How the Universe Determines Your Soul Tribe

A soul tribe is different than a friend group, but are way more important than a friend will ever be. Have you ever wondered how to know if someone is a soulmate to you or why certain people are a part of your tribe? If moving around a lot has taught me one thing, it is that Soul Connections show up in funny places, are there in different ways, but may not always be part of your active life. 

Who Are Your Soul Connections?

Soul connections... These are the people you can text at 2 am after going months without talking to, these are people who you have met only once but have impacted your life in a tremendous way, these are people you meet online and just connect with without any awkwardness, these are people who have caught you at your roughest time, and have helped guide you through. 

I believe everything is part of a greater plan. I believe the Universe is mapped out and everything we experience is based on karma and ascension. Soul connections are different than friends. Friends may stay in your life forever, they may also come and go. You may cherish a friendship, but there is no depth, intensity, and synchronicity like a soul connection. Soul Connections are deeper. These members of your tribe are drawn to you at specific points in your life. I am big on "DOT CONNECTING" and all my friends/spiritual connections are reading this right now in my LOUD voice. DOT CONNECTING is where you go through a difficult and challenging situation, maybe even traumatic, often heartbreaking, and never easy... As you look back you say "wow I wouldn't have been able to do that if ____ didn't happen or if _____ wasn't around." Pivotal points in your life attract your soul tribe. These spirits are drawn to your authenticity. 

They will show up at times that strengthen and shape your character because these times will reveal to you your true self; your soul connections SEE your true self and can serve as a reflection or introduction of your true self for you.

The truth is, although there are signs that someone may be a soulmate, you may never know where this person is hiding. It is important to trust and rely on the people that you have crossed paths with no matter what. Everyone is there to bring you a lesson. You may never know which of these people is your true soul connection until you have endured the designated chapter with them. 

The Universe will give you a member of your soul tribe when you are challenged deeply. Pay attention to those around you when you are at your rock bottom.

This person may have gone through the same thing already or may have a different perspective. Keep an open mind when you feel a deep connection with somebody. 

They are like angels in a physical vessel (yes you are an angel for someone else too!) At these times of struggle, the universe will send someone your way. It may take a LONG time for that person to show so if you are going through a challenge - do not fear that you will continue to be alone just because you are now. Sometimes you must also look around at the people who are there. Sometimes people who have been in your life before will show up again as a soul connection. 

Health Coach, Melissa Lindsay Freedman, writes here about how the four different kinds of soulmates. 

• Healing Soulmates: Help you move forward through adversity. 
• Karmic Soulmates: Help you overcome ego pain and aspects (most often from a past life). 
• Past life Soulmates: Someone you feel comfortable with no matter length or location of friendship; teach you about your true self.
• Twin Flames: Someone who may mirror you and break the barriers of other relationships you once knew. 

Whether or not the soul connection you have just met is in your life temporarily, loosely, or close to you forever - know that they are a significant part of your growth. They have supported you and your journey, helped you heal, been a confidant, and provided you a new checkpoint so there is no remission into a darkness that once was. They have helped lift you up into a new chapter. They have helped you ascend into a new you. 

I love my tribe. I am glad I found one in each of you. 

How I Manifested My New Life In Five Days

Hi Friends! (Disclaimer... this story is TRUE.) It has been a crazy couple of months for me and I'm sure many people can relate. It is not my first time being in a low - so I know what to do and how to fix it. I do a lot of manifestation but wanted to see how quickly I could really accelerate it. I figured I want my life to change, so I might as well give it a shot. 

First of all, let me start out by addressing the issue that needed fixing: EVERYTHING. Primarily the city I lived in and my job. I knew I wanted to move but I had to wait until January for my lease to be up and then of course I was concerned about where to go and whether or not I would like it there. Finances are always an issue too. How do I know I can get another stable job if I locate to a new city? My stress was at a high. So I said the magic two words - "F*** IT" and started to create my ideal life. 

Step 1: Figuring out your next step. 

I was attached to the idea that I wanted to move to South Florida...no Arizona... no New Mexico... you get the point. And the problem with having so many dreams at the same time is the Universe has no idea what you want. If you don't know what you want how can the Universe ever help you get there? So the hardest part is figuring out a linear plan. For me that is somewhat impossible so I at least chose the next step and picked a city to live in. Once I picked a city, I started noticing people around me helping me in small ways: offering boxes to move, offering to help me search for apartments, offering to show me around the city. I was amazed at how one decision already helped me feel like I was moving there. But there was one issue - I didn't tie up loose ends! So that brings me to... 

Step 2: Wrapping up the last chapter. 

Ok so I didn't have a lease signed... So I knew what I had to do. And on the night of the Sagittarius Full Moon, I said those two magic words again and wrote my landlord. My lease did not end til January - but I said I can't wait that long! Is it impulsive or irresponsible? Maybe, but they ended up negotiating and allowing me to close off on the lease early and even adjusted some terms on the lease. This brought more clarity, more direction forward, more action, and inspired the universe to help get me to where I'm going - not stay where I am. 

Step 3: Power of thought, words, and prayer. 

Rewind... Two days before the full moon (the day I made the decision on where I wanted to be) I had looked at apartments all day. I didn't see any I liked and that's because I still was struggling to figure out what I wanted. I named the city, but I didn't know how else my life should look like. So after having a meltdown and eating my feelings in sweet potato fries (hooray for vegan bar food), I said you know what - let me just put this out there. I said "I am coming back here in four days. The next place I look at is going to be the apartment I sign. I'm gonna have the gut feeling when I walk in there and I'm just gonna know. And then I will look at a few other places after, but I will revert back to the first place. Now the Universe knows it and so do I." 

I kept this affirmative thought in my mind. I told everyone I spoke to that same thing. I got some "okay rae" eye rolls, but I knew it would work. 

Step 4: The Power of Magic and imagination. 

Follow @andzensome on instagram for tricks and tips on crystal healing! SHOP for your citrine crystal on my website (here) or etsy (here)! 

On the night of the full moon, I wrote that same idea down on paper. I told the moon exactly how I wanted to feel when I stepped inside. I told the moon exactly how I wanted the apartment to look like. I told the moon the price I was willing to spend... I kept my Citrine crystal close as it holds no negative energy to prevent me from reaching my dreams, and it is the ultimate manifestation crystal. 

The law of attraction only works when you create a clear image of what you want. If you ever wake up in the morning and say "I hope it doesn't rain, it looks like it's going to rain, I don't want it to rain..." The universe hears "RAIN RAIN RAIN!" If you say, "it doesn't look like it will be, but i want a sunny day! I want clear blue skies and sunshine." The universe says "oh okay, sunshine! I know what that looks like too." (We can't control weather but we can try.)

SO this is why I told the moon and my crystal: affordable, clean, safe, washer and dryer, pet friendly, a pool, an OPEN LAYOUT - I was excessive maybe...

Step 5: Let the magic happen - and notice when it does. 

When I came back to visit, I called my list of rentals and I said "what time are you available - just give me a time." They all coordinated and I let the universe do its thing. I walked into the first apartment and it was EXACTLY. WHAT. I. WANTED. It was exactly what I described, it was exactly what I had manifested, I felt the way I wanted to feel when I walked in. Keeping an open mind, I did of course look at the others and they even had better reviews but they all ended up being horrid. I noticed signs like I'd fall over, or the tour guide was giving off an uncomfortable vibe. So I signed my lease, and made plans to move to the new city.

I guess what I can say is sometimes you feel hopeless - like no amount of anything will work. The law of attraction sucks sometimes when you are down. The law of attraction takes time, patience, and clarity (and I and many people I know do not have ANY of those things.) However you must FORCE yourself to believe that it will work... it worked for me in just five days. And now I am ready to create the life that I designed for myself and the universe helped me achieve. Thank you for reading - happy manifesting!

Crystal Assistance During Mercury Retrograde

Mercury Retrograde is a period of time (three weeks, but it feels like forever) in which the planet Mercury appears to be in a backwards motion. You may notice yourself feeling groggy or tired... you may notice you are arguing a lot more with those around you or miscommunicating... you may lose track of time/days causing plans to fall through... you may even experience difficulties traveling (traffic, road rage, delays!) So even for those who may not necessarily believe in the power of the planets, we ALL can agree Mercury Retrograde is the worst. So how can you protect yourself during this planetary pain in the a$$??? The answer, as always, is CRYSTALS!  and a bit of advice... 

Mercury Retrograde Dates to Know

2016:

• Jan 5 - Jan 25
• Apr 28 - May 22
• August 30 - Sept 22
• Dec 19 (2016) - Jan 8 (2017)

2017:

• Dec 19 (2016) - Jan 8 (2017)
• Apr 9 - May 3
• August 12 - Sept 5
• Dec 3 - Dec 22

2018:

• Mar 22 - April 15
• July 26 - August 18
• Nov 16 - Dec 6

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Travel Issues

Click the photo above to purchase this pendant.

Travel is hugely affected by Mercury Retrograde. One of my friends always locks her keys in her car, gets a flat, whatever it may be at least 3 or 4 times during the 3 weeks Mercury is off. Personally, I experience a difference in traffic & weather conditions when I need to get somewhere. They say it is best not to travel during Mercury Retrograde but if its something you can't avoid, try rocking a Smoky Quartz or hanging one in the rearview mirror of your car. Personally, I have one hanging in my car no matter what the status of Mercury may be. Smoky (or smokey) Quartz is a great protector against negativity in all forms. Ancient & metaphysical Lore tells us that Smokey Quartz is the ideal stone to use for protection during travel. It protects against road rage, traffic, weather conditions, other bad drivers, accidents, and problems with the car itself. 

Communication

Click the photo above to view this Aquamarine pendant on etsy. 

Miscommunication and misunderstandings are much more likely to happen during Mercury Retrograde. (Good luck to those of you in relationships & brace yourselves...) However, there are so many crystals to help protect you from these mishaps. Aquamarine aids in the flow of thought and words, to help you fluently express yourself and what you need to say. It also has a very gentle calming factor. Amazonite can help you express your personal truth and can also calm overemotionalism. Amazonite is also a good stone for listening to others because it can help you discern the truth in what people say (Mercury Retrograde makes people a little difficult, but this stone can help you realize the goodness behind the words.) Every person is different and will react differently to certain crystals; so if you don't resonate with one of these crystals, check out other throat chakra stones: Blue Kyanite, Sodalite, Labradorite, Blue Opal, Chrysocolla, Blue Chalcedony.

Decision-making

Check out a selection of Amethyst pendants by clicking the photo above. 

They say not to make any huge decisions, purchases, or commitments during Mercury Retrograde. However, I completely disagree. Of course you should think over your decisions carefully and obtain as much information as you can, I think if you are confident with the change you are about to make: GO FOR IT. Use a stone for intuition to guide you on what the best option is: Fluorite and Amethyst.

Plan-making

Click the photo above to view these Apatite stones for sale. 

Whether its because the dreaded retrograde makes us feel a little scatter-brained, travel issues, or because this odd planetary shift can send us to the strangest of places - plans are definitely subject to change. In my case, plans changing last minute causes me tons of unneeded anxiety & stress, so I have recently started carrying a Prehnite with me, a stone that helps you go with the flow. Conversely, you may want to carry a Blue Apatite which is a wonderful stone for helping you with time management. 

Technology

Click the photo above to read more about this Quartz (& Moldavite) wrap. 

This one drives me crazy, but beware of technology malfunctions during this phenomenon. This could mean your cell phone or computer randomly crash, or everything gets erased; whatever it may be - you can definitely blame Mercury for this one. A simple quartz crystal has strong influence on technology and can ensure that everything is running properly. A safer idea is to back up everything and press save over a dozen times!!

Overall, Mercury Retrograde can affect each person differently. Depending on what your star sign is, where the phase falls in the sky, and thousands of other factors, you may not experience the same as another. I say that positive thinking is the best form of protection but you may also want to carry these protection stones: Smoky Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Black Kyanite, Labradorite. To become more in tune with the planet Mercury check out these crystals: Citrine, Agate, Opal. Good luck to you all!

Related articles: What Crystals You Should Carry Based On Your Sun Sign