intuition – The Intuitive Editor

Joy Challenge #4 ~ Unexpected Delights

February 16, 2022 by Mikael

surprised ethnic girl picking apples on tree

This week for your Joy Challenge, let’s keep it extremely simple…

Unexpected Delights

I’d love for you to keep your eyes open for this Joy Challenge.

Set the intention before you leave the house to be delighted by what you see. Then, let yourself be delighted by what’s around you.

Let the unexpected things grab your attention. It could be an animal (or more!), an insect, a child, the shift of colors in the leaves, or a lovely exchange between strangers that you observe.

Be open to being delighted by the random happenings and nature around you!

How this challenge went for me…

I saw school of fish, flashing their silvery bodies as they crossed the Hudson on my usual visit to Riverbank State Park for my morning walk. I hadn’t seen that before! The Hudson usually has pretty cloudy waters, so to actually see the shape and form of the school topped with the flashing and splashing of their swim brought me a fresh joy.

Also, seeing a cute Pez dispenser at the store gave me a tickle of delight, so I had to pick that up too.

I’d be tickled to know what ends up delighting you in your observations this week! Leave a comment below and let me know!

Have a blessed week!

The true joy is starting to be present to your life.
Start to notice where you can pause and enjoy the moment more.
Because when you align with your joy through all of your senses,
you become more aligned with your core, your body, and your soul.
Then it becomes easier to listen to your intuition and to let it guide your creativity.

Photo by Zen Chung on Pexels.com

Joy Challenge #3 ~ Song from Your Youth

February 9, 2022February 2, 2022 by Mikael

Our joy is found only in the present, so we are going to create some joy from a past love for a twist today..

And when I say a past love, I mean a song you loved in the past.

A Song From Your Youth

Identify a song that brought you joy as a kid. And then go find it. If you can, find it in the original rendition you first heard all those years ago (same artist, same album, etc).

Let it be a song you haven’t heard in who knows how long.
Let it be a song that whenever it was on the radio in the car, you yelled out to let it keep playing.
Perhaps it’s a song from a movie or from a TV show you particularly enjoyed.
Or a song that your dad used to play when he got ready in the morning,
or the song your grandmother used to hum to herself as she went about her day.
It could be any song, as long as it was one that made you smile as a child.

Then it’s time to get present with a song that delighted you as a child to see how it brings you joy now.

Plug in your headphones and turn it on with whatever source you can find it on. Hear the song with your adult ears.

The goal this week is to bring a new sense of joy to an old love of music.

Most songs are only 3-5 minutes long, so I challenge you to sit and listen without any other distractions. Just sit. Close your eyes. Focus on just the sounds coming into your ears and the how the vibrations make your body feel. And listen to your song.

What emotions does it bring up for you?
Did you find new meaning in it?
Does it make more sense now or does it confuse you even more?

A bonus challenge:

If you want, choose more than one song of your childhood to return to to re-enjoy! Maybe make yourself a playlist of your favorite tunes from your youth that you can return to anytime you like.

How this challenge went for me…

A few songs I love from my childhood that immediately came to mind include:

“Hold On” by Wilson Phillips
“Dreams to Dream” from Fievel Goes West
“Whatever You Imagine” from The Pagemaster
“Thunder Rolls” by Garth Brooks (why this was a 3-year old’s favorite song, I’ll never know!).

I loved rediscovering the harmonies in “Hold On”…
Hearing “Dreams to Dream” replays the animated sequence with Tanya from the movie. “Whatever You Imagine” is one of my favorite songs ever so it’s always been in my playlists. And “Thunder Roles” returns me to the living room in my grandparents’ house with my little black tape player.

Music carries memory and history… See where your childhood favorites return you to.

Maybe these will spark further memories of songs you love from your childhood!

Did one song in particular come to mind at reading this post?
Does it carry significant meaning or a special message that’s relevant to you now?

I’d be tickled to know if your chosen song brings a needed salve or message to you right now. If you feel like sharing, let me know which song you chose to return to in the comments below. You may remind someone of a song they loved too!

Have a blessed week!

The true joy is starting to be present to your life.
Start to notice where you can pause and enjoy the moment more.
Because when you align with your joy through all of your senses,
you become more aligned with your core, your body, and your soul.
Then it becomes easier to listen to your intuition and to let it guide your creativity.

Photo by Victoria Borodinova on Pexels.com

Self-Care Practice: A Walking Meditation

March 2, 2022January 26, 2022 by Mikael

Did you know that movement can also be meditative? If trying to sit down to quiet your mind for meditation is difficult for you, this is one meditative practice I love to return to.

Take a mindful walk.

Plan it in your calendar for at least 10-15 minutes a day (up to an hour if you feel like it!).
No distractions, no earphones. Be fully present to the nature around you.

Begin walking slowly and intentionally, breathing in your natural rhythm.

Feel every step you take, how your feet hit the pavement or ground. Feel every sensation in your body, from the inside out to your skin. Connect with your inner self with each sensation that you feel.

Without losing that connection to your inner presence, start to stretch your awareness to your surroundings: what do you hear, smell, and see? Observe with no attachment.

If you get lost in thoughts, simply bring yourself back to your experience–the sensations, sights, sounds, and the feeling of your inner being within you enjoying the walk that you’re on.

Afterward, if you feel so inclined, journal out your experience and see what pours from you.

This is a time to return to your senses, clear your mind, and ground yourself into your body and spirit. This will help to keep you present while also treating your body to some conscientious movement. Good for mind, body, and spirit and for fueling your intuition and creativity as well.

This is here for you whenever you need it. Take care of you.

This is an excerpt from The Intuitive Creativity Forecast, a weekly email subscription that offers cosmic and energetic guidance for the week, including an intuitive pulse for the week, a peek at the astrological atmosphere, and ways to spark your creativity and intuition, and more. It’s a suggested $8/month exchange to keep the magic of the Forecast supported (about $2/email!). Sign up for the weekly Forecast today!

Joy Challenge #2 ~ A Moment Outside

February 9, 2022January 19, 2022 by Mikael

This Joy Challenge will require you stepping beyond your doorway this week. This might be a change for you or it might not be, depending on your routines. Either way, take a moment to breathe everything in for this challenge.

What’s Outside is Inside

Go outside with minimal belongings with you. If you must have items, keep them in a bag or in pockets and not in your hands. No earphones or added noisemakers. No mask (give yourself the space to feel safe doing so). Time to bask in being outside with no distractions.

Find a sunny spot that feels good to you or a favorite place you like to visit, sitting or standing. Let the sun beam down on your face with your eyes closed. Hold your hands out to your sides with your palms facing up or forward in receptivity.

Use your senses. Feel the warmth of the sun or the sweep of the breeze on your skin. Breathe in the air and taste it. Smell it. Listen to the sounds around you, first in your immediate surroundings, then extend your hearing beyond what’s closest to you. What do you hear? Feel your feet on the ground and let Mother Earth nourish you as you breathe in and Be. What do you taste, smell, hear, and feel?

Keep breathing in the outside air for a couple of minutes or more. See how your body feels.

Then open your eyes and smile at the sun and thank it for its light and warmth. Thank the earth for supporting you and your health. Let that gratitude wash over you as you take in another deep breath from the world around you.

For a bonus challenge:

Stand with your back against a tree, on the ground beneath a tree, or go barefoot in some grass to truly sink into mother nature’s healing energies. If you feel so inspired, frolic and play in the grass! Don’t be afraid to get dirty. Be a kid again and relish in what you used to do as a child when you got to play outside. Roll down a hillside if it’s available to you!

Nothing heals and brings more balance to our bodies than being outside, in the sun, and connecting with nature and the earth.

Being outside as The Intuitive Editor

What has surprised me most about The Intuitive Editor brand is how much of the natural world is in its core energy. Trees in particular have come through quite strongly in what I create and intuit for content… Perhaps because books are made up of trees, and being a book editor is my absolute favorite job in the world?

Personally, I love touching the branches of trees as I walk by, standing with my back against a tree with my feet among the roots, or just resting my hand on their thick trunks. It always brings me such peace… and Peace is the sister of Joy.

Feel free to leave a comment below and let me know how being present with your nature outing goes for you. I look forward to hearing about it.

Have a blessed week!

The true joy is starting to be present to your life.
Start to notice where you can pause and enjoy the moment more.
Because when you align with your joy through all of your senses,
you become more aligned with your core, your body, and your soul.
Then it becomes easier to listen to your intuition and to let it guide your creativity.

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

Joy Challenge #1 ~ Journey of a Sip

February 9, 2022January 5, 2022 by Mikael

Do you want to know the secret to being in alignment? To be in tune with your natural intuition and thus your muse of creativity?

Following your joy.

That’s right. It may be more simply said than done, but that’s why I’ve decided to start this Joy Challenge as a weekly prompt and reminder to you to find moments of joy in your day.

To quote one of my favorite teachers from my youth, D. Kim Clayton, “The simplest of things bring the greatest of joys.” And I’m here to remind you of ways to breathe in more joy into your life.

For these challenges, I encourage you to partake in the exercise at least once or as often as you like. Daily if it feels supportive for your personal joy!

Read on for your first challenge…

The Journey of a Sip

Before you get too far into your day, I challenge you to take your time with your morning beverage of choice—tea, coffee, cacao, whatever it is you sup first thing. This can be a practice you do every day, or something you do when you remember.

Turn off any other sensory distractions. The entire experience should be focused upon only the body parts that come into contact with your drink. No music or podcasts, no TV, no reading material. Sit down and relax if you can. If standing, rest your hips against something to stabilize yourself if needed.

Give yourself a moment with your cup before your first sip. Hold the mug or cup gently yet securely in your hands. Give it a swirl if you want. Enjoy the aromas that emerge from the lip of the cup. Breathe it in. Exhale it out through your mouth. If it’s a hot drink, watch how the steam dances with and away from your breath.

Now close your eyes.

Slowly tip the cup onto your lips, letting the liquid tread its way to your mouth. Pour in just enough that your whole tongue is embraced by your morning drink for few moments.

Note how the flavor hits your tongue. Does it taste different on the tip of your tongue versus the left side, then the right side, then the middle, and the back? Refrain from swallowing just yet and let the flavors settle in your mouth.

Let your morning beverage tell you a story of what’s within it. Focus on the sensations, the flavor and aromatic notes. And once you swallow, what flavors remain? How does your tongue feel now? Observe.

Now open your eyes.

Then, thank your morning brew for the journey.

How this challenge went for me…

This morning, the coffee I drank struck me with an initial cinnamon sweetness on the tip of my tongue, making it tingle in glee. As the coffee made its way back on my tongue, a new richness took over, almost like the coffee bean centered itself on my tastebuds, freshly roasted. Then a slight tinge of cocoa emerged. Along the sides, my tongue tingled like the tip of my tongue had, thanks to the dance of liquid on the edge. I’m left with a slightly smoky flavor with the spice of the cinnamon lingering all over my tastebuds.

Now… that was an incredible journey for me this morning. Savoring my first sip of coffee, particularly if it inspires me to keep savoring each sip after like that one did.

For a bonus challenge:

If brewing your morning potion is a part of your morning routine, look for ways you can draw it out and find joy in the process. If you infuse your brewing experience with your own joy, imagine how that journey will go!

You don’t have to write down your experience like I have here, but this is my example hopefully to inspire you. Whatever your art is, perhaps this exercise will spark something for you to create or muse on!

Feel free to comment below and let me know how being present with your morning brew goes for you. I look forward to hearing about it.

Have a blessed week!

The true joy is starting to be present to your life.
Start to notice where you can pause and enjoy the moment more.
Because when you align with your joy through all of your senses,
you become more aligned with your core, your body, and your soul.
Then it becomes easier to listen to your intuition and to let it guide your creativity.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Woman Behind the Editing Curtain

June 7, 2022August 4, 2021 by Mikael

In case you’re wondering who is behind The Intuitive Editor, look no further.

My name is Mikael (pronounced Mih-kehl, she/her), and I am the editor & writer behind this purple curtain.

And I cannot wait to help you make your content shine. Whether it’s a book, a website, articles or blogs, your resume or cover letters, I’ve literally done it all! With more than 12 years under my belt as a professional writer and editor, I have a plethora of experience writing and editing that spans a number of industries and styles.

Not only that, but I’ve spent the last six years honing my intuitive abilities since they came roaring onto the scene with my Saturn return—my most attuned psychic abilities include clairvoyance (clear seeing), clairsentience (clear feeling), and claircognizance (clear knowing).

This means I can see straight into the heart of the matter and channel what’s there—whether its your business, book, or message—so we can strip away what’s unnecessary, clarify what’s there for more impact, and proof & polish it all to how it’s best meant to serve you and your audience.

With the technical editorial experience combined with crystal clear intuitive insights, I help you to elevate your writing to new heights while also offering suggestions to further improve your writing skills. And because I enjoy this work so much, I aim to make it an enjoyable experience for you as an author too. (I, too, am a writer and understand how scary it can be to hire an editor in the first place.)

What matters is that I help your words shine through in your own voice so you can make the impact that you desire to make and reach the people that resonate most with your message. I’m here to help make your writing sing with confidence & heart while also keeping away those distracting grammar/punctuation/spelling mistakes that make you look unprofessional.

Your words are what represent you… And I can help you to make them sparkle and shine from the inside out. Let’s talk.

Embrace Your Magic

March 2, 2022July 26, 2021 by Mikael

Did you know the Universe is trying to communicate with you all the time? All. The. Time.

You just have to pay attention and stay curious.

While I came out of the spiritual closet a few years back, sometimes I still end up having to tell people some strange things. Or, things that I don’t think are strange, but other people may think are strange.

I’ve gotten really quite open with talking about the fact that I get messages from the Universe on a constant basis.

Seeing feathers on the street delight me. I giggle at seeing hair bands littering the ground. Getting messages and songs from my angels to know what I most need to know in the moment. The Universe tells me things. Sometimes a baby or toddler communicates with me with zero words. Dead people talk to me in my dreams (sometimes while I’m awake). This is just scraping the icing off the cake…

Specifically, I am an empathic medium (or channel) with claircognizance (clear knowing) and clairsentience (clear feeling) very much alive and working in my sphere. This means I can also tap into people’s energies and guides to see what’s going on with them, or if they have messages waiting for them in the spirit realm.

When it comes to my editing work, I get impulses about what needs to be changed for that narration to be just right. Like I can feel what the author meant but maybe couldn’t find the word or phrase for.

There have been a gamut of reactions from people, from intrigue, shock, confusion, belief, disbelief, excitement… I worry about freaking people out sometimes, but most of the time, people seem to react at least positively, if not politely or curiously. Sometimes I say something and I’m met with silence, then I move onto safer topics. Usually I can judge when someone isn’t open to hearing about my intuitive hits.

To be honest, I see this “talent” as just connecting the dots of the Universe and finding the magic in every day, in every little thing.

Some people say magic doesn’t exist, and I beg to differ. I see it every day.

I don’t expect everyone to understand; I feel lucky just to have the wonderful group of magic makers that do understand.

For me, I don’t believe in hiding who I really am. It was jarring at first, but I’ve learned that this is a huge piece of who I am. Intuitive, powerful, and magical. And I aim to bring that magic to all the work I do.

You can take me as I am, or move onto the next normal person; because I know I’m not normal, and that’s perfectly perfect.

I’m going to leave you with a message from my own guides:

Shine on.
Every little bit that makes up who you are is that way for a reason.
You’ve got something special in you.

Embrace your own magic, no matter what anyone else thinks.
Create what your soul commands you create.
Create art you love through your life.
Create the life you want, every minute of every day.
You’re worth it.