhood came the internet. Nothing like it is now, obviously. But I remember getting to choose an email address! I had several that I loved, but I had two I used most. xena1234@aol.com and talk2thetrees@aol.com, all on dial up internet. 

Talk2thetrees was my favorite choice of the two. I loved the ring to it. Plus, I did in fact talk to trees. I had NO idea that I would stick with that name for so long! Talktothetrees was open, but being young and excited that numbers could also be interchangeable with words, I opted for the 2. It doesn't bother me or anything, but I have been feeling it's time for something new.

Like the tree who started it all has taught me... it's okay to let things die. 

Because when things die, that's when new even better things are allowed to happen. 

A lot of my projects, inspiration, and even will to create died this winter. I didn't want to write because my blog didn't feel like home! I didn't want to post art or anything new here, because it didn't fit right. Like a sweater neck that is dangerously too close to the throat, I felt uncomfortable, anxious, nervous, and stressed. I took days off to journal. To make lists. Some days I painted. Some days I tried... but then everything piled up. So, I closed the computer, put on my comfiest pair of pants and watched Orange Is The New Black instead. (watch it.) 

I let just about everything slumber and sleep. 

Because that's what winter is for. 

It's those days where I didn't post, create, write, or do that matter the most.

That's where the ideas sit in the subconscious. Where they receive the things they need in order to grow. And soon when things start to warm up, the sun comes and sets the world back on fire. 

If you know me, you know I love symbolism. Fire is passion to me. With spring, comes the reigniting of passions. The Fire is relit. 

And like the little dead twig from last fall, new ideas are blossoming forth.

Yesterday I looked at my blog and discovered all of the things I wanted to change. It wasn't forced, it didn't feel scary and it didn't cause me stress. The task had spent enough time in the back of my mind gathering ideas and recourses subconsciously.The day before yesterday I looked at the Spirit De La Lune deck for the first time in about a month and finished 7 cards in a day! I wasn't sure what I was going for with the next suit, so I waiting until I felt the fire being lit.  I know my Tarot deck needs my attention. And I can feel that stirring as well. 

I have been meaning to write this post for a very long time.

And today it feels right. 

Something new is brewing! 

I have begun construction on a new website! 

I feel as if I've needed a new home on the web for quite some time. I can't wait. I've started the mock up of the new website. I've decided on color schemes, fonts, and have even put together some mood boards. 

I do plan on keeping and linking to this blog, though it will no longer be updated. I've had it since 2009, and I've blogged some heavy memories, and I've blogged some beautiful memories. But I feel it's time to start something new.

Please stay tuned for further news and updates on the new website. 

I'm still deciding on a launch date. 

Slumbering Seeds

I woke up feeling overall  "yuck" today. It's like I've caught the flu or something..  I felt heavy in my body, mind and spirit. In fact, I've been feeling this a lot lately. Not the flu, that's just today. But this heaviness... wow. It's been hard for me to connect to my center. Hard for me to be creative. This last Full Moon was extremely difficult for me. I had a lot of really rough emotions to ride out and a lot of feelings to face. I know the cause of a lot of this has to do with hormones and my own natural cycle.

I recently got an IUD removed, and with that a flood of emotions, trauma and feelings came over me. A woman's moon cycle is a way of cleansing and releasing emotions and feelings that no longer serve us. An IUD stops this process. So I'm currently finding myself experiencing years of unresolved emotional shit to go through. My entire cycle has seemed to switch on me. So, I'm needing to relearn, and release a lot of emotional traumas that have been stored.
A part of me has seriously wanted to hide away. Withdraw completely and just focus on myself. But the other part of me loves to journal and post online. I love to express myself, and I feel there is huge healing that comes with actually showing others your creative work, writing, and expressions. Of course I keep a private journal, and I don't post every single thing I create.. but I feel it is important to keep posting a small something at the very least.

I certainly do not post as much as I used to. And these last few months I haven't created like I've wanted to. Winter is hard for me... But I think it's meant to be hard. That's when the earth is a little darker, and gardens are not as abundant, foods are scarce. The Earth goes a bit barren. To truly ride the natural cycles, we too must find ourselves in our own dark winter. We must learn to ride it, to build snowmen, to light candles, and to hope that spring will come again. There is hope in winter.. because this is when we plant the seeds.
 
I've let a few projects slumber over the winter without meaning to.. in retrospect, it was probably a good idea. I know that with spring coming, new ideas, passions and inspiration are reignited. As much as I don't like to admit it, I'm a believer that letting some ideas sit and slumber will bring forth better results. I just have to come to understand that people won't be upset with me if I'm a little late..

The projects I feel the most sad about are my Tarot Deck and the Spirit De La Lune Deck. Both of these decks were supposed to come out earlier, but oh man.. I had no idea what it took to invest that much time and energy and love and spirit into one card.

My Tarot Deck has spent quite some time sitting on the shelf waiting to be finished. I'm so very close to printing, but there is just something blocking me from seeing the vision of the next part. I'm extremely nervous to put it out there.. and I feel like there are so many edits that need to happen!

The Spirit De La Lune deck is also slowly starting to wake up it seems! It has made more progression than the other deck, but it's still a slow go. My goal is to finish a major chunk this week as well as get the back of the designs under way. I can't wait to hold these cards in my hands! I think we've decided on round cards.

Thank you for your patience while I tend my seeds.

Spring Cleaning and Soul Cleansing

I must have caught the Spring Clean Bug! My house has gone through a major transformation this past week! It all started with moving one table.. And it was like the book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie." In order to move the table, I had to move the shelf, in order to move that shelf I had to rearrange the closet, and before I knew it I was buying a new couch! 

All last week was spent rearranging my furniture or organizing my home! I had some projects I wanted to work on, but I just couldn't focus until I got it all done. Sterling and I have often joked about writing about book. "If You Give Rachael A Project." Because like the original book, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie" one things eventually leads to another until something either genius or disastrous happens. 

I'm hoping this week's couch purchase ends up being a good one. 

I'll post photos on Instagram tonight! 

It was 1 in the morning when I rubbed my tired eyes and told Sterling he was totally right to tease me about that book. But I can't help it. My mind just works like that!

I've been living in this apartment for 6 months now! I can't believe it's been that long. Time has flown by. This apartment is small, so I didn't thing rearranging the furniture would even be possible, but it looks great. It's so open, fresh and beautiful. I've also been following some rules for Feng Shui lately and I'm already feeling so much better. The energy of the house feels lighter and fresher. 

Plus, I strongly believe that cleaning a home is a metaphor for cleansing the soul. As I donate and release old things from my home, I release old energetic cords, emotions and memories. It makes space in both the home and the soul for something new. Rearranging furniture, and organizing items in your home helps rearrange memories, thoughts and ideas that come up.. leaving you with a new perspective and outlook.  

I'll be sharing an entire blog post dedicated to those two elements very soon! I've had a lot of messages and comments about my process of keeping my house beautiful and clean.

I'm just waiting on that couch to be delivered! 

I'm hoping as soon as the couch is here I can be done with this spring cleaning process! As much as I love it, I'm ready to start painting again and getting those decks going! 

Plus, I need to get some better photos of my house! These instagram photos just aren't doing it for me anymore.

Taking A Snow Day

I know snow is all everyone is talking about lately... and I don't have a single thing to complain about! Our poor mountains and forests need the snow so badly! 

We've only had a few snow falls this entire winter. I remember the last time we had a winter this dry, we had forest fires and ash in the air for weeks! So, I'm very thankful for some much needed snow, especially in the mountains!

I woke up yesterday and was informed there was a blizzard outside. (If I don't have my contacts in, I can't see a thing!) Even though the snow didn't have any real effect on my work, I still took the day off.

I just couldn't seem to focus on my work. You know that feeling, when it feels like a Friday, but it's only a Tuesday? That's kind of how yesterday was. It just felt like a snow day.

So, I went with it. 

      Wicket wasn't too happy about the snow. He never is.

Yesterday we ran some much needed errands.. but in the midst of it all, 

we decided to stop at one of our favorite places in the city. 

I love having special places to visit. 

And the view from this one is pretty spectacular.

These are all straight from my phone. No filter. The sky was incredible.

Today I've noticed that the snow is melting, just a bit. 

And the grass underneath it is a brilliant green. Thankful for the snow day. 

Lunar Forecast for 3-2-15

Lunar Forecast

This Lunar Forecast is a look at the emotional influences from the moon for this week. The moon plays an important part in our lives. She controls our subconscious, our emotions and even our habits. The moon travels through the different houses of the zodiac, giving us different themes and experiences. This forecast is in MST and includes some of the major aspects and transits of the week.

Today the moon is in Leo. Leo brings in the desire to be noticed, appreciated and heard. You will feel more open to expressing your feelings and emotions. When the moon is in Leo the mood is usually joyful and cheerful with the subconscious desire to be seen and heard. This is a good time to perform, create, and express yourself in any way.

On Tuesday the 3^rd the moon will be VOC at 1:47am and will last all day. The Void of Course periods are great for finishing projects, and tying up loose ends. Tuesday also has some wonderful lucky energy flowing that day! Jupiter, the planet of luck and abundance in sunny Leo will be a perfect trine to Uranus the planet of “the unexpected” on this day.  This aspect is supportive of lucky breaks, good luck, and unexpected welcome events! Be sure to make the most of this lucky day!

Wednesday the 4^th the moon will transition into Virgo at 4:57am. Attention towards detail is on the increase; cleanliness and neatness are a priority at this time. This day may be a bit of an emotional roller coaster with Venus in Aries trine Jupiter, and conjunct Uranus, ending with a square to Pluto. The day may start out just fine, but some unexpected events may lead to troubles of the heart.

Thursday the 5^th is the full moon in Virgo, with Sun in Pisces sextile Pluto. This full moon presses us to find balance within our lives. Virgo and Pisces are opposite each other, seeking balance between disorder and order, physical health, and spiritual heath, work and vision. A great read on the full moon.  

Friday the 6^th the moon will be Void of Course most of the day until 5:52pm when it transitions into Libra. Partnerships and relationships will be in focus. The desire for balance and harmony is on the increase. This weekend has some great supportive energy to fulfill your social life. 

On Saturday the 7^th the moon will be in Libra all day. Libra moons are great for social gatherings, celebrations and meetings. There is a desire for mutual understandings and light-hearted conversations. The ability to make decisions or plans tends to suffer during the Libra moon, so do all the planning in advance.

            Sunday the 8^th the moon will be in Libra until 7:23 pm when it will be VOC for the rest of the night. The VOC after Libra will carry over much of the Libra energy, making it another great night for social interactions. 

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Looking Close

25% off sale is extended until 12am tonight! 

I wanted to extend the sale and add the 2 newest paintings into the shop! Use Code : SPRING25 for 25% off!

I also wanted to show you some close ups for the new paintings and explain why I used what I did! 

These are some of my favorite works so far and I wanted them to be included in the sale! I've included some details and closeups of the paintings. 

Sterling brought me home Danish farmers almanacs from the 1920's once. He found them inside an old trailer he was working on. They smelled awful. They had been sitting in storage for years!

I was elated when he brought them home. After they aired out and were cleaned, I looked through each page.. putting bookmarks in for future ideas.

This woman's bust started out from an ad from the old farmers almanac. This one was 1923 I think. The painting also has charts and dates of moon phases and planetary alignments behind paint.

 The owl was free handed with no reference photos. In my original photograph that was a light from someone's porch, but I didn't wand houses in this, so I chose to paint an owl of similar hue.

Owls have been showing up a lot for me. Barn owls especially. This one in particular reminds me of a memory where I came face to face with an owl.

He was perched on pole directly in front of me, he seemed to glow in the dark night sky. We only caught a glimpse of each other. Before I could take a breath of pure awe, he stepped off his pole. His body dropped, but his head remained, eyes still locked with mine. And with a swoop of his wings, he flew upward revealing the moonlight.

"Arranging Stars"

9x12 Mixed Media on Canvas 

Original Prints 

This next piece I called "Your Voice" I started out not knowing where it would go. I've already blogged a bit about this piece earlier, so I won't mention too much more, but I did want to point out, that the cathedral painted in there is The Cathedral of The Madeline. This is the cathedral I'm constantly taking photos of and posting on Instagram. The other papers and ephemera in this painting are from old books from the 1960's. 

"Find Your Voice"

9x12 Mixed Media on Wood 

Original Prints 

I would SO appreciate the help of spreading the news! 

Apparition

I love to find the balance between chaos and refinement. I love splattering paint, and scribbling onto a canvas.. and then I love looking deeper, and peering close. 

I love finding little details to expound upon. I like blurring my eyes and seeing where images come out. I love watching faces emerge from out of nowhere and I like to ask my canvas, "Who wants to come out."

Sometimes I even leave a painting background for several days until I see something emerge from textures and colors. 

I have found that I usually paint women. I'm not entirely sure why. In fact, I was discussing this over tea the other day! Why do women painting other women?

To me, woman are beautiful and they hold a sense of mystery about them. When I paint, I like to convey emotion and spark thoughts. What better way to personify emotion, then to add a face.

The intuitive side of a woman is the side of mystery. The High Priestess of The Tarot represents the mysterious and secretive side of Woman. She holds the keys to greater understanding, and divine mystery. She is secretive, spiritual and mysterious. This is the type of woman I like to paint. 


This painting is called "Apparition" because she appeared like a spirit.This is one of the first "restricted color scheme paintings that I've tried in a while. I chose to keep the colors pink, and yellow, with slight variations of black and darker brown. I feel like the restricted pallet sets a mood and a tone.

I finished painting the background and couldn't decide what I wanted to use in the foreground. I was experimenting with intuitive painting as well as some new water soluble pastels. I started to notice some facial features within the brush strokes of the background.

So, I took my pastels and started drawing! The water soluble pastels turn into paint when you bring water over them. Kind of like a mix between acrylic and watercolor. I had so much fun drawing, then blending with water.

I kept kicking myself for not having bought these sooner! Especially since they were in my amazon card for four years! 

"Apparition"

16x20 mixed media Original

8x10 high Quality Prints

25% off sale in the art shop! 3 days only!

25% off everything in the art shop! 3 days only! 

I've decided to have a quick sale on everything in my shop! 

ENTER CODE: SPRING25

I would love to clear out some space in both the studio and the shop! 

I would appreciate it if you helped me spread the word! 

Play Time and Transformation

Lately my "play time" has been the most productive part of being an artist. Who knew so much transformation could take place over one weekend. Especially since I technically took this weekend off! 

I decided to take this last weekend off from the structured illustrations and cards I've been doing and instead, play in the studio. I even said it wasn't work.. and I really mean that! I DO have a hard time relaxing because I love to stay busy... but I took this weekend off from my current work demands, and gave into my creative and intuitive side. 

I recently signed up for Mindy's E-course Permission To Play. It's a 12 month art course on loosening up and learning to play while making art! I thought it would be great to do on the weekends as a way for me to stay creative and learn a few new techniques. I've always wanted to add a little more "play" into my artwork, and I saw the class the day before sign-ups ended so I jumped right in! So far I've done a bout 3 of the projects and I've already felt myself loosen up so much.. but what's more, is I'm really liking the new work that is coming from me! 

Most of my work is planned out, with reference photos, sketches and a good idea of what I hope to see as the finished piece. But for the last year or so, I've been wanting less structure and restriction in my work. I look at old work and see boxes, structure and plans... So I have decided to play more, leave mistakes, and let things transform. I try to go in with an open mind and no real expectations of what the end piece will look like. 

I've been focusing on creating more intuitively. To express with color and brush stroke, rather than details and stories. I want to paint moments of emotion, and the colors of thought. 

I've learned a lot about myself in these last few years. I have had a lot of self discoveries, and an acceptance of traits that I've been suppressing..  Like how I'm a total clean freak! I love my closet to be arranged by color. And I pay very close attention to details. Accepting these traits and using them has really enhanced my well being.. but I've always felt that when I create, I would like to feel less in control of every detail. I want my work to be expressive. 

I love illustrating, and I love painting portraits, but I there is something wild inside me that makes me want to loosen up and just express myself. An urge to go with the flow, and watch something transform in front of me. 

I love hidden symbols within my paintings and illustrations. When I plan paintings, I like to hide the symbols.. but when I go in with no real plan, I end up finding symbols.

Many of my Tarot Cards and illustrations are carefully planned and detailed. I love hidden symbology and meanings. I do so much research on my symbols and meanings. Many of my cards are meditated on or seen in a vision. I will have the meaning of the card in mind, or the emotion I would like to convey, then I meditate on it or sleep on it, and pretty soon I will have a vision of that card. 

But finding symbols and meanings within splatters, textures and and colors is not only eye opening, but soul opening.  Finding faces hidden in splatters and movements is intriguing. I could get lost in outlining hidden eyes, uncovering trees and cathedrals, unearthing words and moments. Then Finally to take a step back and find the meaning that my subconscious wanted to express. Not just for me, but for the viewer. 

When I finished "Find Your Voice," (pictured to the left) we looked over the completed painting and searched for the possible meanings.. I was asked questions over the story and meaning within the painting.

Is she sad? Why is she touching her throat? Is she turning from the church? Are they mourning? Why the butterfly? Is she happy? Is the woman being comforted? Restricted? 

And I really have no answer for anyone about the meaning of this piece, other than to ask what does it mean to you?  I can tell you the meaning to me is profound, personal and relieving. I finished it and took a step back and said "Ohhh!" in realization.. "Well, I'm glad that came out." as I felt an odd weight be lifted from my shoulders.

I feel a sense of relief and empowerment when I look at it. But that's only how I feel when I look at it. Sterling said it felt political and rebellious, but others have said peaceful and happy. And I think because it was an intuitive painting, it's up to the viewers intuition and initial emotions when they see it. 

What's interesting is that this came from a time of "play." Where I had no real structure or rules to follow. No worries, stresses or problems... Only the urge to express myself, and follow my intuition. To take a step back and let my higher self paint for a bit. 

 Here is the new painting I'm working on. This one was supposed to be a paper-hearts Valentine's themed painting, but I was a little bit behind. So instead of painting something Valentine's Day themed, I chose to paint the conjunction between the moon, Mars and Venus this last weekend. 

I took a photograph on Instagram  and was inspired to use that shot as part of my background. I also happened to be listening to Radical Face while painting, and the perfect words spoke to me.

 "And I spent my evenings pulling stars out from the sky. 

And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie.

 And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives." 

I still have a bit more to finish with this one.. so stay tuned to see the end result! I'm very excited about it and the direction it's going. 

My soul is loving this new process of creation. 

Making the decision to take Mindy's Course has been such a good one.. and I'm only one month in! I can't wait to keep learning, and continue to transform. 

Through The Woods

It feels like it has been ages since my Etsy shop has had more than 3 pages of listings. I spent a lot time of last week photographing and editing my new work. I set up huge lights, that heated up my house. I tripped over cords, and made inventories and lists. I sealed all paintings in varnish and documented their size and medium. Then on Sunday and Monday I listed everything in the shop! 

I listed several months worth of work that I had forgotten I had! It's crazy how much work was piled up.  So, please check out my shop update! I listed more than 20 new prints and paintings! 


Since there are so many new paintings that I've forgotten to mention.. I'm going to be back tracking a bit and featuring some of these new paintings on the blog. I feel there is energy in art, and I would love to explain some of the energy that was poured into my newest work. I wanted to start with one called "Through The Woods." 

Through The Trees

Acrylic on Canvas 24x48 inches

This painting was one of the first paintings that I've liked in a long time (if ever). I finished it, took a step back and said "I think I may actually like this one!" Like many paintings, it started off to be something totally different. This canvas is 24x48 inches, so it's pretty big. I had it set up on my easel, and stood on my chair to paint the top part. I wasn't entirely sure where I wanted to take this painting. I started off by just painting black, grey and white in any direction I felt right. I picked it up, turned it around, splattered, dripped, shoot, and flipped the canvas. I spent several hours just splashing and dripping paint onto this canvas. Then, I walked away. I forgot about it for months. Several other projects came up, and this one was moved to the back burner. I couldn't figure out just what I wanted to paint.. so I let it sit. Many months later, I was wondering what to paint. I looked through my canvases that were ready for a painting, and I saw this one. I looked at it, and I saw trees!

 I had looked at that canvas for months! In the back of my mind, always wondering what to paint on it. And only until that day did I see the fragments of aspen trees falling in and out of place. I'm so glad I hung onto this half done painting for so long. 

The process of this painting has been my favorite so far.  Free, intuitive painting, playing, splattering and dripping, and then attention to detail, and systematic painting of bark and knots.  

I've decided to sell the large original. I'm not sure how I will ship a 4 foot painting, but I'm sure it can be done. I also have prints of this one available in the shop! The prints are a little bit cropped so they will fit in an 8x10 frame. Below is a sample of the cropping of the print version. 

Through The Woods 

8x10 Print

Swept Up

I've used this week for some major preparation. I've taken apart, and rebuilt my studio several times. I searched for all artwork that has yet to be photographed or scanned. I set up huge bright lights and photographed all art that I found. I made lists, inventories, descriptions and I've taken down sizes. I've let a lot of artwork pile up and I'm excited to finally have everything listed in the shop on Monday! 

I haven't been posting too much here on the blog while I've been so busy. 

I've really let myself get swept up with my work.. and I love it. 

Checking In

My words have simply not been working today. I've been too busy with other things I suppose... Every time I sit down to write, I can't get the right words across. So I figured I would leave you a quick note, to let you know.. I'm here. Busy, no time to write. Will write more soon.
xx Rachael 

p.s. 
I have new art to show you! 

The Tending of The Seeds

Have you noticed all the small signs?

 The small stirrings beneath the surface?

 The glimmer of hope that the warmth is on it's way back? 

I have noticed. 

I have little snowdrop flowers growing and blossoming outside my doorway. 

Snowdrops are a big symbol of Imbolc, and the coming of spring. 

Today I woke up, I took the pups on a walk and on my way out, I noticed the snowdrops. 

The air outside felt a tiny bit different.

A subtle small difference in the air.. the coming signs of spring. 

I got home and immediately felt the need to purge, organize and clean. 

I cleaned my closet, got items ready to be donated, and organized my art studio. 

I then set out an Imbolc/St Brigid altar 

I lit candles surrounding a nest full of eggshells, and bones. 

Welcoming in spring, warmth, and growth. 

As I set the altar up, I thought of all the things I look forward to this spring.

All the seeds that I have planted and tended to will start to grow and blossom. 

The Tree Talker Tarot deck, Spirit De La Lune Oracle Deck, Illustrations for the coming book "Autumn Alchemy" (More on that later!!) As well as plenty of new paintings, illustrations, classes and other projects are under way. It feels like it's been forever that these projects have been buried under the snow, slowly being tended to, nursed and nurtured. 

This spring will be a beautiful one! 

One big thing I'm excited to be a part of is the Wild Women Symposium! 
I will be offering a class called Crystal Connection.
For those of you who aren't local, you should still try to make it to this retreat!
(I'm still looking for hotel roommates!) 

Watch this video to learn about the Wild Women Symposium, and some of the classes and courses available! 

Stove Top Vanilla Soy Latte

I've always been a coffee lover. 

Ever since I was little I loved the smell of it.
Now it's part of my daily routine.

It tastes amazing and it wakes me up when I need it!
My favorite kind of coffee to drink is a latte.

I used to go buy expensive lattes, in fact that was the only way I would drink a latte. The coffee I made at home just couldn't compare to the artisan lattes at coffee shops. But lattes are expensive, like really expensive! When I read that Starbucks lattes are $38.00 a gallon, I was done. And I like to use soy milk.. which usually tacks on another .60.. which adds up.

Plus, store bought lattes make a lot of waste! Unless you bring your own cup, you get a disposable cup which isn't good for the Earth at all! So, as part of my plastic free year, I also decided to make it a paper free year. I'm no longer buying anything "disposable".



Which incidentally means no more store bought lattes.

I decided I would learn how to make my own.
After quite a bit of trial and error, I've discovered how to make really good lattes at home.

I do not have a milk steamer, I don't have an espresso machine. I do it all by hand on the stove. It takes me about 6 minutes to make my espresso and it's totally worth it.

Vanilla Soy Latte.

Tools:

Medium Sauce Pan

Espresso maker (stove top, coffee maker, french press) 

Whisk 

Ingredients:

Espresso or strongly brewed coffee

Milk (I use soy or coconut)

Sugar (to taste)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

dash cinnamon

dash nutmeg

A latte is usually 1/3 espresso, 2/3 steamed milk.
You can make it as strong as you'd like.

Brew your espresso with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon.
This really enhances the flavor of the coffee, and it gives it a very cozy taste.

While your coffee is brewing, warm your milk in a medium sauce pan on low-medium. Don't cook it too quickly too hot because you don't want to scald the milk. I've found that almond milk always gets a burned taste when it's heated up, so I usually choose soy milk. As the milk warms, add sugar to taste, and about 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.
Continually whisk your milk while the coffee is cooking.

Once they are done, combine in the 1/3 espresso, 2/3 milk ratio.

I always like to whisk and froth up the last bit of milk to pour over top.

Stir together, and enjoy.

Cinnamon enhances the flavor of the coffee, nutmeg gives it a very cozy feel.

This makes about 2 espresso shots in 5 minutes.

Don't let the milk get too hot too fast, it can burn the edges of your pan. (Like mine)

It's delicious...
and so much cheaper and better for you. 

Lunar Forecast for January 26th 2015

Lunar Forecast

          This Lunar Forecast is a look at the emotional influences from the Moon for this week. The Moon plays an important part in our lives. She controls our subconscious, our emotions and even our habits. The Moon travels through the different houses of the zodiac, giving us different themes and experiences. This forecast is in MST and includes some of the major aspects and transits of the week.

Today the waxing Moon is in Taurus. Patience, diligence and practicality are on the increase. This moon favors situations that require persistent efforts. But this is also a day to rest, a good time to experience comfort and coziness. The Taurus moon is a great moon to treat plants. This moon doesn’t favor surgery or medical procedures around the throat, neck, nose, ears or sinus’.

On Tuesday the 27^th the Moon will remain in Taurus. It’s a good time to spend with family, relaxing and indulging in the comforts of home. The Taurus Moon favors peace and comfort. It gives us patience when we wouldn’t usually have any, and things that usually bother us don’t affect us as much. In humid and cold weather take care of your neck and ears. Venus, the planet of love will enter Pisces until February 20^th. Love and relationships have the potential to become spiritual, mystical and even blissful. You will have the opportunity to experience love on a deep spiritual level. At 7:18pm the moon will be Void of Course.

On Wednesday the 28^th, at 3:36 pm the Moon will be in Gemini. Cheerfulness, flexibility and sociability will be on the increase. The emotions on this day can be easily changeable. This is a good day for study, and intellectual work. Mercury retrograde in Aquarius will sextile Uranus on this day. This will help you see your projects in a new perspective, giving you the ability to revise and polish your work in a way you hadn’t seen before. 

          Thursday the 29^th the Moon will remain in Gemini. Now is a good time to discuss family matters and relationships. This should be a day enjoying the company of close friends and family. The Gemini moon activates our breathing and our metabolism. Avoid unventilated or dirty rooms. Avoid surgical intervention of the shoulders, arms, wrists and lungs, and remember to take full cleansing breaths.

            Friday the 30^th at 2:24 am the moon will be VOC in Gemini. The Void of Course is not a desirable time to start a new endeavor. Mercury will link up with the Sun, and Mars will sextile Pluto. This will give you clear luminous thoughts, and the drive to push ahead with your existing goals. Go with the flow of this energy today, and keep your thoughts positive.

Saturday the 31^st, The Moon will be Void of Course until 12:08am. The Moon will transition into the house of Cancer. There will be an increase of emotion, touchiness and vulnerability. The need for seclusion could become rather strong under this moon. There is a desire to communicate with only those closest to you. The Moon in Cancer favors short trips that involve water. Now is not the time to eat suspicious or low quality foods. Don’t overwhelm your digestive system, or seek surgery in the areas of the stomach, chest, abdomen, or lymphatic system.

Sunday the 1^st the Moon will be emotional Cancer. Venus will Square off with Saturn in Sagittarius. You may feel some harsh realities within your romance and relationships. Feelings of obligation may come up as a threat. Fortunately Venus will conjunct Neptune, making the seeds planted at this time rather fruitful and positive in the end.