On The Blog
On The Blog
SUBSCRIBE TO IN MY SACRED SPACE
SUBSCRIBE TO IN MY SACRED SPACE
How To Know If A Spiritual Teacher Is Credible
The concept of credibility came up in my post on critical thinking and spirituality yesterday. I think part of our issue today with all of the misinformation floating around is that a lot of people don’t really understand what credibility means. Today I’m going to give you a rundown of what makes someone credible in the realms of science and journalism, and how to apply that to spirituality.
The Most Important Work You Will Ever Do
All of the world’s problems (and yours) come down to this.
Do Not Look Away
This post might make you uncomfortable. Can you sit with that discomfort long enough to figure out where it’s coming from? Let’s find out.
I Challenge You
Want to know what kind of energy you’re embodying right now? Answer these questions to find out.
I Quit
The day I thought would never come has arrived. This the end of In My Sacred Space.
A Year Without Sex
One year ago, I stopped having sex. Here’s why.
A Bystander’s Guide to Suicide
Advice from a reluctant pro on being someone else’s lifeline.
Everything That’s Wrong With The Body And Sex Positivity Movements
The current “Body Positive” movement has one gigantic flaw and I’m about to rip into it today.
Vulnerability, Intimacy, and Deepening Relationships
Creating deep, meaningful relationships was a major goal of mine when I moved to New York. I picked quite the challenging city for it, but I seem to be figuring it out, and I think what I’m discovering is something that’s needed here, of all places.
How to NOT Sexually Harass a Woman and Mind Your Own Fucking Business
Surprise! You get a Saturday post because Ash is fired the fuck up. Get ready for an earful of F bombs and a whole lot of “Fuck off!”
The Other Side
There comes a time in our lives when are brought to the precipice of a great change. We are asked to rise to our own challenges, let go of all of the fears and insecurities that have kept us caged our entire lives, and make a leap into darkness of the unknown. To cross the chasm between our destiny and what we’ve never allowed ourselves to be.
I Listen To The Voices In My Head
If you heard a disembodied voice give you a cryptic message about where your life is heading… would you follow it? I did. This is how it went down.
Stop Using Spirituality to Kick Your Own Ass
I made a startling realization about myself last night. Ok, it wasn’t very startling. It’s a pattern that I’ve been ignoring for quite some time and never fully acknowledged until now.
13 Reasons Why
Today I’m talking about suicide, sexual assault, domestic violence and all the feels.
How To Know If Love Is Real
Question from a reader:
“How can I really know if I love someone? The thing is this guy has a girlfriend but we are “together” since October last year. I have suffered a lot (but I grew up a lot) and now my mind tells me to put a limit, but my heart still wants to be with him. What should I listen to? I think I love him, but my mind tells me I don’t love him. Maybe not to suffer anymore? I’m struggling.”
The Dark Side of Positivity
There’s a dangerous kind of thinking perpetuating the New Age community from all sides. Bullshit New Age content farms are hocking over simplified clickbait social media content on a daily basis leading people into an ideology that keeps them locked in a low-level conscious state. Here’s how to spot it.
Feel All The Feels
Maybe, as a society, we don’t need to “toughen up.” Maybe we just need to grow up a little, but in a very different way than what you’d expect.
The Purpose of The Ego
Question from a reader:
“I’ve been considering writing a blog for over 5 years. One of the largest questions I ask is: what makes what I have to say so special that warrants a blog. This concern feels like what you describe as the (spiritual) “ego” but I’m also curious about the role of the ego in terms of how society/pop culture use the term. So my question is: what is the role/relationship of (pop culture) ego with (spiritual) ego?”
Everybody Wants To Be Closer To Free
I’m struggling a bit to feel inspired to write this week. I’ve gone through a lot over this past year – a lot of loss, a lot of pain, and a lot of self reflection, and true to form, I feel like all of those things that I experienced have driven me to examine myself in ways that I’d been ignoring for a very long time.
Manifest Your Goals With The New Moon
This coming Saturday is the first new moon of the year. It’s time to start manifesting! My friend Misty is taking the reigns today to give you some tips on creating your own New Moon Intentions Ceremony for manifesting your goals for the new year.
Detecting Spiritual Bullshit
Brace yourselves. I’m unloading today about spiritual quizzes, “donations” in exchange for services, removing your chakras and all the ways people give their power away and attempt to keep themselves in a state of victimhood.
A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation
Meditation allows us to reach alpha state most often, and theta state in the most practiced meditators. Each of these states produce a different kind of intuitive experience and allow us to access different levels of our multidimensional self. I find that most novices don’t realize that there are different types of meditation and each type lends itself to an entirely different purpose.
Surrender, Acceptance, Nonresistance and Alignment
Question from a reader:
“Many times in the past few years, numerous people have told me to surrender. Surrender to God, the Universe, etc. I have heard of the term “surrender” but I do not really understand it, I guess. I know it is about letting go of taking control over your life and your emotions. I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to surrender. My question is how do you surrender and how do you know if you surrendered your life?”
Universal Archetypes: The Connection Between Tarot, Numerology, Dream Interpretation, Palmistry and Astrology
Did you know that numerology, astrology, dream interpretation, tarot and palmistry are all connected?
A lot of times when you learn about these things independently, you may miss the ways they all intersect. A lot of people who don’t know much about them mistakenly believe that they don’t have anything to do with one another and are actually competing ideologies (which they are not). Learn more about archetypes in today’s blog post.
Create Your Own Vision Board & Manifest The Hell Out of Your Inner Awesome
Setting an intention is as easy as making a decision (if you’re one of those people who have problems making decisions… well, that could be an issue…). But it’s hard to keep all of those decisions and intentions in our head without forgetting them or putting them on the backburner. You’ve only got so much mental energy to burn, after all.
That’s where vision boards come in. If you’re at a point where you’re ready to set some intentions and serious about seeing them through, now is the time. Get out your crafting gear (you know you have a tool box full of it, if not an entire room…like me) it’s time to get creative!
The Systemic Perpetuation of Sexism, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault
I made a Facebook post that talked about a sexual harassment experience I had once and I said, “I could sit here and recount all the other times I’ve been sexually harassed by total strangers – and by people I actually know that I have experienced since I was 14 years old. But I won’t. I shouldn’t have to, because it shouldn’t happen. But it does, and it’s still not ok.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized that in order for people to grasp the full breadth of the situation and exactly how systemic it is for all women, everywhere, I DO need to sit here and recount all the times I’ve been sexually harassed, assaulted, or otherwise discriminated against for simply being a woman. Chances are, if you’re a woman and you read this, you’re going to realize just how many times it’s happened to you, too.
Everyone Laments The Death of the Institution of Marriage, But Maybe it Needs to Die
It seems like every day we’re bombarded with the statistic that 50% of marriages today end in divorce (even though that hasn’t been true since the 70s and 80s). People are constantly writing articles about why marriages these days fail so often, even though the divorce rate is actually going down – at least for college-educated people. Have you ever considered that maybe the reason that the institution of marriage seems to be failing so hard is because it’s an outdated dinosaur of a concept that can’t survive in the new paradigm?
How to Avoid Setting Ourselves Up for Disappointment
Question from a reader: Hi Ash. I’ve been a groupie/blog stalker for only a few months, so it’s possible that you’ve already covered this, but I want to ask you about expectations in relationships. A family member of mine is struggling with depression. When asked about what triggers her sadness she answered, “I guess my expectations of people are too high.” The fact that she expects anything of anybody other than herself completely caught me off guard. Plus there’s the issue that she doesn’t communicate those expectations to anyone, but then gets sad/angry/frustrated/etc. when they’re not met. I have a feeling that she’s not the only person in the world who does this/feels this way. Can you offer some perspective?
Coming Out of the Psychic Closet
I know that a great deal of my readers are probably “in the closet” so to speak. Your friends and your family don’t know about your beliefs, and you don’t dare talk to them about it because you don’t want to have to deal with the inevitable strange looks, the questioning of your sanity, or the condemnation that you’re going to hell for what you believe.
There’s always a bit of a struggle about whether or not you should be open about who you really are and the things you’ve experienced. I’m here to tell you: You don’t have to hide it. But you don’t have to shove it down anyone’s throat, either.
The One Thing You Must Do Before Developing Your Psychic Abilities
It’s really hard to see clearly when there’s a yucky film on your glasses. It’s really hard to hear someone clearly when there’s a ton of background noise. It’s really hard to talk when you have a sore throat. All of these things get in the way of your ability to clearly communicate. So what’s getting in the way of your ability to communicate with spirit?
How To Get The Best Results From A Tarot Reading
You have laid out before you a vast number of paths in which you can choose to take. So to ask about the future in a psychic reading is taking away your ability to create it. This can only end two ways – you accept whatever you are told in the reading and then end up creating that outcome because it’s what you expect, or things change and your predictions do not come true, so you are disappointed by them and your reading experience.
Let’s Talk About Sex: Part 2
On Monday I started the first half of my post talking about sex and spirituality. I touched on just how out-of-touch our society is when it comes to sex and even ourselves, and all the things that are causing us to be blocked from experiencing true joy with our bodies and our hearts.
So how do we begin to undo what has been done?
Let’s Talk About Sex
Sex is probably one of, if not the most misunderstood, taboo subject on the planet in our current culture. So many people have shame and discomfort around sex, many of us aren’t even completely aware of it. I would wager that there’s a very large percentage of people out there who are engaging in sex under varying degrees of emotional numbness.
Taking Back Control of Your Life
You are born into a world that tells you that everything exists outside of you except you and that everything that happens is a matter of cause and effect. You believe that you are reacting to things outside of you, things that are outside of your control. Learn how to take back control.
How To Know If A Spiritual Teacher Is Credible
The concept of credibility came up in my post on critical thinking and spirituality yesterday. I think part of our issue today with all of the misinformation floating around is that a lot of people don’t really understand what credibility means. Today I’m going to give you a rundown of what makes someone credible in the realms of science and journalism, and how to apply that to spirituality.
The Most Important Work You Will Ever Do
All of the world’s problems (and yours) come down to this.
Do Not Look Away
This post might make you uncomfortable. Can you sit with that discomfort long enough to figure out where it’s coming from? Let’s find out.
I Challenge You
Want to know what kind of energy you’re embodying right now? Answer these questions to find out.
I Quit
The day I thought would never come has arrived. This the end of In My Sacred Space.
A Year Without Sex
One year ago, I stopped having sex. Here’s why.
A Bystander’s Guide to Suicide
Advice from a reluctant pro on being someone else’s lifeline.
Everything That’s Wrong With The Body And Sex Positivity Movements
The current “Body Positive” movement has one gigantic flaw and I’m about to rip into it today.
Vulnerability, Intimacy, and Deepening Relationships
Creating deep, meaningful relationships was a major goal of mine when I moved to New York. I picked quite the challenging city for it, but I seem to be figuring it out, and I think what I’m discovering is something that’s needed here, of all places.
How to NOT Sexually Harass a Woman and Mind Your Own Fucking Business
Surprise! You get a Saturday post because Ash is fired the fuck up. Get ready for an earful of F bombs and a whole lot of “Fuck off!”
The Other Side
There comes a time in our lives when are brought to the precipice of a great change. We are asked to rise to our own challenges, let go of all of the fears and insecurities that have kept us caged our entire lives, and make a leap into darkness of the unknown. To cross the chasm between our destiny and what we’ve never allowed ourselves to be.
I Listen To The Voices In My Head
If you heard a disembodied voice give you a cryptic message about where your life is heading… would you follow it? I did. This is how it went down.
Stop Using Spirituality to Kick Your Own Ass
I made a startling realization about myself last night. Ok, it wasn’t very startling. It’s a pattern that I’ve been ignoring for quite some time and never fully acknowledged until now.
13 Reasons Why
Today I’m talking about suicide, sexual assault, domestic violence and all the feels.
How To Know If Love Is Real
Question from a reader:
“How can I really know if I love someone? The thing is this guy has a girlfriend but we are “together” since October last year. I have suffered a lot (but I grew up a lot) and now my mind tells me to put a limit, but my heart still wants to be with him. What should I listen to? I think I love him, but my mind tells me I don’t love him. Maybe not to suffer anymore? I’m struggling.”
The Dark Side of Positivity
There’s a dangerous kind of thinking perpetuating the New Age community from all sides. Bullshit New Age content farms are hocking over simplified clickbait social media content on a daily basis leading people into an ideology that keeps them locked in a low-level conscious state. Here’s how to spot it.
Feel All The Feels
Maybe, as a society, we don’t need to “toughen up.” Maybe we just need to grow up a little, but in a very different way than what you’d expect.
The Purpose of The Ego
Question from a reader:
“I’ve been considering writing a blog for over 5 years. One of the largest questions I ask is: what makes what I have to say so special that warrants a blog. This concern feels like what you describe as the (spiritual) “ego” but I’m also curious about the role of the ego in terms of how society/pop culture use the term. So my question is: what is the role/relationship of (pop culture) ego with (spiritual) ego?”
Everybody Wants To Be Closer To Free
I’m struggling a bit to feel inspired to write this week. I’ve gone through a lot over this past year – a lot of loss, a lot of pain, and a lot of self reflection, and true to form, I feel like all of those things that I experienced have driven me to examine myself in ways that I’d been ignoring for a very long time.
Manifest Your Goals With The New Moon
This coming Saturday is the first new moon of the year. It’s time to start manifesting! My friend Misty is taking the reigns today to give you some tips on creating your own New Moon Intentions Ceremony for manifesting your goals for the new year.
Detecting Spiritual Bullshit
Brace yourselves. I’m unloading today about spiritual quizzes, “donations” in exchange for services, removing your chakras and all the ways people give their power away and attempt to keep themselves in a state of victimhood.
A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation
Meditation allows us to reach alpha state most often, and theta state in the most practiced meditators. Each of these states produce a different kind of intuitive experience and allow us to access different levels of our multidimensional self. I find that most novices don’t realize that there are different types of meditation and each type lends itself to an entirely different purpose.
Surrender, Acceptance, Nonresistance and Alignment
Question from a reader:
“Many times in the past few years, numerous people have told me to surrender. Surrender to God, the Universe, etc. I have heard of the term “surrender” but I do not really understand it, I guess. I know it is about letting go of taking control over your life and your emotions. I am having a hard time trying to figure out how to surrender. My question is how do you surrender and how do you know if you surrendered your life?”
Universal Archetypes: The Connection Between Tarot, Numerology, Dream Interpretation, Palmistry and Astrology
Did you know that numerology, astrology, dream interpretation, tarot and palmistry are all connected?
A lot of times when you learn about these things independently, you may miss the ways they all intersect. A lot of people who don’t know much about them mistakenly believe that they don’t have anything to do with one another and are actually competing ideologies (which they are not). Learn more about archetypes in today’s blog post.
Create Your Own Vision Board & Manifest The Hell Out of Your Inner Awesome
Setting an intention is as easy as making a decision (if you’re one of those people who have problems making decisions… well, that could be an issue…). But it’s hard to keep all of those decisions and intentions in our head without forgetting them or putting them on the backburner. You’ve only got so much mental energy to burn, after all.
That’s where vision boards come in. If you’re at a point where you’re ready to set some intentions and serious about seeing them through, now is the time. Get out your crafting gear (you know you have a tool box full of it, if not an entire room…like me) it’s time to get creative!
The Systemic Perpetuation of Sexism, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault
I made a Facebook post that talked about a sexual harassment experience I had once and I said, “I could sit here and recount all the other times I’ve been sexually harassed by total strangers – and by people I actually know that I have experienced since I was 14 years old. But I won’t. I shouldn’t have to, because it shouldn’t happen. But it does, and it’s still not ok.” The more I thought about it, the more I realized that in order for people to grasp the full breadth of the situation and exactly how systemic it is for all women, everywhere, I DO need to sit here and recount all the times I’ve been sexually harassed, assaulted, or otherwise discriminated against for simply being a woman. Chances are, if you’re a woman and you read this, you’re going to realize just how many times it’s happened to you, too.
Everyone Laments The Death of the Institution of Marriage, But Maybe it Needs to Die
It seems like every day we’re bombarded with the statistic that 50% of marriages today end in divorce (even though that hasn’t been true since the 70s and 80s). People are constantly writing articles about why marriages these days fail so often, even though the divorce rate is actually going down – at least for college-educated people. Have you ever considered that maybe the reason that the institution of marriage seems to be failing so hard is because it’s an outdated dinosaur of a concept that can’t survive in the new paradigm?
How to Avoid Setting Ourselves Up for Disappointment
Question from a reader: Hi Ash. I’ve been a groupie/blog stalker for only a few months, so it’s possible that you’ve already covered this, but I want to ask you about expectations in relationships. A family member of mine is struggling with depression. When asked about what triggers her sadness she answered, “I guess my expectations of people are too high.” The fact that she expects anything of anybody other than herself completely caught me off guard. Plus there’s the issue that she doesn’t communicate those expectations to anyone, but then gets sad/angry/frustrated/etc. when they’re not met. I have a feeling that she’s not the only person in the world who does this/feels this way. Can you offer some perspective?
Coming Out of the Psychic Closet
I know that a great deal of my readers are probably “in the closet” so to speak. Your friends and your family don’t know about your beliefs, and you don’t dare talk to them about it because you don’t want to have to deal with the inevitable strange looks, the questioning of your sanity, or the condemnation that you’re going to hell for what you believe.
There’s always a bit of a struggle about whether or not you should be open about who you really are and the things you’ve experienced. I’m here to tell you: You don’t have to hide it. But you don’t have to shove it down anyone’s throat, either.
The One Thing You Must Do Before Developing Your Psychic Abilities
It’s really hard to see clearly when there’s a yucky film on your glasses. It’s really hard to hear someone clearly when there’s a ton of background noise. It’s really hard to talk when you have a sore throat. All of these things get in the way of your ability to clearly communicate. So what’s getting in the way of your ability to communicate with spirit?
How To Get The Best Results From A Tarot Reading
You have laid out before you a vast number of paths in which you can choose to take. So to ask about the future in a psychic reading is taking away your ability to create it. This can only end two ways – you accept whatever you are told in the reading and then end up creating that outcome because it’s what you expect, or things change and your predictions do not come true, so you are disappointed by them and your reading experience.
Let’s Talk About Sex: Part 2
On Monday I started the first half of my post talking about sex and spirituality. I touched on just how out-of-touch our society is when it comes to sex and even ourselves, and all the things that are causing us to be blocked from experiencing true joy with our bodies and our hearts.
So how do we begin to undo what has been done?
Let’s Talk About Sex
Sex is probably one of, if not the most misunderstood, taboo subject on the planet in our current culture. So many people have shame and discomfort around sex, many of us aren’t even completely aware of it. I would wager that there’s a very large percentage of people out there who are engaging in sex under varying degrees of emotional numbness.
Taking Back Control of Your Life
You are born into a world that tells you that everything exists outside of you except you and that everything that happens is a matter of cause and effect. You believe that you are reacting to things outside of you, things that are outside of your control. Learn how to take back control.
Subscribe to get ass-kicking inspiration delivered to your inbox.
