Like so many things in the world of spiritual tools, there are bonds that connect one system of divination to another. Take, for example, Tarot and astrology. As I'm sure you are aware, Tarot is a system of divination that gives guidance to a person through reading the cards in a spread or even one at a time, which offers a reflection on your past, present and future. But did you know that the Tarot is closely related to astrology as each card in a tarot deck relates to a planet, element, or astrological sign? Tarot cards are most often used for divination, and many people associate them with fortune-telling. But, many psychologists have used them as well, feeling that the cards often make patients delve into how they feel about themselves and situations in their past and present. For example, let's say you know work is not going well, but you do not allow yourself to think about it. Getting a tarot card reading that shows you need to change occupations is not really telling your future so much as it is making you face what is really going on in your life. In fact, you will find that, more often than not, a good tarot reading will affirm what you already may know, thus empowering you with the confidence needed to follow through on your plans. So my dear Mystic, let's talk a little bit about what Tarot is! A tarot card deck consists of 78 cards that fall into two distinctive parts. The first category of cards that most people are familiar with is called the Major Arcana. This part of the deck has 22 cards, 21 suitless cards referred to as trumps and one card called The Fool. These cards represent different stages of life that we go through. Many are recognizable such as the Magician (associated with the planet Mercury), the Lovers (associated with the astrological sign Gemini), and the Death card (associated with Scorpio). The other 56 cards are referred to as the Minor Arcana. Arcana is taken from the Latin word arcanum, meaning secret. The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits, just like regular playing cards. The four suits are the Cups, the Wands, the Swords, and the Pentacles. Each of these cards represents a certain element of the Earth and is associated with certain astrological signs. The Cups represent water and are associated most closely with Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. The Cups stand for emotions, spirituality, and the unconscious. The Wands represent fire and are associated with Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. The Wands stand for action, creativeness, and personal growth. The Swords represent air and are associated with Libra, Gemini, and Aquarius. The Swords stand for the mind, intelligence, and knowledge. The final suit, the Pentacles, represents earth itself and is associated with Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. The Pentacles stand for physical resources, bodily experiences, and practicality. In addition to the four suits, there are also Court cards, including the King, Queen, Prince, and Princess, for each suit. The Minor Arcana cards provide more details to the Major Arcana cards. The Major Arcana gives an individual direction and information about their personal life and emotional and mental state. The Minor Arcana cards offer additional guidance in areas such as relationships, activities, failures, and successes. The Major Arcana cards are seen as more spiritual, while the Minor Arcana cards are seen as material. While you are likely familiar with the Rider Waite Smith Tarot deck, many regard it as the first tarot deck to become accessible to the general public. Though some people find it old-fashioned and maybe even a little boring, it remains my favourite deck to teach with. Some people feel that modern decks of tarot cards are much more expressive than the earlier version, due in part to the ever-widening variety of themed decks to choose from. You can find a tarot deck to suit nearly every taste! Many card sets are often viewed as works of art because of the detailed pictures on each one. Which is directly responsible for my somewhat compulsive need to collect more decks! Whether you get a tarot card reading virtually or in person, there are several things you should keep in mind. The tarot card reading should not scare you but rather give you a better understanding of yourself. They will help you with not only what your future holds but also what is presently going on in your life. You should leave the reading with a positive attitude and feel enlightened. If you are interested in learning more about Tarot, I offer courses here. If you would like to book a reading, click here A little about me - My tarot practice started a little over 28 years ago when I picked up my first Tarot deck, which first belonged to my father. It was the Celtic Tarot, and I loved it. I worked with it incessantly for more than a few years before beginning at my husband refers to as an obscene collection of cards. Later my Tarot journey would take on a new dimension when I co-created The Sirian Starseed Tarot with Patricia Cori. This experience was what I would call a master class in Tarot, as I learned more about the symbols and subtleties woven into the images of these cards than I could have ever anticipated. As of now, I read for clients all over the world, from the UK to Australia, Italy, The United States and of course, here on my home turf in Canada. I also teach Tarot from the beginner level all the way to the certification level. Tarot has given me soooo much, and I love to use it as a tool to give to others!

The world today can be overwhelming! Each year, society seems to revolve more and more around technology, screens, and stress. It is far too easy to get caught up comparing ourselves to the perfectly curated lives we see on social media or feel overwhelmed by the never-ending 24-hour news cycle. It’s no wonder we can often find ourselves feeling caught in negative cycles of anxiety, fear, and stress. Thankfully, we are all born with the ability to access a tool that can help us overcome all of today's modern struggles. A tool that can help guide us through life and stay on the right path. It is our one true superpower, ancient wisdom buried within each of us. What I’m talking about, my dear Mystic is your intuition! The definition of intuition is, “the ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning”. In other words, it's the bridging of the gap between our conscious and unconscious minds. For example, have you ever had an unexplainable feeling in your gut that instinctively told you when something you were doing was right or wrong? That was your intuition speaking. Now imagine what your life would be like if you were able to access that inner guidance system whenever you needed it. That sounds amazing, right? Who wouldn’t want more of that? Listening and trusting that little voice is a marvellous thing on its own, but working to develop that little voice can make it even more powerful. We all have the sacred ability to grow and strengthen our intuition. The more we use it, the more it can expand and evolve. Imagine your intuition as a muscle that needs exercise and nourishment to flourish. Let’s take a look at the 11 best ways to get in tune with and develop your amazing gift! Meditation Unless you have been living under a rock for the past 5 years, you have no doubt heard that you should be meditating. We hear about it everywhere! We all know that we should be meditating more. Let's take a look at mediation through the lens of helping us tune into and grow our intuition. For most people, intuition has a very soft voice. If our minds are busy with the stresses of daily life, it can be very hard to hear that little voice. Meditation is a great way to clear the mind, quiet the constant inner dialogue and make room for our intuition to come through. Try this basic meditation to help you listen and tune into your inner spirit! Set a timer for 10 minutes. Find a relaxing and comfortable place to sit. Close your eyes and stay quiet. Listen to and feel your breath (really pay attention to it) without trying to change it. Just observe the breath. Notice any sensations that arise. Just BE present. When your mind wanders, just bring your focus back to your breath. When your timer goes off, slowly open your eyes and take a moment to write down any important thoughts, messages, feelings, or insights you may have received during your meditation. Dreams: During our waking hours, our cognitive brain is in control. It uses logic and reasoning to override our subconscious mind. However, during sleep, that conscious mind rests, allowing our inner subconscious to shine through. We can learn a lot about overcoming issues or problems by listening to this inner consciousness. Keep a dream journal. Keep a notebook and pen right next to your bed, and immediately upon rising try to record everything you remember about your dreams. Dreams begin to fade from memory immediately upon waking, so make sure to grab your dream journal before you do anything else. Like most things, this takes practice, you will get better over time at interpreting and recording these dreams. You will be able to see patterns and occasions where your inner consciousness is trying to help you solve problems or guide you in the right direction. In my Dreamwork Class, I always encourage my students to avoid judging their dreams no matter how weird they are. Even if your dream doesn't make sense, there is guidance in there! If you judge your dreams, chances are you will lose access to a powerful message. Before going to bed, visualize yourself remembering your dreams. Picture yourself waking up and recording these dreams in your journal. Try to keep this thought in your head as you fall asleep. This will help imprint the practice in your mind and make it easier the next morning. More nature Spending time in nature, away from technology, is one of the best ways to quiet the mind. Nature is a great way for us to get in tune with our ancestral self and our celestial intuition. This is where we come from, our ancestors relied on their intuition for everything. For finding food, avoiding predators, and finding the right path, intuition was one of the most important aspects of life. Anytime we immerse ourselves in nature's beauty, we have an opportunity to dip our toes in another world, a world where intuition rules. Get creative Do something creative! Paint, draw, build, sketch, anything that elevates your creative mind. When we are young, our inner voice is loud and not hesitant to shine through. As we get older, that inner voice is pushed down with responsibilities and the stresses of life. Tapping into this creative part of our brain can help re-ignite those pathways and amplify our intuitions. Get in tune with all your senses Your intuition can flow through any of your five senses. It may come as a strange or loving sensation you feel physically within your body or as a thought that seems to appear out of nowhere. It may be triggered by a certain scent or even taste. Start noticing and paying attention to all of your senses. When was the last time that you really concentrated on your breathing, your sense of smell, your taste? We have all heard the phrase, “stop and smell the roses”, but it really can help in developing your intuition. The more you practice getting in tune with these senses, the more your “6th sense” can flourish as well. Follow your hunches A surefire way to develop your intuition is to test out your hunches. When you are going about your daily life, keep a journal and write it down every time you have a hunch. When that little voice chimes in, be sure to write it down so you can record and see how these hunches play out. It can be as simple as seeing the weather reporting rain for tomorrow, but you have a feeling it will be sunny. Maybe a friend's partner gives you bad vibes, write down your feelings and see if it plays out. Follow your hunches and see what you can learn about your intuition. Switch up your daily routine The conscious brain loves routine and order, but the more regimented your life is, the further your inner voice is pushed down. When the mind is busy, it can be especially hard to hear that little voice. Switching things up can throw your cognitive brain for a loop and let your intuition shine through. Escape the daily routine, slow down and do something different. Your intuition will thank you. Replay past events Sit down and try to think back to a situation where things didn't go as planned or didn't go as you wanted. Visualize yourself back in that situation, and notice any feelings or moments where you felt as if something was wrong. Was there an opportunity to go a different way? Did your inner voice speak up for a moment, only to be overtaken by your cognitive mind? Try to evaluate some of these occurrences and look for patterns; look for ways that you could do things differently the next time. Look for ways your intuition was trying to guide you and the things it was trying to tell you. Breathework Hands down, breathwork is one of the best ways to quiet the mind and get in tune with your inner voice. Try this 4-7-8 method to give your intuition the opportunity to shine through and bring your consciousness to the present. Start by emptying your lungs of air. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds. Hold that breath for 7 seconds. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 8 seconds. Repeat this process 4 times. This 4-7-8 technique will not only help with intuition it is a great way to mitigate stress and lower anxiety. Basically, the whole world would be a much better place if everyone would practice this simple technique once a day! Think less, feel more Our cognitive brain thinks, and our intuition feels. Our minds are always reasoning, questioning and thinking their way through the day. After so many years of this, we don't even realize it's happening. If people could hear all the questions, our cognitive brain is bouncing around all day; they would think we are crazy! Try to slow down and “feel” more. Feelings that are grounded in your body are also grounded in truth. These feelings will never lie. Learn to listen to them more. Pay attention to those little signals that our body gives us. Heart beating faster, that knot in the pit of your stomach, feeling hot, feeling cold or a tingling sensation. You know the situation; you meet someone and immediately know something is off about them; you can just feel it. Maybe they are lying to you or treating someone poorly; your physical body can feel that and alert you. If you pay more attention to these physical cues, you could avoid many uncomfortable, painful or awkward situations. This is your intuition speaking, and it's trying to guide you in the right direction. Practice “sensing” people before meeting them This is a great way to test and grow your intuition. Put yourself into a situation where you can sit and observe someone before meeting them. Imagine yourself in line at the coffee shop; try to imagine what the person behind the counter will be like before you speak to them or meet them. Take in everything you can about them just by looking at them and trusting your feelings. Try to create a mental picture of what they will be like, sound like, are they friendly, are they sociable or not? You can use this in almost any situation to test your intuition. This is a powerful and actionable way to help you get in tune with your senses, your body and your inner voice. Have Gratitude In this day and age, it's easy to look at the negative aspects of life and forget about all that we are blessed to have. We all do it! It can be so easy to overlook our health, the love of our families, food and water, our home or our community. Take time every day to recognize and give thanks for a few of these amazing things that we are lucky enough to have in our lives. This simple practice can open us up to a higher frequency and allow more of life's wonders to find their way to us. -Gratitude improves relationships. -Gratitude improves sleep. -Gratitude improves physical health. -Gratitude improves self-esteem. -Gratitude enhances empathy and reduces aggression. -Gratitude improves psychological health. The benefits of practicing gratitude have been scientifically researched and proven to be powerful, real tools. Think about just how much a few of those positive benefits could drastically change our daily lives. Gratitude can truly open a plethora of doors to a better life, which in turn, will help our intuitions flourish!

Communication from Spirit Guides is somewhat of a mystery to most of us, yet, there are those who say they can openly communicate with other-worldly beings they call Guides and spirits. Knowing this may have left you wondering just how this is done... and if you too can do it. The good news is YES! There are a variety of ways in which you can connect with what I like to call your spiritual entourage. The fastest way to link up this spiritual "WhatsApp" is through getting familiar with your “clair senses.” Clair-senses is a collective word, meaning that the Guide’s communication can utilize any of the following types of psychic sensitivity, which co-mingles the physical body’s normal five senses. The five senses and the clair sense involved are: 1. Clairaudience: Clairaudience perceives sounds (or words) that a person can actually hear when, in fact, no one is speaking, and nothing physical is causing the sounds. The sounds are thought to be impressions that register themselves on the spirilla of the ear’s pineal gland. It is believed that clairaudience sounds go through the same process that normal hearing does, passing through the Third Eye chakra of the head. 2. Clairsavorance: Clairsavorance is translated as clear tasting. The person experiences taste in the mouth without putting anything physical actually in the mouth. 3. Clairscient: Clairscient means to smell a fragrance or odour of a substance which is not physical in nature. For example, you might smell cigarette smoke when you are in a place where it is certain no one is smoking or has smoked. 4. Clairsentience. Clairsentience allows a psychic to perceive information as a feeling within the whole body without any other stimuli related to this feeling or information, which comes from within the body, down the kundalini to the stomach area or solar plexus. 5. Clairvoyance. Clairvoyance means to see into an ethereal dimension without using physical eyes. Some describe it as reaching into another vibration frequency and visually perceiving “within the head,” something like moving pictures. The third eye area of the forehead is one of the other strongest communication centers that Guides frequently use to communicate. In his historical writings of “Psychic Science,” Sir Oliver Lodge spoke about what he called “clairvoyance or lucidity” and raised the older concepts that were coined as “reading with the pit of the stomach.” According to Lodge, using the stomach or belly area as the channel for psychic communications was an established practice. That is an interesting observation when you look more globally at the ancient beliefs about the belly. The Chinese called this belly chakra the “chi point,” while the Japanese termed it the “hara” or “ki point.” As the body’s balancing chakra, this area is located one and a half inches below the navel and one and a half inches inward toward the spine. It is the “energy” that the body generates; some call it a power center. I love to teach my Reiki Master Students about this energy reservoir because once they understand how to replenish this energy center, it allows them to channel more powerful healing energies. When you are attempting to connect with the beings in your Spiritual Entourage, you should be aware that every person has more than one guide. Each guide serves a specific purpose in your life, and connecting with your guide consciously can help you to navigate life more easily. In my book "Essential Psychic Development" I talk about the unique categories of guides we each have and the work that they do in your life. When you use Meditation, Dreamwork, Prayer or Shamanic work to connect with your guides, your Clair senses will be activated. It is important to record everything you experience. Whether it is something subtle like a scent or something more dramatic like a vision of your guide, write down every detail! I also advise drawing any images that appear to you. Even if they seem somewhat jumbled or disconnected, draw them anyway. Over time you will see the pieces come together, forming a clear and concise picture of your spiritual helpers! Remember, everyone is unique, and you may find that some of your clairs may be more dominant than others. This doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong; it just means that the ones that work the strongest are the ones that come easiest to you. The others can be strengthened over time!

I remember when I first started reading Tarot, I recall looking at all those cards and feeling equal parts fascinated and intimidated. All those cards, all those symbols, all those meanings. My fascination was only rivalled by my sense of inadequacy. How the hell does anyone ever learn all of what Tarot has locked within its 78 cards? Probably won't surprise you when I say that I had far more questions than answers when I started my journey. Bar none, I have to admit that my biggest question was how do I know when I'm ready to read the cards for someone else? Because let's face it I've always been very enthusiastic about doing stuff that excites me. After a few years of experience reading the cards for myself... I was ready to start reading for other people. At first, I felt like a little kid whose training wheels were just pulled off their little pink bike for the first time. I felt wobbly and unsure, none the. There are several factors that let you know when you're ready to read for others. So, I thought I would share them with you... after all this forum is about learning. 1. You know how to trust your impressions and intuition. This is the one that I think most people struggle with at one point or another. You pull a card and look at it... you've memorized the meaning but for some reason, it doesn't totally fit the question. What to do, what to do? To me, this is where you have to lean on your intuition. Every card in a traditional or standard deck has a meaning that is universal, but that doesn't mean it is singular. As a good reader, you will need to know how to adapt the meaning of the card to answer the question. This is where you let your intuition kick in and do its job. Take what you're sensing and use the card as a framework to help you uncover the answer to the question. With some practice, you will get stronger at this. Just understand that it is the practice that helps you become more confident. 2. Confidence I'm not saying that you need to be confident that you have every meaning both subtle and obvious committed to memory flawlessly to be confident. While it doesn't hurt, it is for sure NOT a requirement. The kind of confidence I'm talking about is the kind that allows you to make mistakes and survive. Over my career, I have made countless mistakes... like the kind where you're even surprised at how badly you've mangled a reading. Oh yeah been there a few times. But here's the thing, I'm human. Therefore it's to be expected that I will goof up. Or I'll have a day where I'm speaking clear gibberish... like everything comes out as awkwardly as possible. The trick here is to adapt. If you know you've messed up or feel things are going in the ditch. Just be honest. You are HUMAN, as well as intuitive. The more honest you are about your reading the more confident you will become. Which will inevitably lead to being more comfortable. Not to mention, if and when you make a mistake, your recovery will be faster and your confidence will stay intact. 3. Develop your own style Just like every other art, reading Tarot has standards that were born in traditions kept generation after generation. Learning the fundamentals either on your own, in a course or with a good mentor is only part of the equation. I recommend learning from several sources, teachers and mentors. Read many books and practice often with several kinds of decks. You will surely find that after the standards are learned, and you have seen many methods of using the cards, you will start to feel out what works for you and what doesn't. You will have your favourite spreads, cards and even ways you begin and end readings. Developing your own style is important for your comfort, confidence, intuitive abilities, and uniqueness and most certainly it is important if you plan to go professional. Don't forget, Tarot is a tool that evolves with you. This is perfect because what works for you now may not even come close to what works in 5 months or even 5 years. I hope that helps! What do you think is important for people who are just getting ready to read for others? How did you know when you were ready? Chime in! Interested in learning Tarot? Check out my classes here - https://bit.ly/3bj43pj Alysa is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services. Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers nearly 3 decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle. In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. Alysa lives and works in Ontario, Canada Email: hello@northstarmystic.com Web address: www.northstarmystic.com Classes & Courses - www.NSMAcademy.org Books by Alysa: www.achilleafortuna.com

Throughout history, meditation has been an integral part of many cultures. Records indicate that meditation was practiced in ancient Greece and India more than 5,000 years ago. In the Buddhist religion, meditation is an important part of their spiritual practice. Different forms of meditation are practiced in China and Japan, and Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have traditions similar to meditation. The word meditation comes from the Latin meditate which means: exercise, turn something over in one's mind, think, consider. It is defined as consciously directing your attention to alter your state of mind. Meditation is one of the proven alternative therapies that in recent years have been classified under mind-body medicine therapies. It is continuing to gain popularity, as more and more health experts believe that there is more to the connection between mind and body than modern medicine can explain. According to researchers, meditation has been shown to aid the immune system and improve brain activity. More and more doctors are prescribing meditation as a way to lower blood pressure, improve exercise performance, help people with asthma breathe easier, relieve insomnia, and generally relax everyday stresses of life. Many hospitals now offer meditation classes for their patients because of the health benefits. All promote physiological health and well-being. Traditionally, meditation has been used for spiritual growth but more recently has become a valuable tool for managing stress and finding a place of peace, relaxation, and tranquillity in a demanding fast-paced world. Benefits resulting from meditation include physical and emotional healing; easing stress, fear, and grief; improved breathing; developing intuition; deep relaxation; exploring higher realities; finding inner guidance; unlocking creativity; manifesting change; emotional cleansing and balancing; and deepening concentration and insight. Meditation elicits stillness, silence, tranquillity, peace, quiet, and calm. All counter stress and tension. Lama Surya Das in his book Awakening The Buddha Within says, Meditation is not just something to do; it's a method of being and seeing an unconditional way of living moment by moment. In other words, learning to live in this moment because this moment is all we have. Henry Winkler is quoted as saying; A human being's first responsibility is to shake hands with herself. Meditation is an opportunity to shake hands with ourselves in a safe, simple way and to balance our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. If you are interested in exploring guided meditation, I have some I have created for purchase here - https://www.northstarmystic.com/mystic-meditations Alysa is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services. Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers nearly three decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle. In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Grandmaster Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. Alysa has authored several metaphysical, esoteric and energy healing books. ​For a full list of her titles please visit Achillea Fortuna Publishing Alysa lives and works in Hillsburgh, Ontario

Transits come up in a lot of astrology readings because they're so important they're key in understanding your progress in your personal evolution. Natal charts are about where all the planets were when you were born. Transits, on the other hand, are about where the planets are at any given moment. They'll affect you at different times, depending on what your chart looks like and their configurations to the planets in your natal chart. That's why it's so important to check them out from time to time. Jupiter and Saturn transits are especially important since these two planets spend such a long amount of time in each sign (Jupiter for 12 years, Saturn for 29). Astrology is a beautiful and complex art, but sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what the hell is going on. ve been studying astrology for years and have learned a lot from my own experience and from the guidance of others. So I thought it would be helpful if I shared some of my knowledge with you. I'll be focusing on transits — which are the movement of planets in their orbits around the sun — which will tell you about how the current positions of the planets affect you and the evolution of what is described in your birth chart (or natal chart). If you don't know what that means, don't worry — we'll explain all of that later! The planets, or astrological bodies, move through the sky at different speeds. When a planet transits your natal chart, it means it is moving through your birth chart. Transiting charts are temporary— they’re only in effect for a short period of time… and in some cases, thankfully! It’s important to pay attention to how transiting planets impact your natal chart and how they affect you in the present moment. If you're new to astrology, you may have heard the term "bad transits," which is just a way of saying that some aspects are easier than others. And that's true! However, in my experience, learning to cope with the challenging times can actually help us grow and evolve more quickly. Astrological transit charts are a tool for seeing what's happening in your life right now. They're not predictive, but they can give us some insight into our lives and the people around us. Why it's important to pay attention to transiting Saturn: Saturn represents structure, limits and discipline. It represents limitations, responsibility, accountability and consolidation, so if it's transiting through any of their houses or signs, you'll likely experience some sort of difficulty in that area of your life. Transiting Saturn is one of the most powerful influences in a transit chart because it represents our desire to learn from our past mistakes and build on them for the future. This means that you will often experience difficulties and obstacles in areas of life that transiting Saturn is affecting. In a transit chart, look for the house position of Saturn to see what areas of life Saturn will be influencing. It’s also a time to focus on patience, discipline and determination — skills that will be useful when Saturn transits your natal chart. Saturn rules structure, discipline, responsibility and restriction, so these transits can be challenging for everyone, no matter how well-positioned or aspected Saturn is in your transit chart. However, they also bring opportunities for growth if you're willing to take them on. Saturn takes about 2 ½ years to transit a sign/ house. What do you do when you're faced with a difficult transit? I've learned many lessons during its transit through my natal chart, and I've also experienced the effects of transiting Saturn in the charts of others. Transiting Saturn is often associated with endings, but it's also associated with new beginnings. If you find yourself facing challenging Saturn transits, here are five ways to cope: 1. Be honest with yourself about what you need to let go of. 2. Make time for friends and family who support you. 3. Take care of your body by eating well and getting enough sleep. 4. Use your time wisely by focusing on activities that bring joy into your life. 5. Don't allow yourself to get bogged down by negativity or self-doubt — keep moving forward! Always know where Jupiter is transiting: Jupiter represents expansion and optimism in your life — it brings good luck and fortune and makes us feel like everything is working to our advantage! When Jupiter enters a new sign in your horoscope, it’s a time for new beginnings that can lead to major breakthroughs! Jupiter is the planet of expansiveness and growth, so when it moves through a sign/ house in your chart, you should expect some positive changes there — unless it hits hard aspects with other planets like Mars or Saturn, in which case you will still receive some of the benefits of Jupiter but to a lesser degree. Jupiter transits bring expansion, luck and optimism, so these transits can be very beneficial for those who have strong Jupiter aspects in their birth chart. However, they can also lead to excesses if you're not careful. Jupiter is called a "benefic" planet because it brings growth, expansion and opportunity. However, Jupiter can also have a negative side when it's in challenging aspects with other planets. Jupiter transit a sign/ for about 12 to 13 months. Here are five ways to cope with challenging transits of Jupiter: 1. Take time to expand your education. 2. Take a trip to somewhere fulfilling. 3. Seek out the origins of your family line, traditions or even spiritual beliefs. 4. Stay on top of paperwork and financial commitments. 5. Take a spiritual retreat! Transits aren't good or bad; they're simply opportunities for growth and change that come along once every year or two, depending on how many planets are involved (more than one planet means a longer duration). Transits are a very powerful astrological tool. They are often overlooked, but knowing when transiting Jupiter or Saturn will be forming a square or opposition with your natal planets can have a significant impact on your life and should never be overlooked. You can take action on these transits to improve your future prospects, but you must be aware of them in order to make this happen. What can you expect from a Jupiter or Saturn transit? It depends on the transits and your house placements; if you know what each transit entails, you're likely to be better prepared for the challenges they might pose. Of course, it's still easy to get swept up in the drama of these planets, but at least with an understanding of them, you'll be able to deal with their inevitable ups and downs without feeling so blindsided by their presence. Alysa is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services. Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers nearly three decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle. In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Grandmaster Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. ​Alysa has authored several metaphysical, esoteric and energy healing books. ​For a full list of her titles please visit Achillea Fortuna Publishing Alysa lives and works in Hillsburgh, Ontario

We live at a time when the capacity to hear the Divine Spirit’s voice speaking within the heart and mind has become greater, due to the intensification of light within the physical plane. As a result, even for those who have wandered far away from a spiritual path, the way back is more possible than ever before. All you need is a desire to return and give time and attention to the voice of inner knowing that you may have previously abandoned. This inner knowing is what we call intuition. It takes place in silence and in the presence of inspiration that arrives from another level, often by asking and waiting. Though some intuitive perceptions are primarily focused within the human plane, for example, knowing someone so well that we can anticipate how they might react to something or what they might do, the kind of intuition that may be called ‘higher intuition’ comes from a different place. It is the voice of understanding that translates messages from the level of the soul where Divine truth, light, and wisdom can be heard. There doesn’t have to be a great difference between human intuition and higher intuition. And yet, for many, there still remains a large gap – a space that makes it more difficult to hear the words that are being whispered to and from the soul. In order to bridge this gap, mind and heart have to be willing and there needs to be at least the beginning of trust in one’s capacity ‘to know’. Intuition does not need to be taught; it needs to be allowed. It is a capacity that has always been within us in a dormant state, waiting for us to turn towards it, as a flower turns to the sun. We can start with a small willingness to 'know’ more of truth, light, and wisdom as it applies to our own lives and to the lives of those we love. We can begin to pray to have the obstacles removed that cloud understanding or diminish our perception of what this truth might be. A desire to make contact with higher truth begins to open the doors to inner knowing, especially when such desire is accompanied by a willingness to receive and pay attention to what has been heard or sensed. There are people who ‘know’ things and who do not believe what their inner senses tell them. They invalidate and reject what they feel or believe. This choice begins to close the doors to higher perception as it gives more power to fear; fear of being wrong, fear of being different, and fear of needing to change one’s life based on what is heard. In order to open the doors to intuition and to keep them open, we need to be willing to hear and know, and we need to be willing to trust. Trust is not a simple thing, for it often involves a reevaluation of how we have lived our lives. It may be that life has compelled us to be more practical, and more focused on the daily tasks of living and providing for others. Or, it may be that we have made mistakes in the past concerning who or what to trust. It also may be that we have forgotten that we have the capacity to feel more, sense more, or be more open to life on all levels. Trust involves not only a willingness to receive something from another level of our being. It also involves a willingness to believe in our own capacity to flow with life and to change what needs to be changed on the outside or on the inside in order to do so. There are many who know a great deal but who are afraid to let themselves recognize this because of where it might take them. This fear must be let go of in order to open the doors further to intuition and to the greater perception of light and truth. Especially today, when there are so many great issues before us as collective humanity, and so many actions taken that can have a profound effect on all of humankind, it is especially important that we reclaim our ability to know and to trust, which gives rise to intuition. To do otherwise leaves us in the precarious position of not knowing what or who to believe, not knowing which direction to go in, in terms of making the world a better place and relieving the immense suffering that currently exists. Without access to the deeper intuitive sense that is part of us, we live at the mercy of public opinion rather than in the presence of truth. For reasons that are both personal and are simply part of being human, it is essential, now, for us to open to the light that is present so that we can participate more fully in the collective life of humanity, as well as, in the circumstances of our own lives. It is time to allow our inner senses to awaken and to become the light-filled beings that we are. The time we are in asks this of us, and for each of us, our hearts ask this of us so that we can begin to solve the problems and challenges that are immediately before us. We can begin with a prayer or meditation; we can follow that with a period of silence and emptiness in which we do not know and wait to be shown; we can make ourselves ready to become vessels of truth and light. The recognition of intuition’s gifts may not happen immediately, but it will happen, and all of life celebrates when one who has left the path of recognizing their Divine self begins to tread the path of return. Alysa is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services. Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers nearly 3 decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle. In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. Alysa lives and works in Ontario, Canada Email: hello@northstarmystic.com Web address: www.northstarmystic.com Classes & Courses - www.NSMAcademy.org Books By Alysa: https://www.achilleafortuna.com/

When I was a kid, I would hear about the Solar return chart and think it sounded really complicated. I remember hearing my Dad who was an astrologer talk about it with people he would read charts for. The solar return is an annual astrological forecast that's said to give valuable insight into what the next year will bring, on a personal and collective level. But if you're new to astrology, you might not fully understand what a solar return chart is or how to make use of this forecasting tool. Solar returns are also called birthday charts. In fact, it’s from the solar return that we get the expression "many happy returns" which we say when wishing someone a happy birthday. The Solar return chart shows the themes for that year, and it's as accurate as any other Astrological forecast you're going to get. A solar return is a snapshot of the heavens at the moment the Sun returns to its natal position. It represents exactly what will be happening in your life during that time. The positions of planets and houses on your solar return show which areas of your life are highlighted during this period, so if there are certain things in your life that need attention—like romance or finances—then these can become chronic problems if not resolved by this point in time. Your solar return is calculated for the exact date and time when the Sun returns to the place it was in when you were born. This means that your true birthday may fall on the same date you were born, or it may fall the day before or after, depending on when the Sun reaches the correct degree. For example, if you were born on September 28, 1950, when the Sun was at 05 Degrees LIBRA, 00 minutes', your solar return would have fallen on September 27th in the years 2004, 2005, and 2006. I cast solar return charts for myself and the majority of my clients every year because from the solar return you can accurately determine the themes of the year ahead from birthday to birthday. People who are skeptical about astrology often ask me how accurate these predictions can be, especially since the Before casting a chart I always ask my clients where they will be spending their birthday because your location will affect the outcome of your solar year by being in a place other than your birthplace or your place of residence at the time of the return. Some people will go to extraordinary lengths to visit another town or country for their solar return. This is because calculating a solar return for a different location can cause certain desirable planetary aspects to appear, and certain undesirable planetary aspects to disappear, or a planet or planets can change houses if the chart is erected for a different place. However, while the ancients believed in erecting a solar return for the location in which a person is at the time of the return, people back then did not travel much, and they could not have anticipated our highly mobile lifestyles today. The solar return takes the single day of the return and uses the 24 hours that follow the return to predict the future events for that year. But, we can argue that, like progressions, we need to recalculate the solar return for the place where the person lives once they return home. Why is the solar return any different than a progressed natal chart in that respect? After all, if I went to New York in June, I wouldn’t erect my progressions there and then return to the West Coast and rely on those New York calculations. When I progress the planets in my solar returns to predict events, it has always been the solar return chart erected for my residence that has been reliable. Therefore I will often look at the locations my clients live in as well as the chart for any other location they are considering celebrating their birthday in. If you are seeking specific answers to questions about the year ahead, then the Solar Return Chart is a great tool that can provide both short-term and long-term insight. By looking at where your personal planets will transit through this time of year, you can get an idea of what’s in store for you during the next 12 months. If you would like to book a Solar return Consult, please click here Alysa is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services. Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers over nearly three decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle. In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Grandmaster Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. ​Alysa has authored several metaphysical, esoteric and energy healing books. ​For a full list of her titles please visit Achillea Fortuna Publishing Alysa lives and works in Hillsburgh, Ontario

I don’t know about you but it sure feels like the end of the damn world… or at the very least being on the verge of it. It’s like someone said…. Hey, why don't we let the four horsemen of the apocalypse out and see what happens? We seem to be getting battered with every conceivable hostile circumstance and event possible. Every time you turn around there is a new threat of war, disease, society crumbling under the weight of racism, and bigotry. Our governments seem to be struggling to keep pace with the onslaught of rapid-fire emergencies. Along side creating crisis's of their very own with things like encroaching on human rights and confusing working for the people of the country to controlling people. Not too long ago people were hoarding FREAKING toilet paper for god’s sake! People seem to be panicking, feeling overwhelmed and disconnected. Everyone is scared and waiting for the lights to suddenly extinguish without warning. They did that at my house about a week ago after a gnarly storm. Life on planet Earth is pretty challenging right now. We are faced with so many hazards, warnings, alerts and alarms. There is tension everywhere. We are all feeling it, we all feel like a guitar string that is pulled too tight and ready to snap on the first person to pluck it. But why?! Where is all this coming from? Why all at once? Why now? When you stop and do the math (which has never been my strong suit) everything we are experiencing doesn’t add up to anything you can feel good about, let alone calm. It almost feels like going full tilt ostrich and plugging one's head into the sand is a viable... if not a preferable option to facing the seemingly daily bad news. Never being one for sitting idly by, I had a thought... I warn you it is unconventional.... but I thought I might share it with you anyway. What if I told you that despite all the chaos, unrest and insecurity - everything is actually just fine? What if told you that you are ok, the world is in order and that we are right where we need to be, in perfect alignment for the next step in our collective evolution? Imagine if I told you that you, me and every other former tree dweller that makes up the human race are on the verge of a transformation that has only been heretofore a fantasy? Well, darling, that’s exactly what I’m saying. We are the little engine that could… chugging along, and pulling into the station right on time. A lot of people will tell you that the world is on fire, and we are doomed… mostly because to the untrained eye, all the above troubles make that assertion a quantifiable truth. All the evidence points to our imminent annihilation. I won’t reiterate my laundry list of “oh fucks” from earlier in this composition to prove my point. Suffice to say, by appearances it like all roads lead to the cliff, and we have all become lemmings following the literal asshole in front of us to our inevitable destruction. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and at the mercy of some unknown force that seems to enjoy visiting plague after plague upon humanity. None of this is true… or helpful, or even nice really. So as a student of the universes and the natural rhythmic energies of life and creation I know one thing is for sure - life is all about cycles. The expansion and contraction of your own lungs as you breathe is an easy-to-follow example of this. Last night I had a wonderful conversation with my childhood bestie. We have known each other since we were preteens. Together, she and I have been through marriages, divorces, parenthood, and the deaths of loved ones and parents. We have always talked each other through all the difficult challenges life has thrown at either one of us. As we were talking about all the stuff happening worldwide, like the seemingly endless challenges in government, the shift in the power structure between women and men, financial peaks and valleys, and instability in the availability of resources both natural and man-made. There have also been leaps made in technology, creating a human connection on an unprecedented level, altruism and a change in perspective In the last little while, things seem to have gotten very difficult for many of us. We look around and wonder why we seem to be stuck in this nasty feeling. It's in moments like these I am reminded of the Parable of the lotus and I'd like to share. Like a secret, the seed of the lotus flower begins its life submerged not only underwater but nestled deep in the dark and obscuring mud. One day the life within the seed stirs and begins to germinate. Yet while it is mired deep within the mud it naturally strives to push through the thick and constraining dirt. Each day the sprout is strengthened, ever reaching toward the promise of the nourishing sun. Even though there is no assurance of reaching the surface of the murky water; the stem of the plant must maintain its momentum. Pushing and reaching a little more every day; the water slowly becoming clearer, allowing more light from the sun to pass through, and nourish the pod. After a time, the lotus stem finally breaks the surface of the water. Though it has made the long journey from the mud and murky water that obscured the Sun's light, it has yet another task before completing its journey. It must now open. Lying atop the surface of the water, high above the mud that once encased it, and the shadowy water that formerly blocked the sun, a single petal at a time, the pod slowly begins to flower. Now, the seed has become what it was always meant to be; the lotus flower. Free from all barriers and open to the world. It plays its role in creation, having totally met and realized its full potential. The mud now nourishes the flower, giving it strength, and the water that used to blind it, now washes its petals clean keeping them spotless and beautiful. In the centre of the now open flower lay seeds that contain all the unknown potentials of the future, the newness of beginning. This is such a beautiful metaphor for life and its challenges. So often we can find ourselves hindered, and even stuck in the dark of confusion, stress, depression or difficult circumstances. Just as the mud and murky water prohibit the passage of sunlight to the seedling; so too can the state of being within our minds prohibit the light of truth from penetrating our souls. Similarly, we can also find our pain as being the matrix for profound growth. To the Buddhists, the lotus seed signifies universal potential. The sprout and stem represent the desire for enlightenment and the determination to not allow suffering to overtake the soul. The opened flower is a metaphor for awakening, spiritual growth, and enlightenment. The blossom also represents the purity of body, speech and mind. The parable of the lotus can be thought of as a metaphor for the awakened mind, which grows naturally toward the warm and nourishing light of truth, love and compassion. The lotus may appear delicate on the surface, but it is flexible and resilient, securely anchored under the surface of the water. Within you, the same desire for awakening, transformation and liberation reaches for the light of the truth of your purpose. If you read this and it has helped you, pass it on! All my love Dear Mystic Alysa

You may have heard of the four elements in astrology, but may still be wondering what they mean. The Four Elements describe the four unique personality types associated with the zodiac signs. While it can be difficult to know what the horoscopes of your friends and family will reveal, you can use their zodiac signs to determine which element they are composed of. As you become more familiar with these four elements, you will likely gain a deeper understanding of the personality types that they comprise. The elements correspond profoundly to basic character traits, behaviour, emotions, thinking and intuition. They are reflected in our relationships, our ambitions or lack thereof, and the unexpected turns and twists that add spice to our lives. Empedocles, a Greek philosopher, scientist and healer who lived in Sicily in the fifth century B.C., believed that all matter comprises the four elements: earth, air, fire and water, and we are no exception. Fire and air are outwardly reaching elements, reaching up and out, whereas earth and water turn inward and downward. One of the first things I assess in a natal (or birth chart) is the balance of elements based on the placements of planets in signs and houses. This tells me much about how the person operates. How they express themselves and what will accelerate or inhibit their growth. Ancient astrologers knew that the natural elements were intrinsically linked to our bodies, but also to the temperament of our souls. You would be amazed at just how much impact the elements have on how you behave! Because the main purpose of Astrology is to help us to better focus our energies, gain a better understanding of our positive traits, and deal with the negative ones. We can use this knowledge to realize our full potential and live our best life. We all need air to breathe, water to cleanse us and sustain our growth, fire to prevent us from suffering the consequences of cold and to nourish us, and earth to live on together with all the living things and to grow our food. All the elements are equally important and below is a more specific definition of each. Earth Correspondences Astrology: Taurus, Capricorn, Virgo Tarot: Pentacles Jung: Sensation Feel the Earth under our feet, the soil that sustains all forms of life. Just look at the power and beauty of the mountains, a symbol of stability and solidity of the earth. Every day we experience the physical world, we walk on this earth, enjoy the beauty and bounty of Mother Earth and feel the comfort of being on solid ground. Associated with the signs Taurus, Capricorn and Virgo, Earth represents the practical, realistic material side of our nature, it seeks to assert a stable, secure and structured environment in which we can function. Feel the earth under your feet, solid and steady as you walk slowly. Earth is patient and reliable. It is solid and strong. To be on solid ground encourages one to seek the practical and most logical answer to a problem. Earth can be a stabilizing force in a relationship contributing to structure and organization to achieve balance and harmony. Earth sustains growth. Think of the way in which plant life grows, an acorn grows into an oak tree; so too do humans grow from youth to maturity, and as we evolve, we come to realize the immense expansion in every facet of life. The overexpression of this element can be seen in a stubborn and rigid personality, one that strives to remain in the comfort zone in life, afraid to take risks. It can also be seen by a love of the material side of life, the comforts of material well-being, and forgetting the importance of spiritual and emotional aspects of consciousness. Rigidity in attitude can become an issue as well, causing a person to suffer from self-imposed limitations. Earth Dominant personalities are very reliable, careful and nurturing, they are methodical and they are focused on what can be accomplished over the long term. Earth Personality Strengths: Organized, methodical, practical, sustaining, reliable, stable, self-sufficient, persistent, nurturing, cautious, results-oriented Earth Personality Weakness: attachment, stinginess, materialism, resistance to change, too much attention to detail and missing the big picture. Air Correspondences Astrology: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius Tarot: Swords Jung: Thinking The element of Air is associated with the signs of Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. It seeks to establish itself in the realm of the intellect. It is through the process of thinking and imagining that we develop ideas and innovations. Through the influence of this element, we are inspired to communicate, sharing ideas through the transmission of words on sound waves that vibrate the air. In the context of astrological meaning, Air contributes to our inventiveness, originality and versatility, giving us an avenue of expression that opens us to creativity and mental constructs that brings form to that which is formless. It bestows a desire for freedom, and unattachment, reaching beyond the physical world. Instead of emotion, Air urges you to use logic and intellect to navigate through the world. Enjoy that refreshing gentle breeze, allow thoughts to flow freely, and nourish the creative moment. Air is discerning, and critical and asks you to use your ability to intellectualize to appreciate the differences in people and accept different perspectives. Without those differences, there would be a lack of vision and an inability to create fulfilling human interaction. Thoughts are a continual force in our lives, how you direct them is directly proportionate to the quality of your experiences. When you need more peace and tranquillity in your life, air-dominant people benefit from meditations where deep breathing is used as it is essential to reach that level of stillness, energy, and relaxation required to stave off nervousness. An overexpression of air’s influence can be seen in people who are often living in a dream world with unrealistic goals and flights of fancy. They can often become nervous and suffer insomnia due to overstimulation of the mental body. Air is best expressed when a person communicates mindfully and with intention, being aware of the impact of their words. Air Personality Strengths: Logic, discernment, practicality, innovation, inventiveness, analytical, critical, and focused. Air Personality Weaknesses: lack of emotion, depression, lack of connection with the higher self, overactive mind that blocks inner peace and harmony, nervousness, instability Fire Correspondences Astrology: Leo, Sagittarius, Aries Tarot: Wands Jung: Intuition The signs Leo, Sagittarius and Aries are associated with the element Fire. It represents the life force glowing within us. This element projects self-expression, creativity, courage and enthusiasm. When we feel the comforting warmth of a fire, or heat when we come in from the cold, we are calmed, put at ease and feel secure. We need fire to meet the basic need of cooking our food, lighting the dark, heating our homes and even creating utensils to assist in the work of life. Fire provides a sense of security, warmth and inspiration that is shared with those around us. In ancient times people would gather around the communal fire to share stories, make plans and socialize. Fire strengthens self-confidence to tackle problems without hesitation. Without fire, there is no radiance, no conviction, no motivation or pioneering spirit. A spark can light up new ideas, and serve as a beacon to light the way to achieve goals with conviction and enthusiasm. An overexpression of fire can turn assertiveness into aggression, daring into reckless behaviour and so forth. When fire's influence is out of control, it seeks to consume all in its path, scorching and burning indiscriminately. it can lead to conquering, domination and overconsumption of resources leading to depletion. Fire can help us to be bold, but it can also cause brashness and volatility resulting in volcanic eruptions of anger, and even rage. Fire Personality Strengths: Spirited, pioneering, courageous, boldness, initiating, enthusiastic, ambitious, self-assured, optimistic, bright, generous, warm Fire Personality Weaknesses: lack of interest, egotistic, excessive self-centeredness, self-importance, arrogant, brash, violent, volatile, instability, inconsistent Water Correspondences Astrology: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces Tarot: Cups Jung: Feelings/Emotion The element of Water is associated with the signs of Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces and is deeply associated with the conscience and the subconscious forces that act in our lives. Water pours forth from our emotional body and out to others who may wish to be washed in it. It allows you to empathically feel their pain and suffering and offer sincere compassion. Psychic awareness is also present in the water signs and shows itself from time to time with uncanny accuracy. Water seeks to heal and nurture those around it. Uncontrolled, this element can send emotions on a turbulent path resulting in moodiness and unpredictable highs and lows, like the crest and trough of a wave. Water signs need serenity and calmness, like a gently flowing river nurturing all in its wake and at the same time leading to the discovery of new paths. When overexpressed, one may tend to be overly emotional, deeply sensitive and subjective. With too much emotion, depression may result. Weakness can result from being too protective and possessive of their loved ones; a cold attitude and lack of drive may arise. Water Personality Strengths: Adaptable, intuitive, empathetic, yielding, gentle, responding, psychic, sensitive, dreamer, devoted, romantic, imaginative Water Personality Weaknesses: Diffuse, extremes, difficulty creating and maintaining boundaries, moody, overly sensitive, impressionable, gullible, extremes, smothering Being able to interpret the four elements in your birth chart will give you an overall insight into your personal nature. Once you understand how strong each element is in your chart and how you express it you are empowered to work your strengths to your highest advantage. In addition, it will help you understand more about yourself and how you interact with others, making it easier to build lasting and fulfilling relationships! Thank you for reading! I hope you found this helpful! If you would like to book a Birth Chart reading or know more about the astrological sessions I offer, please click here. Alysa is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services. Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers nearly three decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle. In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Grandmaster Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. ​ Alysa has authored several metaphysical, esoteric and energy healing books. ​For a full list of her titles please visit Achillea Fortuna Publishing Alysa lives and works in Hillsburgh, Ontario

One of my FAQs is, “How often should I have a Tarot Card reading?” While there is no right answer to this, It depends on your purpose– what type of reading you are having and the way you are using it. If you are looking for some indication about what is happening in general in the future, then you could have a reading every six months or so, or perhaps every year. A forecast reading tends to involve a bigger “spread” or “layout” with more cards in it. This allows a broader view of trends that may be coming into play around you. It usually tells me whether you are in a time of change or of relative stability– whether new stuff is going to happen or if things will remain very similar to how they are now. You don’t need this kind of reading very frequently. It’s “big picture” stuff and tends to change slowly. If you are looking at one issue at a time though, such as if you are going to get a new job soon, you can ask that question with a smaller spread. A few cards or a spread that is used for a more specific or focused question will be fine and will tell you what the possibilities are in that situation. The reading might tell you if you need to add to your skills and head off in a new career direction or search more thoroughly for a job than you are currently doing. If you asked about moving to a new house it might say that moving would be disruptive at this time. Tarot is always more than just “Yes” or “No”. Which is one of the many reasons I love it. I always tell my clients and students that Tarot gives you the full picture. It can show you the problems as well as the remedy in nearly any situation. It nearly always gives you clear and strong advice or insight as well. With a reading based on one specific topic, you can ask whenever you like as long as the topics are different. It’s no good asking the same thing many times because the answers just become confusing and often merely reflect how you are feeling that day. Additionally, you may just get the same answer as the first time you asked the question, and for some people, this can just become frustrating. I always discourage people from becoming dependent on divination. Asking the same question, again and again, trying to nag the cards into telling you what you want to hear is not healthy. Sometimes life doesn’t give us what we want and we have to accept that and get on with things as best we can. Using reading to help you work through a problem is great. Using reading to get a "sneak peek" into the future can be very exciting as well as calming. Using a tarot reading to decide whether you should have oatmeal or eggs for breakfast is just not useful, nor is it supportive of your wellbeing. It’s better not to ask trivial questions. I have found that the Tarot works best when you’ve thought out your question carefully and put it in a sensible manner. When you have an answer to a question, then it’s a good idea to go away and reflect on it and see how that answer can help you with your problem. That is one of the strengths of the Tarot – guidance. It can help us to see solutions for ourselves. By using the Tarot wisely, it becomes like talking to a good friend. The answers often open up new ways of looking at our lives that can help us bring out the best for ourselves in the future. Like all good friends, it responds best if you take notice of the answers it gives. Alysa is a professional mystic, who teaches and works with spiritual seekers from all over the world. Her dynamic personality and passion for the mystic arts are infectious. She loves to bring her wealth of metaphysical knowledge and depth of experience to her clients and students through providing intuitive and spiritual services. Known for her ability to blend fun with professionalism, Alysa offers nearly 3 decades of esoteric experience which includes the co-creation of the Sirian Starseed Tarot & the Seekers Oracle. In her professional practice, Alysa is a master tarot reader & teacher, second-generation traditional western astrologer, numerologist, certified professional past-life regressionist, Reiki Master Teacher, Certified Life coach, published author, artist, and founder of North Star Mystic Academy which opened in 2019. Alysa lives and works in Ontario, Canada Email: hello@northstarmystic.com Web address: www.northstarmystic.com Classes & Courses - www.NSMAcademy.org

So you're a crystal junkie.... and a Tarot card connoisseur ... so what to do, what to do? Blend them of course! However, if you are just getting started you might be wondering which crystals are ideal to amplify your readings. Needless to say, there are like a BAJILLION crystals to choose from and, you might have also noticed that many minerals have some overlap in terms of what they do. That's ok, no need to worry, I've got you covered! I'd like to hopefully help you out and share my top 5 crystals for tarot readings that can help you supercharge your readings! Red Jasper is one of my favourite crystals, and it's pretty much a stone for every occasion. It helps to ground you and centre yourself so that your mind/ body connection is super stable. If you feel like your energy has been dispersed in different directions, red jasper is a wonderful stone for consolidating your focus and recalibrating your energy. Red Jasper also has some amazing properties when it comes to protection! It's a stone of courage and endurance, especially when it comes to navigating difficult situations or relationships in your life. Lastly - red jasper is connected with the Root Chakra (the base chakra), which means that this crystal is ideal for helping you to maintain a steady and supportive vibe for yourself and whomever you may be reading for! Also, Red Jasper works well with any other crystals that are associated with the root chakra (i.e.: Dioptase). Black Obsidian is a very powerful stone and can be used for protection against negativity and psychic attack. It is also an excellent grounding stone that helps you become more aware of the energies around you, including those that are not always pleasant. Black Obsidian is a good stone for centering, grounding and removing energy blockages. It helps to release old emotions which may be hindering your progress in life. Black Obsidian can bring clarity to situations where there has been confusion or indecision. Use Black Obsidian when working with the Root Chakra as it will help keep you grounded during times of change or upheaval in your life. Blue Apatite is a wonderful addition to your tarot readings. Its soft blue colour helps you find the right words when delivering messages and can give you clarity on how best to communicate with others. I love it because it helps calm the nervous system and balance emotions, making it an excellent stone for when you need an extra boost of self-confidence. Blue Apatite also opens up communication between two people through any medium—phone calls, emails or even instant messenger chats! It is by far my most used crystal when teaching and reading for clients. I have a beautiful palm stone that I keep in my hand when I'm doing a lot of talking. This crystal is great for working with the throat chakra, so it’s perfect if you have trouble finding the right words during a reading. Clear Quartz is a stone that can be used to amplify energy and direct it. It can help you focus, but it can also help you with healing. This crystal is often used in meditation because it helps clear your mind and helps you to focus on what's happening around you. If you need some guidance, Clear Quartz will work well as a tool for communication. I've become a bit of a Clear Quartz collector... I've literally lost count of all the specimens that I have collected. Just keep one in your pocket when doing readings for clients or yourself! They will help you pick up on what needs healing most at that moment and show signs where those issues may occur -- sometimes even months ahead of time (or even years)! So keep them close by at all times!!! Green Moss Agate is a stone of prosperity and abundance. It helps to attract what you want into your life, whether that’s a work-related success or the love of your life. This crystal is attuned to the energy of Venus and can provide you with the support you need to get through any challenges that arise when pursuing your goals. Green Moss Agate is also a healing stone, which makes it even more useful in terms of providing emotional support when things get tough. It can help ease feelings of sadness or depression by restoring hope and lightening up on self-criticism. In addition to its positive effect on moods, it can help you to keep the heart of your reading centred by supporting the energetic flow to and from your heart chakra. Cause seven is better than 5 ... here's 2 more! I generally keep these two crystals on my reading table which works to sustain and regulate energy. However, you might find that these two crystals are good for tons of other purposes so don't be afraid to experiment! Amethyst is a very calming stone and assists with stress relief. It also helps with insomnia, so it’s great if you have trouble sleeping and need something to help you relax before bedtime. Black tourmaline is another stone that helps with anxiety, but it also protects against negative energy and psychic attacks. If there are any negative energies around where you live or work, this would be the one I would recommend getting! Wanna learn more about crystals and how to use them? Check out my 4 week crystal intensive Here