Care of the Soul Counseling and Astrology

11/03/2025

09/27/2025

I can’t harden myself to match the cruelty around me. I know that love is the only way forward.
Real healing doesn’t grow from brutality. It grows from compassion.
Love is not weakness - it’s the most radical form of resistance in a world that thrives on fear.

Ella Hicks
Artwork by Joma Sipe

09/08/2025

Local PNW/ South Sound resources.

09/07/2025

Happy Lunar Eclipse in Pisces, Beloveds 🌝🐟♓️ I feel like this painting really captures what the opposition of the Virgo-Pisces axis feels like to me. On one side, the earthy virgin stands stall on a mountain of cascading waterfalls and detailed greenery, a white rose suspended between her palms. Counterbalanced by the Priestess who sits on her throne of imagination, behind the veil, receiving a stream of divine water from above.

I always think of this painting as my first true moment of dissolution, when I surrendered completely and allowed my hand to be guided by spirit, painting without premeditation. My psyche also went through a total dissolution and the boundaries between worlds all but disappeared. It became difficult to distinguish dreams from waking life, and I oscillated between pure ecstasy and emotional overload.

But even though I let that Piscean dissolution liberate my imagination, the detail oriented Virgoan impulse still came through as I refined the images that emerged from the unconscious waters. I always say when it comes to dissolution that the important thing is to keep one foot on dry land. The lunar seas are a rich treasure house of images, but to dive too deep or too long brings the risk of lunacy. We need something that keeps us connected to earth, whether that’s a job, children, a pet, or some other responsibility, or physical practice that gets us into our bodies. It’s vital to know how to enter the liminal, but without a connection to earth we may get swept away. I was pretty close to being subsumed by the waters, but my creative practice has always been my tether, a way to fix the volatile.

What is this lunation dissolving in your life? How can you tap into Virgo’s energy to stay grounded while allowing the Piscean waters of the spirit to open your inner world to new possibilities?

The Composition of the Waters, oil on panel, 2016 (30” x 40”)

08/28/2025

It's not about someone stealing our heart. It's about restoring its aliveness. It's about softening its armor. It's about filling it up with light. When real love enters, it doesn’t take anything from us. It gifts us with the everything.

08/23/2025

“Healing from trauma isn’t a straight line – it’s a spiral.” You might find yourself revisiting old feelings, triggers, or memories you thought you’d left behind, and wonder if you’re ‘going backwards.’ But trauma often presents in cycles – moments of heaviness where you feel stuck, periods of numbness where you detach just to cope, and brief windows of hope where you catch a glimpse of the person you’re becoming. The first step to healing is recognising these cycles not as failures, but as invitations. Begin by noticing your body’s cues, honouring your emotions without judgement, and creating safe spaces – whether that’s through therapy, journaling, or grounding practices – to gently explore what’s underneath the pain. Healing starts small, with moments of self-trust built over time. And on the days it feels too heavy, remember: every spiral, no matter how messy, still moves you forward. You are not broken – you are unwinding, unraveling old wounds and becoming a different version of yourself and that is powerful!

Natasha Ann ❤️
Art is via Pinterest

08/15/2025

"So, if you are too tired to speak,
Sit next to me because I, too,
am fluent in silence.”
R. Arnold

Maxfield Parrish - River Ascutney, 1942.

08/01/2025

“Go out in the woods, go out. If you don't go out in the woods nothing will ever happen and your life will never begin.”
Clarissa Pinkola Estés - Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, 1992.

Alison Ingram - Spring Shadows and Swallows, 2025.

07/16/2025

Uranus has just moved into Gemini, and although we won’t start really diving deep into its lessons until next year, this energy will begin to activate our throat chakras.

The throat chakra sits in the center of our neck and glows the color blue. It is the seat of how we communicate, connect, and express. When our throat chakra is out of balance, we may feel afraid to express ourselves or speak up. Conversely, we may over share, have a hard time listening or dominate with our opinions.

The graphic shares some ways you can bring balance to your throat chakra and restore a sense of balance. Give it a try and see!

Learn more about Uranus in Gemini by visiting foreverconscious.com

07/11/2025

When we’re feeling inadequate or struggling in some way, it’s easy to spiral into over-identification, isolation, and self-criticism, but self-compassion reverses the spiral.

By bringing mindfulness, common humanity, and kindness to moments of struggle, we can break the cycle of suffering and offer ourselves the support we need.

06/23/2025

Self-compassion is a powerful practice that can transform how we relate to ourselves. Here are six simple yet profound ways to bring more kindness and care into your life:
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1️⃣ Ask yourself, 'What do I need?': Pause for a moment and check in. Do you need rest, reassurance, movement, or connection? Listening to yourself with curiosity and care is a powerful act of self-compassion.
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2️⃣ Treat Yourself Like a Friend: Speak to yourself with the same kindness and understanding you’d offer a dear friend.
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3️⃣ Supportive Touch: A gentle hand on your heart or a comforting self-hug can soothe and ground you in moments of distress.
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4️⃣ Write a Self-Compassionate Letter: Put pen to paper and offer yourself words of comfort and encouragement, just as you would to someone you love.
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5️⃣ Remember You Aren’t Alone: It’s important to acknowledge that we all face challenges—this imperfection is what makes us human.
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6️⃣ Use a Warm Inner Tone of Voice: Try to adopt a gentle tone with yourself, especially when things go wrong. Practice patience, love, and understanding toward yourself.
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🌸 Have you tried any of these self-compassion practices? Share your favorite one below!
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