How are you holding up since we last checked in? 

Last month was a trip. It drained us emotionally and left us raw thanks to all that Mercury Retrograde energy. In last month’s Vibe Check, we set our sights on becoming more clear. Seeking clarity it is not necessarily a linear path or a pretty practice. Sometimes when we are getting clear about certain situations, people, or things, those situations, people and things (or our ideas of them) have to crumble, shift, or come to a complete stop. Ultimately though, its a part of the process to help give us direction and support from the universe.

With that said and June now behind us, our collective energy and the energy of summer is looking a bit mischievous. Its a side of ourselves and the collective that is ready and waiting to come out and to be explored. 

So let's dive in. to this month’s reading.

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July Vibe Check

In the Stars: collective reading

As we step into July, we enter Cancer season. This is a perfect time to get reacquainted with yourself and your emotions.

July’s energy is a lot more chill than June’s highly charged and emotional energy. This month is slower and softer., meaning Cancer season encourages us to nurture and come from a heart centred approach. The way we communicate, relate and love will be softer.

We will be experiencing a lot more patience and kindness for one another (which is always a welcome addition for the collective) As a result of all these tender, love and care vibes we’ll all feel a little more secure about who we are as we enter Leo season towards the end of the month.

Perfect timing, because Leo season is all about unapologetically and authentically showing up and taking up space. This Leo season is going to be spicy. Hot girl/boy/them Summer will be in full swing as the world around us starts to open. You might feel an energetic draw towards intimacy, passion and creativity. Leo season is about being bold, taking risks (like asking that cutie at the coffee shop out) and leaning into that creative passion of yours. So expect a lot of inspiration, drive and freedom.

In the Cards: Collective Card Pull

10 of swords: The Ten of Swords depicts that situation where your mentality is ‘poor me’, you feel like there is nothing you can do. Pause and remember that as with the death card, the end of something means a new beginning. Let go of what you have lost, and focus on the new path forward because that is where your life is meant to go.

Temperance: The Temperance tarot card suggests moderation and balance, coupled with a lot of patience.

Two Of Pentacles: The Two of Pentacles is a card about balance - the coins are displayed in a manner that is precarious, any small change in wind or weight can tip and send them falling.

This month, the cards tell us a story about finding balance, making good with endings, and making way for new beginnings. You might feel a little defeated at the beginning of July as one chapter comes to an end. The emotional waves you rode in June have left your energy tank on E at the start of this month.

The Ten of Swords is all about endings. In numerology, tens signify the end of a cycle or the start of a new cycle. You might still be carrying some emotional baggage but prepare to lighten the load as this cycle comes to a close.

The Temperance tarot card suggests moderation and balance, coupled with a lot of patience. This is all about transitions - and perhaps giving yourself a little extra compassion and care. The Temperance card is a Major Arcana which means big energy from the Universe. Things in your life might shift but the difference from last month is that you have a clearer understanding of what it is that you desire and what things need more attention, while other things (and perhaps people) can take a back seat. There is lots of room to play and create with this energy. With that, it is really important to practice Temperance in all areas of your life, including your communication and how you relate to people. Practice compromise, collaboration, and openness and make an effort to work with others. Let's tap in to the energy of co-creation as much as possible.

As July comes to an end, there will be sure to stay the course. Similar to Temperance the Two of Pentacles is also a card that represents balance. In this case, I see this more as our call to become comfortable with the flow of life. Only then do we become more comfortable levelling up and increasing our capacities (for love, work, money and who knows what else!) Remember, the more plates you pick up, the more balance and practice required. We are striving for stability - so focus on quality over quantity.

The Moon: Lunar cycle highlights this month

New Moon - July 9th, 2021

Full Moon - July 23, 2021

Danielle Elyse is a Mystic/Psychic Consultant. She loves talking about all things mystical but most importantly providing spiritual support and guidance to the community.
@itsdanielleelyse

Welcome to our very first Vibe Check! A new monthly series with our guest contributor and mystic Danielle Elyse. Each month Danielle will provide us with an energetic overview - what to expect and some ideas on how to navigate what’s ahead - as well as a tarot card pull for a community cosmic reading.

Do you ever have moments where you seem inexplicably ‘off’? You might be feeling overwhelmed for no apparent reason or things aren’t going so smoothly? Or maybe it’s the opposite and all things seem to be in a harmonious balance.

We’ll lovelies, it might all comes down to energy.

Everything is energy, including each of us. And a lot of our energy is interconnected. We energetically intertwine with the community around us, the people we interact with each day, and the universe at large. I like to call them cosmic connections.

With this understanding at heart, the intention of our monthly vibe check is to provide you with some cosmically charged insight and guidance as you navigate the month ahead. Weather you believe in lunar cycles and astrology or not, it’s just one more resources to help you better understand yourself, and make the best decisions from day to day.

So let’s talk vibes shall we?

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June Vibe Check

In the Stars: collective reading

The first two weeks of June start off strong as we navigate Mercury Retrograde and multiple eclipses - some major, some minor.

This means relationships may be an ongoing theme as we move forward into summer. It might look like reconnecting with old friends who we have missed during this pandemic or reimagining our relationship with our Self. It might be time to get honest about the true meaning of certain relationships in our lives - the most important one being the relationship we have with ourselves. We are at a place where we can really transform this area of our lives, which means dismantling, rebuilding and creating new connections wherever necessary and possible.

This is also a very transformative period of time so for manifesting so now is a great time to get very clear about your intentions and desires. Things are likely going to feel a little messy so make sure you are grounded before taking action or making any big leaps

In the Cards: Collective Card Pull

Nine of Cups: The Nine of Cups symbolizes a representation of gratitude, fulfillment and success, both spiritually and materially

Ace of swords: The Ace of Swords symbolizes breakthroughs and new beginnings

Clarity is a word that continues to show up for me as I look at these two cards. Clarity is what many of us will be striving for over the next month. Clarity to understand our path, clarity to spark a new idea, clarity around our relationships and clarity within ourselves. The nine of cups tells me there is a way for us to experience clarity and the first is to express gratitude. Whether it is creating a gratitude list or speaking it out loud this will express to the Universe your appreciation of what’s in front of you but most importantly it keeps you present. Be as actively present as possible this month, enjoy all that is available to you and that will keep you grounded. Think of this gratitude process as a way to activate clarity. 

Once you are in the flow of gratitude new things will be presented to you in a clearer way which will then lead to this new expansion that connects to your truth which is represented by the ace of swords.

Danielle Elyse is a Mystic/Psychic Consultant. She loves talking about all things mystical but most importantly providing spiritual support and guidance to the community.
@itsdanielleelyse

Where do you go
to practice the skills
required to change the world?

This is a question I’ve asked myself many times over the past few weeks. 

The answer always comes through softly.
It says “go within.” 

That’s where we do the work
to open our hearts and our minds,
to slowly unravel the knots of tension,
and sit with our discomfort.

The point where we brace
is the point where we need to soften 
in order to heal and experience change.

Softening takes time and requires practice.
That’s why I come to my mat.

We can’t project our expectation of change on to others without first embodying change in our own systems. And the primary system on which we have influence is our own body.  

The revolution can not be intellectualized. In fact trying to solve systems of oppression, supremacy, and racism by reading a book or “doing the right thing” only further disembodies and disconnects us from what poet Mary Oliver calls “the soft animal of your body.”

We trust intellect more than we trust our instincts.
We second guess the actions that we take…or don’t take.
We go where ever we are led. 

Mindful movement and Self-practice is a tool we can use to become more human. A tool we can use to dismantle our own beliefs and soften into discomfort. On the mat, we practice the skills that help us live more in our bodies - no matter what race, gender, age… your body is- and less in our minds. We can generate a sense of awareness and presence that has the power to allow genuine connection to our higher Self and connection with others. And from this place, we can make decisions that have a greater intention and impact.

At the end of the day
when you strip it all away
we are all human beings
craving the same sensorial experience in our lives and in our bodies…

To feel safe.
To feel at ease. 

To be free. 

Self Check-in:

Why do you step on to the mat and in what way does your practice help you off the mat?

Let’s have a calmversation in the comments below.

There's an expectation that as a wellness “expert” I must have all my s*** together. I am still a work in progress but I will say that my s*** is substantially more together than it has ever been. I attribute this, in large part, to my relationship with my mental health. It’s my top priority, my greatest teacher, and at times the source of my most challenging hurdles.

As I sit down to write this post I have mixed emotions. Part of me feels like an imposter. Maybe never receiving an official diagnosis means that I'm not “sick enough” or qualified to write on the subject. Or maybe I'm feeling guilty because for that very same reason I feel so incredibly lucky. 

Over the course of my life, I've seen therapists and other clinicians. All of whom saw strength in me that at the time I didn't see in myself. They would tell me that I have the tools, the capacity, and the ability to overcome. I remember hoping for a diagnosis just to explain why I was always so sad, so tired, and felt so unworthy. I remember hoping for a pill that could ease the mental, emotional, and physical symptoms and allow me to carry on business as usual.

Exploration led me to alternative medicines and therapies in collaboration with conventional approaches. | Photographer: Chris and Man For Kunye

One encounter with my then family doctor stands out in my mind to this day. I had made an appointment with the intention of getting a prescription for some sleeping pills. After we spoke at length about my struggles with anxiety and depression, he grabbed his prescription pad and wrote “ 60 minutes of exercise daily. Best taken in one dose, and to be completed outdoors whenever possible.” 

I left his office feeling dismissed and extremely pissed off without the “solution” I was hoping for in hand. And yet, for whatever reason, I took his recommendation seriously. 

As time went on, I started to feel marginally better. With the support of the people closest to me, I removed myself from the unhealthy situation I was participating in at the time and found myself down a path of exploration. Along the way, I met people who have become my greatest friends, teachers, and allies. What I know now that I didn't know then is that the note from my doctor was the seed of my entire life path.

I’m defined by many things. I hold many titles. But what has never defined me is a diagnosis. I can’t say for certain, but I think my life and my relationship with my mental health would have turned out much differently had that not been the case. That's not to say there isn't a place for diagnosis or prescriptions, or that the issues around chemical imbalances, trauma, and other triggers are not valid and important. I am just one story. 

There are millions of people around the world suffering in silence. So today I want to acknowledge all of us on the spectrum of mental health and wellbeing. Those without a diagnosis and those who’s diagnosis greatly impacts their lives and the lives of the people around them.  

I acknowledge those who are taking it one day at a time.
Those who are moving through waves of grief, sadness, loss, trauma, heartache, and depression.
Those who have or who have ever had thoughts of suicide.
Those who are caretakers for a loved one who is mentally or physically unwell.
Those living with an addiction, an eating disorder, and/or in situations where physical or emotional abuse are present.
Those holding onto anger and injustice. 
Those who feel unworthy, unwelcome, unappreciated, and underrepresented. 

The idea for KUNYE and the original line of products was sparked from Melissa’s wellness exploration. The word Kunye pays tribute to Melissa’s mother - the first person to ever teach her about self care. It’s a Zulu word meaning ‘one’ or unification and represents the brands integrative philosophy of inner, outer and higher selfcare. | Photographer: Chris and Man For Kunye

To be blunt, we’re all a little insane. It just seems as though some forms of insanity are more acceptable than others. I recently heard Eckhart Tolle say “there are people in India who have become saints and masters who would have been put in mental [institutions] in the West because the West does not recognize spiritual uprising.”

That's how I choose to view my mental health - as an opportunity for spiritual uprising. An opportunity for my soul to grow. An opportunity to move closer toward awareness, connection, and understanding of my inner, outer and higher Self. 

My mental health challenges are not a curse. They were a catalyst for who I am and who I am becoming.

Big Love,

Melissa | Founder of Kunye.co

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Resources for Mental Health Services in North America

• World Mental Health Day Organization

• Canadian Mental Health Association

• Crisis Line Association of BC

• Trans Lifeline: 1-877-330-6366 (Available 24/7 in Canada)
  A 24/7 hotline available in the U.S. and Canada staffed by transgender people for transgender people.

• National Eating Disorder Information Center

• First Nations Inuit And Mental Health And Wellness