<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[RETURN TO SELF]]></title><description><![CDATA[Return to Self is a modern mystic magazine devoted to shadow work, self-love, and integration.]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mz7X!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F62b230ac-0d2e-42b9-9ffc-6be22e279c4f_500x500.png</url><title>RETURN TO SELF</title><link>https://www.returntoself.me</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:11:54 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.returntoself.me/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[info@returntoself.me]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[info@returntoself.me]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[info@returntoself.me]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[info@returntoself.me]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Hot Girl Math: Time Traveling to 2024]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's recap what the Universe was trying to tell us...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2024</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2024</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 29 Apr 2026 21:56:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/ZmJl2tsc42A" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-ZmJl2tsc42A" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;ZmJl2tsc42A&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ZmJl2tsc42A?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>It&#8217;s Hot Girl Math time!</p><p>On this week&#8217;s episode, we time travel back to 2024, a year that showed us how to spot false power and the karma that follows.</p><p>From astrology and numerology to news headlines and pop culture, we begin to dissect the subtle messaging that was weaved between everything we were experiencing that year&#8212;which was all about change, upheaval, liberation, and restlessness.</p><p>The year 2024 asked us: If you knew that the structures protecting the status quo &#8212; in the world and in your own life &#8212; were more fragile than they appear, what would you stop waiting for permission to do?</p><p>The purpose of Hot Girl Math is to show you how to decode the throughline of the clues from the Universe, so that you can tap into this knowledge yourself, while also build your self-trust. The signs are everywhere, you just need to learn how to pay attention.</p><p>At the end of the video, we come back to you&#8212;the star of the show.</p><p>What you experience on a massive scale is usually somehow connected to your personal journey, specifically, your shadow work journey.</p><p>I present you with three prompts to help you understand how your 2024 connects to the general themes we collectively experienced in 2024, so that we can get the full picture.</p><p>For those who want to dive deeper into the mystery, I&#8217;ve included additional prompts and reflection questions below.</p><p>Check out the latest episode on YouTube, and don&#8217;t forget to like, subscribe and share your intuitive hits as you watch!</p><p><strong>The time is 2024, let&#8217;s see if your own shadow journey was aligning with the collective unfolding&#8230;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[something is coming back for completion.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your weekly oracle reading and astro transits (04.27.2026)]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/something-is-coming-back-for-completion</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/something-is-coming-back-for-completion</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 15:09:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" 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y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hello friends,</p><p>I hope you enjoyed your weekend and got plenty of whatever it was that you needed most. Can you believe it&#8217;s about to be May already?</p><p>Before we get into the astrology and reading of this week, I want to remind you that the next Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry will be <strong>THIS WEDNESDAY</strong> and centered on the Scorpio Full Moon. <strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/7fZuOFsMIx6VDvoOO6f6?">Click here to RSVP!</a></strong></p><p>I hope you&#8217;re able to join us!</p><p><strong>Now, let&#8217;s talk about what&#8217;s up in the cosmos this week&#8212;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Collective Unconscious Was Colonized]]></title><description><![CDATA[How a Thread about Chris Brown led to this channeled message...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-collective-unconscious-was-colonized</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-collective-unconscious-was-colonized</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 15:08:55 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png" width="1024" height="640" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jUn1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6cdbcdc8-495b-4e38-8b0e-7889b3b59038_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Put on your seat belt, because this journey has a lot of twists and turns.</em></p><p>Earlier this week, I was communing with Mary Jane and scrolling on Threads, when I came across an old paparazzi photo of Chris Brown choking a women during what seemed to be a heated moment, with the caption, &#8220;This is who you&#8217;re spending money on.&#8221;</p><p>Chris was making the headlines after announcing his joint tour with Usher, who has also been under the public&#8217;s watchful eye.</p><p>I understood the sentiment. The <em>&#8220;can you separate the art from the artist&#8221;</em> debate has been an ongoing discussion&#8212;although I would note that the leniency prompted in that discussion tends to skew in favor of abusive men, but that&#8217;s another conversation for another day&#8230;</p><p>There was a comment on the post that talked about how the abusive behavior of Taurus men (Chris Brown is a Taurus) isn&#8217;t talked about enough.</p><p>Now, I want to make it incredibly clear that any astrological hot take that only focuses on one placement when making a grand generalization (especially one like that) is inherently flawed, because that&#8217;s just not real. It&#8217;s also incredibly harmful.</p><p>However, was my interest piqued? Absolutely. But it was more so around the question of whether Chris&#8217; Taurus placements were close to the <strong><a href="https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-mars-uranus-conjunction-in-taurus?utm_source=publication-search">fixed star, Algol</a></strong> (which sits at 26 degrees Taurus).</p><p>When I pulled up his chart, what drew me in was the story that was being revealed, which is what tends to happen in my sessions. I don&#8217;t necessarily focus on one placement or the traditional definition of what it means in your chart. I see the symbols dance in a way that uncovers a story, like a scroll being unfurled.</p><p>(That&#8217;s also why I sometimes hesitate to call myself an astrologer, because it is a science, and my approach is a little unconventional. Such is my life.)</p><p>I was seeing root wounds correlating to perhaps why he has this seeming disdain for women that shows up through physical abuse, and so I initially went back to Threads to post something along the lines of&#8230;</p><p><em>I told myself I would no longer read celebrity charts publicly unless they were sitting down across from me to receive it, because otherwise it felt invasive.</em></p><p><em>But posts I&#8217;ve been seeing about Chris Brown and his history of abuse led me to his birth chart, and I just want to let you know, the story that feeds this behavior is there. This is why shadow work is so important&#8230;</em></p><p>Blah, blah, blah. Something like that.</p><p>And it would&#8217;ve been totally sincere and true, because you know I believe in this work deeply, but that&#8217;s not what happened.</p><p>Because as I started to type what I initially wanted to say, another message was coming through that became a priority&#8212;and it was how our collective unconscious has been colonized.</p><p>I know. Quite the jump, right? I wish I could explain it in a way that makes sense, but when the light goes off, and I start to pull the thread (no pun intended), I end up in very interesting places.</p><p>So we come to the first sharp left of our journey.</p><p>Here&#8217;s what I actually ended up writing&#8230;</p><div><hr></div><p><em>I told myself I would no longer read celebrity charts publicly unless they were sitting down across from me to receive it, because otherwise it felt invasive.</em></p><p><em>As someone who went to school for journalism, you get trained to perceive that type of behavior as part of the gig. You&#8217;re investigating a public figure, so it&#8217;s free game. Research and report.</em></p><p><em>You lose the humanity of it.</em></p><p><em>This energy signature is similar to soldiers preparing for war. They get perception training. It&#8217;s not called that, but that&#8217;s what&#8217;s happening, and it&#8217;s done in so many different spaces.</em></p><p><em>Perception training is necessary to carry out the objective.</em></p><p><em>In this case, dehumanization is planted within the lens of reality in order to manipulate a person&#8217;s morality, values, code of ethics. Otherwise they won&#8217;t embody the energy necessary to fulfill the job.</em></p><p><em>It&#8217;s interesting because my father is a former commander. We&#8217;ve had a very bumpy road together, but he&#8217;s also been one of my greatest teachers.</em></p><p><em>We&#8217;re completely opposite and yet the same. And this is an example of that.</em></p><p><em>We both fight for the truth, but our truths may be different.</em></p><p><em>We are both fiercely loyal, but sometimes to our detriment.</em></p><p><em>We questioned everything, except the systems we&#8217;d been indoctrinated into&#8230;</em></p><p><em>&#8230;which on its own, negates everything else we claim to value&#8212;but it makes sense.</em></p><p><em>When you place loyalty as a core value, questioning anything seems like betrayal. And if you are no longer &#8220;loyal,&#8221; you are a threat.</em></p><p><em>Again, another red flag on the play that gets dismissed.</em></p><p><em>If your loyalty is contingent on your blind obedience and compliance, you may wanna double check what you&#8217;re actually loyal to. Because now there&#8217;s a power imbalance.</em></p><p><em>You are no longer being of service to a cause (truth). You are serving an agenda (illusion).</em></p><p><em>I would always wonder what kind of perception training my father had to endure in order to do what was being asked of him. I think about that with a lot of people. And I realized that we are all constantly in perception training.</em></p><p><em>It&#8217;s called propaganda. And everything is propaganda.</em></p><p><em>So much of your identity was unconsciously shaped for you without your conscious awareness. From the moment you were born, there was already a story attached to you based on the system in place.</em></p><p><em>That&#8217;s crazy.</em></p><p><em>The truth is you are a limitless being whose energy signature can be expressed in an infinite number of ways. You are not confined to the story that you&#8217;ve always been handed, but when everything you&#8217;re told, taught, and shown is restricted to the same story&#8230;</em></p><p><em>It&#8217;s hard to truly believe otherwise. That&#8217;s the paradox.</em></p><p><em>You have to believe it to see it.</em></p><p><em>The perception training keeps the same narrative on loop so that nothing changes. Who gets to benefit from nothing changing? Those in power.</em></p><p><em>This is what I mean when I say we&#8217;ve been unconscious slaves to a system we don&#8217;t even notice running anymore. It&#8217;s become so integrated into our daily life, we don&#8217;t question it. We don&#8217;t check in to see if it actually aligns. We don&#8217;t check ourselves to see where we&#8217;ve contributed to the harm it upholds.</em></p><p><em>You have been fed a sense of &#8220;normalcy&#8221; that is anything but normal. You&#8217;ve become so loyal to the system that you&#8217;d rather rationalize it than question it.</em></p><p><em>My friend, you are not free.</em></p><p><em>Your consciousness was colonized. Your way of thinking, your values, your beliefs, your identity, your perception of the world that keeps it running on the same operating system. </em></p><p><em>Do you know why it&#8217;s always imperative to get to the root of the matter? Because that&#8217;s where you change the environment.</em></p><p><em>Y&#8217;all want the landscape to change without going underground to see where the rot needs to be pulled, and what seeds need to be planted.</em></p><p><em>This is the descension journey. Welcome.</em></p><p><em>You don&#8217;t build above ground until you have a firm foundation to build on, and our foundation as a collective entity is not solid. It has no stable roots.</em></p><p><em>So we need to tend to that first, and we&#8217;re already doing it.</em></p><p><em>Do not underestimate the ripple effect of your personal healing. You think choosing healthier habits, working through your limiting beliefs, and breaking free from generational trauma is just about you?</em></p><p><em>Babe, you&#8217;re one piece of a much bigger puzzle. You are the variable that changes everything.</em></p><p><em>You are the drop of the ocean that makes waves crash. You are the raindrop in a storm. You are the spark that creates light.</em></p><p><em>Shadow work is going to be of the utmost importance moving forward, because if you can&#8217;t integrate your shadow, you will continue to project it.</em></p><p><em>And those projections will keep feeding the karmic loops that run the system.</em></p><p><em>Just as a plant needs light and water to grow, you need light (awareness) and water (emotional alchemy) to grow, too.</em></p><p><em>If you&#8217;re curious about shadow work, I have plenty of resources through my link. If you wanna dive deeper, schedule a session with me and we&#8217;ll look at your birth chart together.</em></p><p><em>Not so I can tell you who you are (that&#8217;s up to you), but so we can see where you keep feeding who you&#8217;re not. </em></p><p><em>I&#8217;ll snatch that mask off you so quick, but only if you&#8217;re ready to be seen.</em></p><div><hr></div><p>As you can see, definitely not what I had originally planned, but that happens sometimes. You think you&#8217;re going to write about Chris Brown, and suddenly, you&#8217;re deconstructing the colonization of the unconscious.</p><p>And just like I mentioned, this is also a piece to a much bigger puzzle, because if our collective unconscious has been colonized, then what does that look like? What does decolonizing it require? And how do we begin that process?</p><p>Stay tuned.</p><p>Xo</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hot Girl Math: Time Traveling to 2023]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's recap what the Universe was trying to tell us...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2023</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2023</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:04:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/XE3n4nlesxw" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-XE3n4nlesxw" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;XE3n4nlesxw&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/XE3n4nlesxw?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>It&#8217;s Hot Girl Math time!</p><p>On this week&#8217;s episode, we time travel back to 2023, a year that showed us the importance of going inward, while still maintaining a sense of belonging.</p><p>From astrology and numerology to news headlines and pop culture, we begin to dissect the subtle messaging that was weaved between everything we were experiencing that year&#8212;which was all about change, upheaval, liberation, and restlessness.</p><p>The year 2023 was asking us if we&#8217;re capable of knowing what&#8217;s <em>real</em>. What did you know to be true about yourself that no algorithm, no authority, no inherited story, and no catastrophe could take from you?</p><p>The purpose of Hot Girl Math is to show you how to decode the throughline of the clues from the Universe, so that you can tap into this knowledge yourself, while also build your self-trust. The signs are everywhere, you just need to learn how to pay attention.</p><p>At the end of the video, we come back to you&#8212;the star of the show.</p><p>What you experience on a massive scale is usually somehow connected to your personal journey, specifically, your shadow work journey.</p><p>I present you with three prompts to help you understand how your 2023 connects to the general themes we collectively experienced in 2023, so that we can get the full picture.</p><p>For those who want to dive deeper into the mystery, I&#8217;ve included additional prompts and reflection questions below.</p><p>Check out the latest episode on YouTube, and don&#8217;t forget to like, subscribe and share your intuitive hits as you watch!</p><p><strong>The time is 2023, let&#8217;s see if your own shadow journey was aligning with the collective unfolding&#8230;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[She Grew Up With Confusion Instead of Validation...]]></title><description><![CDATA[And this is how it shows up now.]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/she-grew-up-with-confusion-instead</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/she-grew-up-with-confusion-instead</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:08:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/194946771/ec6e6eec7db00a6aed9d1763dcddf4db.mp3" length="0" type="audio/mpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>There was a moment in the Q&amp;A from my recent <em><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-webinar">Dark Side of the Moon</a></strong></em><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-webinar"> webinar</a></strong> that stayed with me.</p><p>During one of our reflection prompts, I asked, &#8220;What emotion was least safe for you growing up?&#8221;</p><p>And some of the answers weren&#8217;t necessarily clear. In fact, one attendee asked about her experience trying to answer that question later in the program, sharing that the only word that came up for her was, &#8220;Confusion.&#8221;</p><p>Not anger. Not sadness. Not fear.</p><p><em>Confusion.</em> </p><p>And as she spoke, it became clear why (and not only because she was an Aquarius moon in the 3H).</p><p>Any time she expressed something emotional&#8212;something that didn&#8217;t immediately &#8220;make sense&#8221; to the people around her&#8212;her experience was dismissed. Questioned. Reframed. Sometimes outright denied.</p><p>Her feelings weren&#8217;t met. They were analyzed, corrected, or disqualified. So instead of learning to trust what she felt, she learned to doubt it.</p><p>This is something many of us may have experienced, regardless of our moon sign or placement, because many of us are here to break through the ceilings of the generations before us&#8212;and sometimes that ceiling looks like having the capacity to feel in a way that surpasses your caregivers.</p><p>This is how emotional patterns form.</p><p>Not through dramatic moments alone, but through subtle, repeated experiences where the body learns:</p><p><em>This isn&#8217;t safe to feel.</em><br><em>This won&#8217;t be received.</em><br><em>I need to adjust in order to stay connected.</em></p><p>For her, confusion became the alarm bell that something was being invalidated, that there was contradiction, and that the little girl was yet again not being seen, heard, or held.</p><p>And so the deep desire to avoid confusion creates its only survival strategy and coping mechanism.</p><p>In adulthood, this can look like:</p><ul><li><p>Second-guessing your emotional reality</p></li><li><p>Over-explaining or intellectualizing your feelings</p></li><li><p>Struggling to trust your perception in conversations</p></li><li><p>Feeling unclear, even when something is actually very clear</p></li><li><p>Staying in situations longer than you should because you&#8217;re &#8220;not sure&#8221; what you feel</p></li></ul><p>And this is where astrology becomes powerful. Because an Aquarius moon in the 3rd house doesn&#8217;t just describe personality.</p><p>It describes how the emotional body learned to process, communicate, and make sense of experience.</p><p>When you understand that, you&#8217;re no longer asking, &#8220;Why am I like this?&#8221;</p><p>You&#8217;re seeing, &#8220;Oh. This is what I adapted to. This is what made sense at the time.&#8221;</p><p>And from there&#8212;something can actually change.</p><p>I was given permission to share the clip above, so give it a watch and see how we connect the dots between the astrology, the emotional pattern, and how it continues to show up in real life.</p><p>This is the kind of work we explored throughout the <em><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-webinar">Dark Side of the Moon</a></strong></em><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-webinar"> webinar</a></strong>.</p><p>Not surface-level interpretations. Not just &#8220;your moon means this.&#8221;</p><p>But understanding what became emotionally safe, the role your mother played in that, how it shaped your patterns, and how to begin relating to it differently.</p><p>The full webinar is <strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-webinar">now available</a></strong> if you&#8217;d like to go deeper and learn more about your dark side of the moon.</p><p>Xo</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[it's time to decide.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your weekly oracle reading and astro transits (04.20.2026)]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/its-time-to-decide</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/its-time-to-decide</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:08:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" width="1280" height="720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hello friends,</p><p>Happy Taurus season!</p><p>I hope you enjoyed your weekend and enjoyed some rest, rejuvenation, and revelation.</p><p>With so many planets and cosmic players in Aries right now, you may have felt more energized (or ready to fight) than usual. Just make sure you take a breath.</p><p>Taurus energy is asking us to slow down a little bit and be present in the moment. Get sensory.</p><p>Before we get into the intense astrology of this week, I want to remind you that the next Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry will be on April 29 and centered on the Scorpio Full Moon. <strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/7fZuOFsMIx6VDvoOO6f6?">Click here to RSVP!</a></strong></p><p><strong>Now, let&#8217;s talk about what&#8217;s up in the cosmos this week&#8212;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Shadow of the Sharp Tongue]]></title><description><![CDATA[What I learned when I realized I'd rather be feared than loved.]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-shadow-of-the-sharp-tongue</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-shadow-of-the-sharp-tongue</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 17 Apr 2026 15:08:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/511f296b-ea71-4e4a-9c90-19229bd9dcf5_1140x644.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="native-video-embed" data-component-name="VideoPlaceholder" data-attrs="{&quot;mediaUploadId&quot;:&quot;86f76465-797c-40d7-bf3e-adc04778bea7&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:null}"></div><p>I&#8217;ve often said that true power is not rooted in fear, it&#8217;s rooted in respect. And yet, I spent many years utilizing fear to feel powerful&#8212;especially in relationships.</p><p>When you grow up in a world that makes you feel like your words don&#8217;t matter, that you don&#8217;t even have a say in what happens to you or your own life, you can begin to feel quite helpless.</p><p>And then there&#8217;s the rage.</p><p>I feel like I was born with thousands of years of rage enclosed in my bones, and truth be told, there was an unconscious part of me that was just waiting for something or someone to activate it.</p><p>As much as I claimed to hate conflict, there was a part of me that <em>loved</em> to unleash my sharp tongue on people. It felt like I was finally able to say the words that were suppressed for generations.</p><p>And given that I&#8217;m a seer, I had a weapon at my disposal. It took a lot for me to use it, but when I would, there was no holding back.</p><p>In the clip above, which is from my <em>Dark Side of the Moon</em> workshop over the weekend, I share a realization that came to me a couple of years ago&#8230;</p><p><em><strong>There were moments when I felt like I would rather people fear me than love me, because then at least they won&#8217;t take advantage of me.</strong></em></p><p>There&#8217;s a shadow confession within that statement&#8212;one that reveals a limiting belief around vulnerability becoming a liability. It justifies power dynamics as a form of protection while confessing that once upon a time, I loved someone who weaponized that love against me.</p><p>And I vowed, <em>never again</em>.</p><p>As I mention in the video, this isn&#8217;t to shame or judge our shadow. It&#8217;s just to recognize that sometimes, the shadow is unleashed in environments and situations that don&#8217;t require its wrath.</p><p>And if we&#8217;re not careful, if we refuse to do the inner work of maintaining control over our impulses, we can perpetuate the same harm we claim to be fighting against.</p><p>Our moon holds so much of why we move in the world the way that we do, which is why I wanted to hold a workshop solely focused on the shadows, gifts, and emotional survival strategies that are birthed through our moon sign.</p><p><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-webinar">If you missed it, you can still experience the playback here.</a></strong></p><p>In <em><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-webinar">Dark Side of the Moon</a></strong></em>, I show you how to pull up your birth chart, what each sign holds as its shadow and gift, the unintegrated qualities of the sister sign, the mother wound and emotional strategies born through these energies, and practical tools to help you begin pattern breaking in the moment.</p><p>You&#8217;ll also receive a PDF guide as a resource for your journey, which includes an overview of the signs and their shadow traits, the houses at a glance, the planetary archetypes and a fill-in-the-blank section to do some <em>hot girl math</em>.</p><p>Shadow work is liberation work, and your moon holds the key to some of your deepest unconscious beliefs.</p><p>If you&#8217;re ready to take back control of your narrative, here&#8217;s one way to start.</p><p>Xo</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hot Girl Math: Time Traveling to 2022]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's recap what the Universe was trying to tell us...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2022</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2022</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 21:41:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/YPROfC5MVrA" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-YPROfC5MVrA" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;YPROfC5MVrA&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/YPROfC5MVrA?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>It&#8217;s Hot Girl Math time!</p><p>On this week&#8217;s episode, we time travel back to 2022, a year that showed us pain and beauty, seeming contradictions, the difference between power and substance, and how powerful joy as a weapon for revolution can be.</p><p>From astrology and numerology to news headlines and pop culture, we begin to dissect the subtle messaging that was weaved between everything we were experiencing that year&#8212;which was all about change, upheaval, liberation, and restlessness.</p><p>The year 2022 was asking us if we&#8217;re capable of remembering the stories we carry in our bodies, if we&#8217;re ready to stand our ground for what we deserve, and where we overgive to the point of depletion.</p><p>The purpose of Hot Girl Math is to show you how to decode the throughline of the clues from the Universe, so that you can tap into this knowledge yourself, while also build your self-trust. The signs are everywhere, you just need to learn how to pay attention.</p><p>At the end of the video, we come back to you&#8212;the star of the show.</p><p>What you experience on a massive scale is usually somehow connected to your personal journey, specifically, your shadow work journey.</p><p>I present you with three prompts to help you understand how your 2022 connects to the general themes we collectively experienced in 2022, so that we can get the full picture.</p><p>For those who want to dive deeper into the mystery, I&#8217;ve included additional prompts and reflection questions below.</p><p>Check out the latest episode on YouTube, and don&#8217;t forget to like, subscribe and share your intuitive hits as you watch!</p><p><strong>The time is 2022, let&#8217;s see if your own shadow journey was aligning with the collective unfolding&#8230;</strong></p>
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      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[release the fears that keep you settling for less.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your weekly oracle reading and astro transits (04.13.2026)]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/release-the-fears-that-keep-you-settling</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/release-the-fears-that-keep-you-settling</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 13 Apr 2026 15:08:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" width="1280" height="720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hello friends,</p><p>I hope you enjoyed your weekend and allowed yourself to revel in the glimmers that life presents to you. </p><p>As I was editing the <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO0y4a0aEUhHb_4E-s5f0cO2s34qwCGhw">Hot Girl Math episode for 2022</a></strong>, there was a theme that kept coming up that also felt like a significant reminder during these times, and that was remembering that joy is a revolution.</p><p>It&#8217;s not to dismiss the atrocities that are occurring in the world, but learning how to balance the pain with the beauty that still exists, because if we assume the world is nothing but suffering, then we normalize the conditions that create suffering.</p><p>Never forget that this is a world worth fighting for, and that humanity is not lost. </p><p>Before we get into the intense astrology of this week, I want to remind you that the next Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry will be on April 29 and centered on the Scorpio Full Moon. <strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/7fZuOFsMIx6VDvoOO6f6?">Click here to RSVP!</a></strong></p><p><strong>Now, let&#8217;s talk about what&#8217;s up in the cosmos this week&#8212;</strong></p>
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          <a href="https://www.returntoself.me/p/release-the-fears-that-keep-you-settling">
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hot Girl Math: Time Traveling to 2021]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's recap what the Universe was trying to tell us...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2021</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2021</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 21:29:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/RQj7ss2Fscg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-RQj7ss2Fscg" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;RQj7ss2Fscg&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/RQj7ss2Fscg?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>It&#8217;s Hot Girl Math time!</p><p>On this week&#8217;s episode, we time travel back to 2021, a year that <em>for the life of me</em> I can hardly remember. Not sure that&#8217;s a good sign, but it&#8217;s the truth.</p><p>As I mention in this week&#8217;s video, 2021 was like the year-long hangover, and judging by how difficult it is to recollect memories from that year, it tracks.</p><p>From astrology and numerology to news headlines and pop culture, we begin to dissect the subtle messaging that was weaved between everything we were experiencing that year&#8212;which was all about change, upheaval, liberation, and restlessness.</p><p>The year 2021 was a bit of a paradox. There was a lot of contradicting energy that we didn&#8217;t quite know what to do with. We&#8217;re finally back outside, but outside was different now. We were different. And although there were a lot of discrepancies being exposed, we weren&#8217;t quite sure what to do with them.</p><p>However, the activation I pulled for 2021 was quite surprising.</p><p>It was also incredibly hard for me to talk the day I recorded this video. Don&#8217;t ask me why, who knows. But I decided to add a little blooper reel at the end for your amusement. Enjoy!</p><p>The purpose of Hot Girl Math is to show you how to decode the throughline of the clues from the Universe, so that you can tap into this knowledge yourself, while also build your self-trust. The signs are everywhere, you just need to learn how to pay attention.</p><p>At the end of the video, we come back to you&#8212;the star of the show.</p><p>What you experience on a massive scale is usually somehow connected to your personal journey, specifically, your shadow work journey.</p><p>I present you with three prompts to help you understand how your 2021 connects to the general themes we collectively experienced in 2021, so that we can get the full picture.</p><p>For those who want to dive deeper into the mystery, I&#8217;ve included additional prompts and reflection questions below.</p><p>Check out the latest episode on YouTube, and don&#8217;t forget to like, subscribe and share your intuitive hits as you watch!</p><p><strong>The time is 2021, let&#8217;s see if your own shadow journey was aligning with the collective unfolding&#8230;</strong></p>
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          <a href="https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2021">
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[are you being honest about what you truly want?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your weekly oracle reading and astro transits (04.06.2026)]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/are-you-being-honest-about-what-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/are-you-being-honest-about-what-you</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:09:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" width="1280" height="720" 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hello friends,</p><p>Happy Monday. I hope this last week brought you some relief, joy, revelations, and the courage to approach this week in the ways that you truly need.</p><p>Thank you to everyone who attended the last Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry event. It was illuminating in many ways, as always, and I truly enjoy creating this space with you.</p><p>If you&#8217;d like to attend our next workshop, which will be on April 29 and centered on the Scorpio Full Moon, <strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/7fZuOFsMIx6VDvoOO6f6?">click here!</a></strong></p><p>If you&#8217;re ready to bring some more astrology into your shadow work journey, I&#8217;ll be hosting a live Zoom workshop<a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop"> </a><em><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop">Dark Side of the Moon: Decoding Your Emotional Underworld</a></strong></em><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop"> </a>THIS SATURDAY, April 11 at 10am PST, that will focus on doing a <strong><a href="https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-mother-wound-your-moon-sign-has">deep dive with your moon sign</a></strong>, which is where your deepest fears live.</p><p>We&#8217;ll navigate the emotional strategies and mechanisms that are lurking just beneath your awareness in order to become more conscious about how we&#8217;re operating in the world, especially when it comes to the things closest to us. I hope you join us!</p><p>Lastly, did you watch the last <strong><a href="https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2020">Hot Girl Math episode on 2020</a></strong>? I can&#8217;t believe we&#8217;re already halfway done with our time-traveling! But I&#8217;m also excited, because I&#8217;m ready to talk about what we&#8217;re seeing right now.</p><p>Soon come.</p><p><strong>Now, let&#8217;s talk about what&#8217;s up in the cosmos this week&#8212;</strong></p>
      <p>
          <a href="https://www.returntoself.me/p/are-you-being-honest-about-what-you">
              Read more
          </a>
      </p>
   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Mother Wound Your Moon Sign Has Been Holding]]></title><description><![CDATA[A grounded look at what each moon sign carries, and why it's time to put it down.]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-mother-wound-your-moon-sign-has</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/the-mother-wound-your-moon-sign-has</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:08:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png" width="1024" height="640" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:640,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:803170,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.returntoself.me/i/192992030?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!snDm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcfd2d47a-e4cd-4a07-9869-dae6d5e5573c_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Most of us carry our mother with us everywhere&#8212;in the way we comfort ourselves, in what we reach for when we&#8217;re overwhelmed, in the voice that narrates our inner world. </p><p>Astrology has a name for that&#8230; the moon.</p><p>Your moon sign doesn&#8217;t just describe your emotions. It maps the emotional environment you were born into and the wounds that formed there.</p><p>In traditional astrology, the moon has always been linked to the mother&#8212;or more precisely, to the <em>experience</em> of being mothered. </p><p>It governs Cancer, the sign associated with nurturing, home, and emotional roots. The moon moves faster than any other planet, cycling through all 12 signs in just under a month, much like the ever-shifting, responsive nature of early caregiving. </p><p>In a birth chart, the moon reflects how we were held (or not held) as children&#8212;our earliest emotional imprinting. It speaks to the quality of attunement we received, how our needs were met or misread, and the emotional atmosphere of our home. </p><p>Because our mother or primary caregiver is usually our first emotional mirror, the moon becomes a map of that relationship&#8212;and of the inner world we built around it.</p><p>What does this look like? Well, let&#8217;s quickly run down all 12 signs, and you let me know if it resonates with your moon sign&#8230;</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Aries Moon</strong>: The wound of having to be strong. Somewhere along the way, needing felt dangerous. You learned to act before you could feel.</p><p><strong>Taurus Moon</strong>: The wound of instability. When comfort wasn&#8217;t reliable, you built your own walls. Letting them down is the work.</p><p><strong>Gemini Moon</strong>: The wound of not being truly heard. You learned to talk around feelings rather than through them.</p><p><strong>Cancer Moon</strong>: The wound of emotional enmeshment. The line between her feelings and yours was always blurry. Finding your own emotional edges takes time.</p><p><strong>Leo Moon</strong>: The wound of conditional love. Approval felt earned, not given. The fear of being unseen runs deep.</p><p><strong>Virgo Moon</strong>: The wound of criticism. You internalized the idea that love comes with an audit. You&#8217;re still learning that enough is enough.</p><p><strong>Libra Moon</strong>: The wound of keeping the peace. Your needs were often set aside to manage the emotional atmosphere around you.</p><p><strong>Scorpio Moon</strong>: The wound of emotional secrecy. What was unspoken in your home became the loudest thing in your inner life.</p><p><strong>Sagittarius Moon</strong>: The wound of emotional unavailability. You were given freedom in place of closeness&#8212;and you&#8217;re still sorting out the difference.</p><p><strong>Capricorn Moon</strong>: The wound of emotional stoicism. Feelings were a luxury or a liability. You&#8217;re learning they&#8217;re actually information.</p><p><strong>Aquarius Moon</strong>: The wound of feeling like the odd one out, even at home. You detached to survive. Connection still feels a little foreign.</p><p><strong>Pisces Moon</strong>: The wound of emotional dissolution. The boundaries were thin, the moods unpredictable. You absorbed everything.</p><div><hr></div><p>This is the power of astrology when observed through a psychological and shadow lens&#8230;</p><p>And also what has been one of the most profound aspects of my personal healing journey.</p><p>In my upcoming workshop, <strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop">Dark Side of the Moon on Saturday, April 11</a></strong>, we&#8217;re going to begin looking honestly at what your moon sign reveals about your mother wound, and how it continues to shape your emotional patterns, relationships, and sense of safety today.</p><p>This is a deep-dive workshop for anyone who wants to understand how their moon sign shaped the emotional patterns they're still living with today. </p><p>We'll go beyond the surface into what your Moon sign reveals about how your mothering contributed to the way you learned to survive, so you can gently begin to release the inherited shadows that keep leaving you in the dark.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;sign me up!&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop"><span>sign me up!</span></a></p><p>Xo</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[When Harmony Becomes Avoidance]]></title><description><![CDATA[Prompts to help you explore the shadow of Libra.]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/when-harmony-becomes-avoidance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/when-harmony-becomes-avoidance</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:08:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png" width="1024" height="640" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:640,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1038993,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.returntoself.me/i/189724595?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!G-SA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e1482d-b15e-4fdc-b4d7-f2dc492fe084_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>This Libra Full Moon is exposing whatever is out of balance.</p><p>Libra governs relationship&#8212;to others, to beauty, to harmony, and to the delicate art of balance. At its highest expression, it is the practice of meeting another with grace, fairness, and an open heart.</p><p>But under a full moon, harmony can reveal its shadow.</p><p>This is the moon that illuminates the quiet compromises we&#8217;ve made to keep the peace. The ways we soften our truth to remain lovable. The subtle negotiations between authenticity and approval.</p><p>A full moon brings what has been hidden into view. It reveals the relational patterns operating just beneath the surface&#8212;the places where connection has slowly begun to cost us ourselves.</p><p>Below you&#8217;ll find the three shadow work prompts we used in our Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry circle at Feybl last night, which are designed to help you work with this energy through tarot and generative writing.</p><p>Hold each prompt in your mind&#8217;s eye as you pull a card, and allow the symbolism to guide your reflection. Let the card be your compass, and the page be your sanctuary.</p><p>If you don&#8217;t work with cards, that&#8217;s OK. Use these prompts to help you spark a dialogue with your subconscious.</p><p>There&#8217;s no right or wrong way to do this. All it asks of you is to be honest.</p><p><strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/7fZuOFsMIx6VDvoOO6f6?">If you&#8217;re local to Los Angeles, join us for the next workshop, which will focus on the shadows of Scorpio on April 29. </a></strong></p><p><strong>Where do I override my truth in order to maintain connection?</strong></p><p>Pull a card to explore:</p><ul><li><p>Where you say yes when you mean no</p></li><li><p>What you fear would happen if you were fully honest</p></li><li><p>What part of you feels safer being agreeable than authentic</p></li></ul><p><strong>What am I seeing in others that I have not yet claimed in myself?</strong></p><p>Pull a card to reveal:</p><ul><li><p>What you project onto others</p></li><li><p>What you disown or idealize</p></li><li><p>What is asking to be integrated</p></li></ul><p><strong>What does it cost me to keep the peace?</strong></p><p>Pull a card to illuminate:</p><ul><li><p>Where you avoid tension</p></li><li><p>What goes unspoken</p></li><li><p>The emotional residue of unexpressed truth</p></li></ul><p>Xo</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hot Girl Math: Time Traveling to 2020]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's recap what the Universe was trying to tell us...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2020</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2020</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 23:26:43 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/VU1jIjsmezY" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-VU1jIjsmezY" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;VU1jIjsmezY&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/VU1jIjsmezY?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>It&#8217;s Hot Girl Math time!</p><p>On this week&#8217;s episode, we time travel back to 2020 (cue <em>Law &amp; Order</em>&#8217;s famous <em>dun dun&#8230;</em>) to look at all of the cosmic clues that point us to the general energetic theme unfolding.</p><p>From astrology and numerology to news headlines and pop culture, we begin to dissect the subtle messaging that was weaved between everything we were experiencing that year&#8212;which was all about balance, partnership, and taking inventory on where and who you&#8217;re investing your energy in.</p><p>Now, obviously, you recall what a whirlwind and mindfuck 2020 was. There&#8217;s really no other way to put it (according to me). </p><p>I&#8217;ve always seen 2020 as the descent. A (forced) experience into our collective and individual underworlds, where distraction and convenient coping mechanisms were nowhere to be found.</p><p>What happens when we <em>have</em> to sit with ourselves? The shadows start to speak.</p><p>And 2020 was a huge moment for that, whether you were ready for it or not.</p><p>The purpose of Hot Girl Math is to show you how to decode the throughline of the clues from the Universe, so that you can tap into this knowledge yourself, while also build your self-trust. The signs are everywhere, you just need to learn how to pay attention.</p><p>At the end of the video, we come back to you&#8212;the star of the show.</p><p>What you experience on a massive scale is usually somehow connected to your personal journey, specifically, your shadow work journey.</p><p>I present you with three prompts to help you understand how your 2020 connects to the general themes we collectively experienced in 2020, so that we can get the full picture.</p><p>For those who want to dive deeper into the mystery, I&#8217;ve included additional prompts and reflection questions below.</p><p>Check out the latest episode on YouTube, and don&#8217;t forget to like, subscribe and share your intuitive hits as you watch!</p><p><strong>The time is 2020, let&#8217;s see if your own shadow journey was aligning with the collective unfolding&#8230;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[what is fear costing you?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your weekly oracle reading and astro transits (03.30.2026)]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/what-is-fear-costing-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/what-is-fear-costing-you</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Mar 2026 15:08:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" width="1280" height="720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hello Substack friends,</p><p>Another week of navigating uncertainty, experiencing waves of grief, and putting our work to practice has come and gone.</p><p>I hope no matter what your week looked like, you were able to experience moments of joy, ease, balance, and serenity.</p><p>My shadow has been quite loud lately with everything going on in Lebanon, so please trust and know that if you&#8217;re being asked to navigate some deep-rooted fears, there&#8217;s a reason.</p><p>In many recent conversations with friends, I&#8217;ve noticed a theme of grief. All different kinds of grief coming up for release, and when that happens, the heart chakra is being asked to open and create space. </p><p>The fears are being asked to release, so that more love can take its place.</p><p>And because the Universe does what it does, all of this aligns with the upcoming Libra Full Moon. A full moon illuminating everything lurking in the shadows of Libra&#8212;a sign of partnerships, balance, justice, and love.</p><p>With that said, the next Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry will be THIS Wednesday, April 1, which is the night of the Libra Full Moon! <strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/LI9SD3HhlBYiSw4v4TDr?">If you&#8217;ve been feeling the heaviness of this energy coming up, come through and transmute it with us.</a></strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/LI9SD3HhlBYiSw4v4TDr?"> </a></p><p>If you want to take it a step deeper, I&#8217;ll be hosting a live Zoom workshop on April 11 that will focus on doing a deep dive with your moon sign, which is where your deepest fears live.</p><p>I&#8217;ll guide everyone on how to find their moon sign, so we all know where we&#8217;re going, and then we&#8217;ll strap in and dive into the emotional underworld of your moon sign. If you&#8217;re interested in learning more, <strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop">click here.</a></strong></p><p>Lastly, did you watch the last <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/kZd028zdeJ4?si=S1ShfqK8sO5HLN-V">Hot Girl Math episode on 2019</a></strong>? Things are getting really interesting. Don&#8217;t miss the 2020 video dropping this Wednesday!</p><p><strong>Now, let&#8217;s talk about what&#8217;s up in the cosmos this week&#8212;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sometimes, You're the Problem.]]></title><description><![CDATA[Which means you're also the solution.]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/sometimes-youre-the-problem</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/sometimes-youre-the-problem</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 15:09:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png" width="1024" height="640" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:640,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:694304,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.returntoself.me/i/190967537?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a_ew!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9ce91a28-86e4-4dba-b23e-a4651b8380c6_1024x640.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>There was a period of my life where I ran a blog called <em>The Problem With Dating</em>, and half a million people worldwide followed me on that journey<em>.</em> </p><p>I wrote about situationships, and emotionally unavailable men, and the specific exhaustion of being someone who loved deeply in a world that seemed allergic to it. </p><p>I was perceptive. I was articulate. I could diagnose an anxious attachment pattern from a three-word text.</p><p>And yet, I was absolutely, completely focused on everyone but myself.</p><p>If you&#8217;ve ever finished a relationship&#8212;or a <em>situationship</em>, or an <em>almost-relationship</em>, or whatever we&#8217;re calling them now&#8212;and found yourself doing a forensic analysis of the other person, you know the drill. </p><p>You replay the timeline. You identify the red flags you ignored. You talk it through with your friends until the story is so well-worn it practically has a title. </p><p>You do the journaling. You read the books. You maybe even go to therapy, or pull your birth chart, or take a Human Design course looking for the explanation that finally makes it make sense.</p><p>And then, somehow, you end up in the same place again. Different person. Same feeling.</p><p>I don&#8217;t remember the exact moment it hit me, but I remember the quality of it&#8212;the way certain truths arrive quietly, without drama, which somehow makes them harder to dismiss.</p><p><em>I was the common denominator.</em></p><p>Not in a punishing way. Not in the way my inner critic would have loved to run with it. </p><p>But in a simple, almost mathematical way&#8212;every relationship I had ever been in, I had been in. Every dynamic I kept finding myself in, I had helped build. Every person I had chosen, I had chosen.</p><p>And when you have that many eyes on you and people who praise your work, your humanity becomes overshadowed by the self-inflicted pressure of being who everyone else expects you to be.</p><p><em>Wise. Grounded. Someone who knows her shit. And yet, here we go again. Cue the imposter syndrome.</em></p><p>I won&#8217;t pretend that wasn&#8217;t humbling. There&#8217;s a particular kind of embarrassment that comes with realizing you&#8217;ve been the author of your own suffering&#8212;especially when you&#8217;re someone who has read all the books and done all the work and still managed to miss it. It can feel like a failure on top of a failure.</p><p>But underneath the embarrassment was something else entirely. Something that felt, against all odds, like relief.</p><p><strong>Because if I was the problem, I was also the solution.</strong></p><p>Here&#8217;s what I want to say to you, because I think it&#8217;s the part nobody talks about honestly&#8230;</p><p><em>Knowing this did not magically fix it.</em></p><p>I spent years after that realization still repeating the same patterns. Not because I wasn&#8217;t self-aware enough&#8212;I was almost annoyingly self-aware. I could see exactly what I was doing, sometimes even while I was doing it, and I still couldn&#8217;t seem to stop. I used to think that meant something was fundamentally wrong with me. That I was broken in some way that insight couldn&#8217;t reach.</p><p>But that wasn&#8217;t it at all.</p><p>The problem wasn&#8217;t that I didn&#8217;t know. The problem was that knowing and <em>doing</em> are completely different muscles&#8212;and I had spent years developing one while the other quietly atrophied. Awareness without the capacity to act on it isn&#8217;t transformation. It&#8217;s just a more sophisticated form of being stuck.</p><p>What I actually needed wasn&#8217;t more information about myself. I needed to build the part of myself that could take everything I knew and finally, <em>actually</em>, move differently.</p><p>That&#8217;s what I kept coming back to when I was building the <strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop">Dark Side of the Moon</a></strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop"> </a><strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop">workshop</a></strong>. </p><p>Not another framework for understanding your patterns (you probably already understand them), but a real, held space to do the thing that comes after understanding. To meet the parts of yourself that have been running the show from the shadows, and to start, slowly, to change your relationship with them.</p><p>If you&#8217;ve done the therapy and read the books and pulled the charts and still feel like something isn&#8217;t shifting&#8212;this is for you. Not because you haven&#8217;t tried hard enough. But because you might be ready for the next part.</p><p>Your Moon sign doesn&#8217;t just describe how you feel. It maps your unconscious&#8212;the emotional survival strategies you developed before you had words for them, the patterns you inherited from your mother, the parts of yourself you learned to hide, exile, or perform depending on who was watching.</p><p>That&#8217;s the dark side. And that&#8217;s where the real work is.</p><p>In this 90-minute live workshop, we&#8217;ll move through your Moon sign (you&#8217;ll need to know your birth date, birth location and if possible, birth time, but it&#8217;s OK if you don&#8217;t), its shadow expression, its house placement, and the mother wound it carries&#8212;layer by layer, with honesty and without judgment.</p><p><strong>You&#8217;ll walk away with:</strong></p><ul><li><p>A clear understanding of your Moon sign&#8217;s gifts <em>and</em> its shadow&#8212;including the unconscious habits borrowed from your sister sign</p></li><li><p>Insight into where and with whom your emotional patterns show up most (relationships, work, safety-seeking behaviors)</p></li><li><p>A map of the early emotional programming you inherited&#8212;and what it looks like to start rewriting it</p></li><li><p>Practical shadow work tools you can use immediately: prompts, lunar cycle practices, and somatic awareness techniques</p></li><li><p>A resource handout to find and decode your Moon placement if you&#8217;re brand new to astrology</p></li></ul><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;sign me up!&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop"><span>sign me up!</span></a></p><p>This isn&#8217;t an astrology lecture. It&#8217;s a guided excavation into your emotional underworld.</p><p>You already know the problem isn&#8217;t always them. The quietly terrifying, quietly liberating thing is&#8212;you&#8217;ve known for a while.</p><p>And just like everything else, this knowing is asking you to do something with it.</p><p>Xo</p><p><strong>P.S. Don&#8217;t forget to join us for <a href="https://partiful.com/e/LI9SD3HhlBYiSw4v4TDr?">Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry</a> on April 1, where we&#8217;ll dive into the shadows of Libra.</strong></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hot Girl Math: Time Traveling to 2019]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's recap what the Universe was trying to tell us...]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2019</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2019</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 22:33:50 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/kZd028zdeJ4" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-kZd028zdeJ4" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;kZd028zdeJ4&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/kZd028zdeJ4?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>It&#8217;s Hot Girl Math time!</p><p>On this week&#8217;s episode, we time travel back to 2019 to look at all of the cosmic clues that point us to the general energetic theme unfolding.</p><p>From astrology and numerology to news headlines and pop culture, we begin to dissect the subtle messaging that was weaved between everything we were experiencing that year&#8212;which was all about balance, partnership, and taking inventory on where and who you&#8217;re investing your energy in.</p><p>I have to admit, while editing this video, I was getting<em> a lot</em> of downloads (which I&#8217;ll share below), and I&#8217;m curious what comes up for you.</p><p>Two things that stood out to me as I was re-watching and editing:</p><ol><li><p>I mention that 2019 saw the rise of Billie Eilish with her album <em>When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?</em> That title felt oddly specific. Why didn&#8217;t she just call it <em>Where Do We Go When We Fall Asleep?</em> Considering this was released right before 2020, when the world collectively shut down (or fell asleep?) in order to travel to the Underworld (my opinion), it felt like a foreshadow of what was to come. Pair that with the fact that her hit single off the album was &#8220;Bad Guy,&#8221; a song all about power dynamics, manipulation and the shadow, and we&#8217;re now walking into interesting territory about how this particular instance may have been a huge clue into what we were stepping into. Remember, everything is hidden in plain sight.</p></li><li><p>The other stark realization is remembering just how many protests were occurring in 2019. Chile, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Bolivia, India, Nicaragua, and Russia were all exhibiting acts of resistance that year alone. And then 2020 happens. The download I got (which is going to sound conspiracy-adjacent) was that CERN was used to timeline jump into an alternate reality as an attempt to avoid what was already bubbling up. The people were fighting back. They didn&#8217;t want that. And yet here we are. What I heard was, &#8220;They can&#8217;t escape karma.&#8221;</p></li></ol><p>Do with that what you will.</p><p>The purpose of Hot Girl Math is to show you how to decode the throughline of the clues from the Universe, so that you can tap into this knowledge yourself, while also build your self-trust. The signs are everywhere, you just need to learn how to pay attention.</p><p>At the end of the video, we come back to you&#8212;the star of the show.</p><p>What you experience on a massive scale is usually somehow connected to your personal journey, specifically, your shadow work journey.</p><p>I present you with three prompts to help you understand how your 2019 connects to the general themes we collectively experienced in 2019, so that we can get the full picture.</p><p>For those who want to dive deeper into the mystery, I&#8217;ve included additional prompts and reflection questions below.</p><p>Check out the latest episode on YouTube, and don&#8217;t forget to like, subscribe and share your intuitive hits as you watch!</p><p><strong>The time is 2019, let&#8217;s see if your own shadow journey was aligning with the collective unfolding&#8230;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[this love is getting the green light, but...]]></title><description><![CDATA[Your weekly oracle reading and astro transits (03.23.2026)]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/this-love-is-getting-the-green-light</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/this-love-is-getting-the-green-light</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:08:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png" width="1280" height="720" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:720,&quot;width&quot;:1280,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:2090425,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.returntoself.me/i/191725687?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!20Qp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6631b469-78da-4e0b-92f8-e8d6bb7a2db3_1280x720.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Hi friends!</p><p>Welcome to Aries season! Welcome to Spring! Welcome to the freedom that comes post-Mercury retrograde!</p><p>I hope this week treated you kindly, and that you were able to receive whatever nourishment you needed for your mind, body, and soul.</p><p>As you may have seen, I&#8217;m hosting a live workshop on April 11 that will focus on doing a deep dive with your moon sign!</p><p>When I began navigating my emotional underworld, it was my moon sign that offered me so much insight on the unconscious wounds and patterns that were running my relationships, and ultimately, my life.</p><p>I&#8217;m excited to share that depth with you, so if you&#8217;re interested in learning more, <strong><a href="https://stan.store/mysticbru/p/dark-side-of-the-moon-workshop">click here.</a></strong></p><p>Speaking of workshops, the next Shadow Work Through Tarot &amp; Poetry will be on the night of the Libra Full Moon on April 1! <strong><a href="https://partiful.com/e/LI9SD3HhlBYiSw4v4TDr?">Come through and write with us.</a></strong></p><p><strong>Here&#8217;s what&#8217;s up in the cosmos this week&#8212;</strong></p>
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   ]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[It's Karmic Podcast: The Spiritual War]]></title><description><![CDATA[Let's talk about it.]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/its-karmic-podcast-the-spiritual</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/its-karmic-podcast-the-spiritual</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:08:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WUAe!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c29f2ac-21a0-4a01-b812-48cd02e98a4b_1280x720.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WUAe!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c29f2ac-21a0-4a01-b812-48cd02e98a4b_1280x720.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WUAe!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c29f2ac-21a0-4a01-b812-48cd02e98a4b_1280x720.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WUAe!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c29f2ac-21a0-4a01-b812-48cd02e98a4b_1280x720.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WUAe!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c29f2ac-21a0-4a01-b812-48cd02e98a4b_1280x720.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WUAe!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c29f2ac-21a0-4a01-b812-48cd02e98a4b_1280x720.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WUAe!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c29f2ac-21a0-4a01-b812-48cd02e98a4b_1280x720.jpeg" width="1280" height="720" 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y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>I recently had the pleasure to talk to the amazing Vika Bradford, host of <em>It&#8217;s Karmic </em>podcast, about <strong><a href="https://www.returntoself.me/p/this-is-americas-biggest-ego-death?utm_source=publication-search">this piece I wrote last year.</a></strong></p><p>As you may know, I believe what we are witnessing in the world right now is the physical manifestation of the spiritual war many of us have been called to fight in recent years.</p><p>Here&#8217;s what you can expect from our recent conversation&#8230;</p><div><hr></div><p><em>What if the spiritual war everyone senses right now has already been fought and won&#8230; and what we&#8217;re witnessing is simply the physical world catching up?</em></p><p><em>In this powerful conversation, I welcome back Mystic Bru for a deep exploration of the unseen forces shaping our world and our inner lives.</em></p><p><em>Together, Bruna and I dive into the idea that many people have spent the past several years in a profound underworld journey individually, while processing what has been happening collectively. Facing their shadows, breaking ancestral patterns, and confronting unseen energetic dynamics that influence both our personal lives and the collective.</em></p><p><em>From the concept of egregores and energetic entities, to the collapse of inherited belief systems, this episode explores how personal shadow work mirrors the larger transformations unfolding across society. We also discuss the dangers of spiritual ego, the saviour complex, and the pendulum swings that often happen when people awaken to deeper truths.</em></p><p><em>This conversation is a reminder that the chaos we&#8217;re witnessing may not be the end of the world, but the end of a world that can no longer sustain itself.</em></p><p><em>If you&#8217;ve felt like you&#8217;ve been fighting battles in the unseen, navigating intense personal transformation, or questioning the systems you were taught to trust&#8230; This episode will resonate deeply.</em></p><div id="youtube2-8FMjsR9tSZo" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;8FMjsR9tSZo&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/8FMjsR9tSZo?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><h4><em><strong>In This Episode We Discuss</strong></em></h4><ul><li><p><em><strong>The spiritual war has already been fought energetically</strong>, and what we are witnessing now is the physical world catching up to that shift.</em></p></li><li><p><em>Why so many people have spent the last several years <strong>descending into a personal underworld journey</strong>, confronting shadows, trauma, and inherited patterns.</em></p></li><li><p><em>The connection between <strong>individual shadow work and collective transformation</strong>, and how the micro mirrors the macro.</em></p></li><li><p><em>The concept of <strong>egregores and energetic entities</strong> that feed on fear, chaos, anger, and division.</em></p></li><li><p><em>How political figures, ideologies, and movements can become <strong>energetic archetypes or egregores larger than the individual person.</strong></em></p></li><li><p><em>Why spiritual awakening often causes <strong>extreme pendulum swings</strong>, especially when breaking free from dogma or conditioning.</em></p></li><li><p><em>The danger of recreating the same control systems we escaped <strong>with new &#8220;spiritual language.&#8221;</strong></em></p></li><li><p><em>The <strong>death and rebirth cycles</strong> many people have experienced internally over the past several years.</em></p></li><li><p><em>What it means to become a <strong>spiritual warrior</strong> and break generational energetic patterns.</em></p></li><li><p><em>The importance of releasing the <strong>saviour complex</strong> and understanding that we cannot fix or save everyone.</em></p></li><li><p><em>Why the most powerful contribution we can make to the collective is <strong>doing our own inner work and showing up with integrity.</strong></em></p></li><li><p><em>The possibility that humanity is moving through a <strong>collective threshold into a higher timeline</strong>, where both the highest potential and deepest shadows are being revealed.</em></p></li></ul><p><em><strong>This Episode Is For You If&#8230;</strong></em></p><ul><li><p><em>Feel like you&#8217;ve been going through intense personal transformation over the last few years</em></p></li><li><p><em>Sense that something bigger is shifting collectively, but you can&#8217;t quite explain it</em></p></li><li><p><em>Have felt like you&#8217;ve been doing deep shadow work or &#8220;spiritual battle&#8221; work behind the scenes</em></p></li><li><p><em>Are questioning the systems, structures, and beliefs you were taught to trust</em></p></li><li><p><em>Want to understand how personal healing connects to collective change</em></p></li><li><p><em>Feel called to break cycles in your family, lineage, or karmic patterns</em></p></li><li><p><em>Are learning how to stay grounded and sovereign in a world that often feels chaotic</em></p></li><li><p><em>Are ready to explore spirituality beyond the &#8220;love and light only&#8221; narrative</em></p></li></ul>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hot Girl Math: Time Traveling to 2018]]></title><description><![CDATA[Can you spot the themes and patterns of the year?]]></description><link>https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2018</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.returntoself.me/p/hot-girl-math-time-traveling-to-2018</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Mystic Bru]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 18 Mar 2026 22:18:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/youtube/w_728,c_limit/lXDe-TiYEs0" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="youtube2-lXDe-TiYEs0" class="youtube-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;videoId&quot;:&quot;lXDe-TiYEs0&quot;,&quot;startTime&quot;:null,&quot;endTime&quot;:null}" data-component-name="Youtube2ToDOM"><div class="youtube-inner"><iframe src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/lXDe-TiYEs0?rel=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;showinfo=0&amp;enablejsapi=0" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" gesture="media" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowautoplay="true" allowfullscreen="true" width="728" height="409"></iframe></div></div><p>It&#8217;s Hot Girl Math time!</p><p>On this week&#8217;s episode, we time travel back to 2018 to look at all of the cosmic clues that point us to the general energetic theme unfolding.</p><p>From astrology and numerology to news headlines and pop culture, we begin to dissect the subtle messaging that was weaved between everything we were experiencing that year&#8212;which was all about balance, partnership, and taking inventory on where and who you&#8217;re investing your energy in.</p><p>And because alignment is always happening, 2018 was the year that I shared my book <em><strong><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1723392987">Let That Shit Go</a></strong></em>, which was all about partnership, with the world.</p><p>The purpose of Hot Girl Math is to show you how to decode the throughline of the clues from the Universe, so that you can tap into this knowledge yourself, while also build your self-trust. The signs are everywhere, you just need to learn how to pay attention.</p><p>At the end of the video, we come back to you&#8212;the star of the show.</p><p>What you experience on a massive scale is usually somehow connected to your personal journey, specifically, your shadow work journey.</p><p>I present you with three prompts to help you understand how your 2018 connects to the general themes we collectively experienced in 2018, so that we can get the full picture.</p><p>For those who want to dive deeper into the mystery, I&#8217;ve included additional prompts and reflection questions below.</p><p>Check out the latest episode on YouTube, and don&#8217;t forget to like, subscribe and share your intuitive hits as you watch!</p><p><strong>The time is 2018, let&#8217;s see if your own shadow journey was aligning with the collective unfolding&#8230;</strong></p>
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